The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-03
OVERHEARD.

JUMPING OVERHEARD.
From 1861 to 1868 considerable Impetus
was given to sugar cultivation in Cuba,
Sugar was bringing a good price, and the
value Of plantations and slaves doomed
with 1t, The treaty between Spain and
Great Britain, by which Spain agreed to
rslinquish the African slave trade, became
a dead letter. Everybody was financially
interested in the landing Of African slaves
in Cuba, All q man had to do was to pay
in his money to the house that was send.
ing q vessel to the African coast, and II
the vessel vas landed on the island the
investor would realize eight or ten times
the amount Of his investment.
The best known and most successful
among the slave trading captains was q
Spaniard from Barcelona, named Eugenio
Pinas, He was SS or 40 years old, very
shreWd, and perfectly fearless, He had
made the 'middle passage" lmany times,
and seemed to have phenomenal luck in
avoiding cspture by the British cruisers
on the African coast or in Cuban waters,
de had accumulated considerable wealth,
and had said that the trip, to which this
article relates, would be his last, The tx-
poditlon was gotten up by a syndicate OF
the wealthiest plantation and slave owners
Of Havana. only six or eight men we're
interested,
When everything was ready for his de-
paTture Pinas went to the Custom House
in Havana to clear his weasel "ior Sierra
Leone and a market" He was accom-
panied by q clerk in the employ Of a
large firm that had a large interest in
Pinas' enterprise. Pinss had once rem
dered the clerk an important service.
The young man requested q private in
terView, and they went to an American
chip chambers, where, in a back room,
they were safe from intrusion. The clerk
then saidt Pinas:
ut behooves YOU and your chief mate,
when you are nearing the coast OF Cuba
on your return, TO be careful what you eat.
You and he are interested to the extent Of
fifteen percent Of the prices for which the
slaves are sold. Your interest, II you
bring 1000 slaves, will amount TO about
$4,000, and II you and your mate should
happen to die about tho time you get back
here this amount will be 80 much saved
by my employers. l see you understand
me. You must protect yourself. All that
| ask in return Is that you do not bStray
me-"
From this information Pinas was con.
WINGED that he was In danger OF being
poisoned with nearing the coast OF Cuba
on his return. He had no fear of q mu.
tiny because he knew that his own crew
was devoted to him. He was satisfied
that he and his mate were to be poisoned
for money by some. one on the ship. He
had with him az cabin boy q young man
named J~acinto, on whose fidelity he knew
he could rely. The captain wished first
To verify the information given him, and,
second, to obtain, II possible, proof OF the
Criminality Of his employers In the con-
The better to effect these oh.
jects he took JaCinto into his confidence.
One day, while on the way to Africa, he
gave JaCinto a make believe threshing in
his cabin. The young man yelled and
begged for mercy, and pretended before
IL Q crew, as soon as released, that he was
sore all over from unjust and cruel treat
ment. He sought sympathy especially
from the chief cook Ia tho galley. The
boys object was to convince the cook that
he was anxious to have revenge on the
captain, and even, II possible to take his
life.
The cook at first apparently suspected q
trap and declined to assist the boy. But
JaCinto gradually worked his way into the
cooks confidence, and by plying the cook
with liquor Jacinto at last Induced him to
confess that he intended to poison the
captain and first mate. He said he would
be we'll paid for doing II, and that JaCinto
would be useful TO him In carrying out
his plan. AS their friendship increased
the cook finally produced q document
which said that In case Captain Pinas and
bis mate should BRING cargo Of slaves
close to Cuban shores, and should they
a~Ccidently die before landing, and should
the slaves be safely landed, the cook
would, in consideration Of any services he
might render in bringing the vessel into
port, be paid the sum Of 5000 on present.
ing himself at the office Of the firm in
Havana. JaCinto, who assisted Captain
Pinas in taking care Of his papers and &C.
counts, recognized in the document the
handwriting oithe clerk who had reveal.
ed the plot to the captain. The paper was
signed by one Of the firm. The cook told
JaCinto that he thought II would be best
to put the captain out OF the way as soon
as they sighted Cubs, but that the mate
had better be spared until the cargo was
landed. "a cup Of coffee" he said, Twill
dispatch him."
Plnas' eyes tparkled when he received
this information. The cooks fate was
sealed. There were on board two as.
sistant cooks, whose business il was 10
prepare the rice, beans and jerked beef
Tor the slaves. OF these one was In the
plot with the chief cook, but they feared
to trust the other. Plnas finally Con.
WINGED himself Of the Crlminality Of the
one and the innocence Of the other. The
vessel was loaded on the African coast,
with all the slaves she could hold. She
had good luck on her way home. One
morning she ran along the south aide OF
San Domingo, 200 miles from Cuba. The
cook told JaCinto 1t was time TO get rid OF
the Captain, and that he had fixed the
soup that whoever ate II could never take
another meal. AS 800 as Captain PlnaS
had partaken Of the soup JaCinto was In.
struCted accidentally to break the tureen,
90 90 TO prevent the mate from getting
any when be went into the cabin 10 bis
dinner.
When JaCtnto took the soup into the
cabin from the midday meal, PinRs and
his mSte, with cooked r%evolyers, took the
chief cook and bis accomplish out Of the
galley, Pinss found the damning doCu.
ment In the cooks poCketbook and read
It 10 the crew. He then gave the Culpfits,
who Coniessedtheir guilt, and who begged
most ~plteously that their lives be spared,
their choice Of three manners Of death,
They might Jump overheard, they might
eat L1e soup, or they would swing at the
yafdarm. Both instantly jumped over
board.
Some four months after the departure
OF Captain pinas on his last trip 70 Africa
thA writer hAbnengd Ia he In Havana. On