Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-08-07
MENACED By COOLIES.
The Crew OF q British ship Attack ed
with knives and Bludgeons.

with KNIVES and Bludgeons.
The steamer Datila, says The Hong
Hong Mai, which was recently aground
on the Hainan straits, was the scene of
an alarming attack by about 120 armed
Chinese coolies while she was lying in
Hollow harbor reloading the cargo
that had been taken out to tighten her.
For some time the attention Of the cap
tain had been drawn to the fact that
the bags of rice that were being put on
board bore the marks of having been
ripped. and that there was considera-
bic deficiency in the bulk of some Of
the bags. 1t was then discovered that
the Chinese had resorted to the artful
dodge of making an outlet in the bags,
so as to allow good deposit being left
in the bottom of the lighters. One
junk's crew had carried this thievish
thick just little too far; and tho sec
ond mate of the Dafila determined not
to let them away with the booty they
had secured, which amounted in this
case to about four whole bags of rice.
Accordingly, he went on board the
junk and set about getting the rice ool-
lected, 50 as not to leave If possible one
particle behind. This aroused the an
ger of the Chinese, and they began to
make threatening demonstrations. One
cody was especially impudent and the
mate hit him over the head with a
stick. The wound bled, and the fellow
rubbed the blood all over his face and
fell down as though he were dead.
Tho rnnfa afpd n hic yocSal hs,k
was followed by the crew of the junk.
Reinforced by about sixty cool
les working on the boat they
rushed to the poop, brand
ishing their bludgeons. Discovering
that the mate had retreated to the
cabin, they made as il they would take
it by storm and surrounded it, shout
ing ia" The captain vainly endeav-
ored to quiet them, by the help of q
custOm-hOuse officer. well conversant
with Chinese, who asked the men what
they wanted. That the mate be put
on shore in one of their boats" was
the cry. Surrender his mate into the
bloodthirsty hands of the enraged band
of Chinese coolies, who had now mus
tered about 120 strong, the captain GER
tainly would not do, and seeing that
their evident intention was to carry out
their wish by force, he got rife, and,
advancing in front of them, pointed
the rife ut them and ordered them to
retreat Back they went, step BY step,
for two or three yards, and then tool
up position at the end of the poop,
from which they would not bulge.
Matters had now reached 8 crisis
when the least swerving on the part OF
the captain would have precipitated on
him the whole company of Chinese.
He. however. stood firm With his gun
pointed, and got the European crew tc
the number of about fifteen round him
and had all the available arms in the
ship distributed to them. The men he
ranged in line behind him, ready h
fight to the last should an onslaught b
made. Sullenly the Chinese remained
facing the small company Of European,
for about four hours, with their knives
and bludgeons drawn. All that was 10
quired was bold leader to throw them
against the captain and crew. At ons
moment it did seem rs il the restrain
ing indecision had been overcome
One bold fellow stood forward from
the rest and, barring his breast, asked
the captain to fire. But the captain
pitched him back among the rest, and
he did not come forward to repeat thu
offer. Seeing that, with the few arm,
he had on board and with the small
number Of Europeans he had to bacl
him, he could not long resist an attach
from 40 armed Chinese, who might
easily have set fire to the ship, the cap
tain adopted the advice of the custom
house officer and sent for assistance e
another European vessel that was mo-
far distant When this assistance ar
rived the mate, who was the offending
party the Chinese wished to get into
their clutches, was sent on board thai
vessel with large escort of armed
men. The wounded man was also pu
on shore. The Chinese by this time
had begun TO WAIVER. and their leaders,
thinking it would cost them dearly to
begin hostility, by dint of pSrleying go,
the men so far pacilied that they sulkily
resumed their work.