Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-06-04
: THE BLACK FLAG.

A rare old Spanish book, entitled
achievements and Fates of Celebra-
ted Pirates," contains the following
thrilling story of piracy and q Spanish
girls revenge:
In tho month of June, 1889, the
Spanish merchant vessel San Rafael,
bound from the mother country to
Havana, was driven somewhat out of
her course by q tempest, and when off
the reef known as Eel Cruz del Padre
was suddenly attacked and captured
by considerable number Of pirates,
who came out from g. concealed har
Dor in two light and swift feluccas.
The merchant vessel was not manned
to resist the fierce onslaught of seven
ty blood-thirsty pirates, and that was
the number of those who attacked
her, under the leadership of Juan VAL
lega, who, for his boldness and inhu-
manity, was known as Ell Diablo, and
had acquired an evil fame that ex-
tended to many countries. The San
Rafael had been with several others
under convoy OF a Spanish war vessel
but the storm that drove her out OF
her course had separated the fleet and
the merchant-man WAS defenseless.
There is not even to be said of the
pirates who then infested the Spanish
Main that they went at their prey un-
der the bold avowal of their character
that the black flag imports. It was
their practice to skulk in small boats
and feluccas, in the conce alment of
the thick foliage overhanging the la
goons and inlets along the shore, and
under a false pretense of being inno-
cent fishermen, or extending aid to g.
crippled vessel, to get close to their
destined prey and suddenly board her.
That was what they did in the case
Of the San Rafael. Her doomed crew
did not suspect until the pirates were
within half a cables length of their
vessel their terrible danger. Then, in
an instant, as the tiger leaps upon his
victim, the sea wolves sprang upon
them.
Few as they were, by comparison
with the pirates numbers, there being
but thirty-nine souls on the merchant
maitland two of them women-thev
made q gallant resistance. Well they
knew that no mercy would be shown
them If they were overpowered. But
at length, when the deck was strewn
with the dead, dying and wounded,
the pirates were masters. Then these
monsters of crime and cruelty pre-
ceeded in their accustomed manner,
which was as systematically planned
as are the operations OF any legiti-
mate business, to reap. the harvest of
their victory, both in plumber and the
Cutting OF their lust for murder.
The first thing that they did was to
throw overheard to the sharks-which
rayenous fish do infest those waters in
inconsiderable numbers, and are of
great size and wondrous ferocity-aH
the already dead of the crew and pas
sengers Of the San Rafael, and with
them who were so sorely wounded
that they were nigh unto death, and
could not stand upright, having first
carefully searched them and taken
from them every article of value. Then
the lew who were unwounded, or
whose hurts were slight, were seized
and their hands firmly bound behind
their backs. OF course, they, too, were
plundered.
The vessel was hunted through in
every place that the unhappy surviv-
ors Of the fight might all be discovered
and murdered, for it was the custom
of the pirates to leave none alive to
tell the horrid tales of their atrocious
deeds. There were found concealed
several men, among whom were two
who thought to move the pirate chief
to compassion on them, and so save
their lives, and they swore to him that
they did not join in the resistance
against him, and said they would be
willing to join his band. But Ell Diablo
despised such cravens, and told them
with many blood-curdling oaths that
he would have no towards in his band
IT he knew it, and that the only use he
had for them was to show his men
how he would treat every poltroon he
got hold off,, Then he had ropes rugged
around their waists and through
blocks at the end Of the yard-arms,
and so lowered them until their legs
were in the water, and there kept them
hanging until ravenous sharks bit of
their legs, one by one, and tore them
In pieces, while they still lived, to the
great amusement of the pirates.
Among the persons dragged from
places OF concealment by the pirates
were two pretty girls, Dolores, the
daughter of Senior Jose Arremacho,
who was passenger aboard, and her
maid Nanita. They had been en- route
for tho New World, where it was the
purpose Of Senior Arremacho to. buy a
plantation, for the purpose of which
he had a considerable store Of wealth
aboard the ill-starred merchantmen,
along with his daughter and his son
Luis, a noble young fellow, who was
grleVously wounded while fighting
bravely against the pirates.
Dolores was beautiful young lady,
accomplished apd intelligent. She was,
indeed, one ofthe bellies of Madrid.
where so many women are charming.
Her maid, Nanita, was an Andalusian,
plump as partridge, vivacious,
roguish and quite bewitching.
These unfortunate girls were, like
the other passengers, dragged on deck
and plundered in no gentle way, but q
different fate was reserved for them
than that to which their companions
in misfortune were destined.
What the doom Of tho others was
they were compelled to see,
and it made SO deep and hor-
rible an impression upon them
that it is doubted if Dolores mind
vas ever quite right after it. She saw
those Wretched men, among whom
were her own father and hrot her com.
PEELED to walk tho plank. = The pi.
rates placed + plank ia such position
! that . little leas than halt Of it pro-
truded beyond tho side of the vessel.
Then the male passengers and crew
who were able to wAlk Ill tho others
having bean already f1ianoaad "a were