The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-18


time he never once shifted that glass
from the little speck on the distant
sea. When he did come down he called
his mates and hurried into his cabin.
They was all in there about half an
hour, when they came out and gave
orders to set every stitch of canvas. All
hands went TO work. and in a short
time the ship was drivin' through the
water with studdin' sails, sky-sails. roy
ais and sky-scrapers all bellied out
with the stiff breeze. But, all the same,
the vessel astern was gainin' on us.
'tWhen the skipper seed this he
whispered to his mates, and the first
we knew orders were given to bring
the niggers up from below. They were
brought up in squads and chained to-
gether with heavy cables. When the
first squad was fixed Skipper Gordon
ordered the crew TO toss 'em overheard.
1t went against the better feelin's o
the men. can tell you, but it had to
be done. cause if we'd a refused we'd
likely "a not been shot DOWN. Well.
sir, squad after squad of the poor mig
gers was chucked overheard in this
way, until maybe there warn't more
than hundred left below. Then we
seed that the vessel astern was nearin
us rapidly. She was chasin' us. and
knOwed she was a revenue cutter. Jest
then the skipper had another talk with
his mates, and pretty soon the latter
came aft and ordered the small boats
of n their davits and us sailors to take
to them. The mates took charge o
the two boats. After putting provis-
ions and water in 'em we pulled away.
| heard the first mate Begin the skip
per to 90 with him, but he wouldn't do
it, and SO when we pulled off in the
open sea there wasn't soul
aboard the SLAYER but Skipper
Gordon and the niggers below.
at was good many years after
that before l heard any thing about the
fate Of Skipper Gordon and the ship.
When we pulled away we could see her
until night set in, but the next mornin'
she was nowhere. Our small boats
met clipper ship on the third day,
bound for Liverpool, and the mates
told Il yarn about us bein' wrecked,
and we were taken on board. At Liv-
erpool we all parted company; but as |
say. some Years afterward CHANGED 10
ship on a vessel whose skipper was the
first-mate of the SLAYER. He recognized
me, and we had a long talk about that
voyage to the Zanzibar coast for mig
gers. Then he told what had happened
to Skipper Gordon. 1t seems he stayed
aboard the ship till she was taken by
the other vessel, which proved to be a
government cutter The SLAYER was
conveyed to New York, and the war
was gOin' on then, and things was hot.
Gordon laid in that there jail for over
two years. He was tried couple o
times, but the jury disagreed each
time. They went to him and told him
they'd give him his liberty if he'd tell
who fitted him out for the African
coast. But he kept his lips closed and
wouldn't tell anything. There was
some big men in New York and Bos-
ton behindshe skipper and they shook
in their boots for fear he'd squeal.
The skipper had plenty o money
when he went to Jail, but he had to
buy certain favors and pay his lawyers,
so that in two years he was broke.
He had wife and little boy over in
Brooklyn His wife never missed Il
day that she didn't 90 over to the jail
and remain with her husband, always
takin' the child when the weather was
right. But she'd 90 rain or shine.
She was brave little woman, and
fought like hero for her husband.
After awhile the skipper worked it SOS
that deputy sheriff used to take him
over to his own house on Saturday
nights and stay with him until just be-
fore daylight on Monday mornin'.
when the two'd 90 back to jail. Along
toward the last, after the second jury
disagreed. they used to let him 90 home
alone. He had to pay heavily for the
privilege, though. Several times while
he was out on his own hook, the back
er of the SLAYER urged him to quit the
country, offerin' him plenty O money
TO 90 with. But he wouldn't break his
parole. He was in jail when Lincoln 5
proclamation freein' all the niggerS
was made. Then his friends thought
he'd get off. When his third trial came
off he was convicted and sentenced to
be hanged.
That was up to within six weeks o
the time when he used to have his free
dom to go home o Saturday nights.
His poor wife went nearly crazy when
the sentence was pronounced. They
got up a big petition for her. and she
went to Washington and got down or
her knees to Lincoln and begged him
to pardon her husband. But he
wouldn't do it. So she came back and
waited the awful day set for the
hangin' 1t came, but when they went
into his cell to take him out to the gal
lows they fonnd him kickin' on his
bunk. The doctors came. and they
said he'd taken poison. They pumped
him ont. But the skipper never knew
anything, and they hurried him out to
the gallows to hang him before he died.
"Well, sir, he was game. He never
squealed on anybody; but when he was
gone those rich fellerS. who were afraid
he'd tell sOmethin'. just up and left his
wife to shift for herself. She opened
little thread ard needle store in Brook
lyn and made bare Twin at it. One
day, about a year after. there came
along a tine-looking man, who called on
her He told her that he was the first
mate of the SLAYER, and that he'd heard
she was havin' hard struggle of it to
get along. He told her that Skipper
Gordon was alters big friend of his n.
and he wound up By offerin' to take
care of her and her boy by marryin'
her The little woman consented and
they got spliced. He was the skipper
of that very ship that's lyin' out there,
and afterward sailed with him on her.
That's what I've been thinkin' about
to-day, my boy. It's a good many
years ago. but l like to think about old
times nowadays. Bein' mate of the
Slarar ,unS tho one thinn the Skinner