Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-27

| Cn1n-Lung'S nag and uttered d cheer.
| Each had q couple of hoWltzers, with
which they opened fire upon the schooner,
but no harm had been done when we were
ready to spring the trap. At the word OF
command every one was on deck, the gun
crews jumped to their stations, and things
aloft were shIpshape IN moment. Then
we wore round 20 get between the pirates
| and the bay, and opened ire. Chinese
| Junk is a mere shell. The solid shot went
| through them as If they had been paper.
| The poor devils were unnerved as soon as
| they saw the trap into which they had
fallen, and devoted all their energies to
getting away. We could outsail any Of
the junks, but it was quick work with
four of them. They were sent to the bot
tom one after another and as We came up
with the fifth We ran her down. Our stem
struck her full on the starboard broad
side and cut her almost in two. She had
at least thirty men aboard, and there was
one long, despairing shriek as they went
down TO Watery graves. A few came up
to clutch ct the wreckage and beg to be
taken aboard, but not one of them would
the captain lend hand to. Such as the
sharks did not get mold of drifted out to
sea with the tide. 1t was a fearful re-
Inside of thirty minutes from the time
We opened fire the feet was at the bot
tom and at least hundred pirates had
paid the penalty of their crimes.
Our captain was Iamenting the fact
that he had not picked up one or two in
order TO secure information when there
was a row forward, and it was announced
that a pirate had been found hanging to
the chains. When brought aft he was
ready to do anything to save his life.
His name was Mang Hang, and he had
good cause to believe that we would re
verse it. He was the captain of the junk
we had run down, and was ready TO tell Us
all about old Chin Lang. The bay was
his rendezvous, but his plumber was hid
den on the coast near Foo Chow. There
were barracks for the men up The bay.
and thirty or forty men there at that mo-
msnt. They had captured a French brig
several days before, and she was then at
anchor in the bay waiting for Chin Lungs
return. He was then up among the LiOo
Kio islands with four junks to capture a
large ship that had drifted into shoal
water, but was not abandoned. If We
you'd spare his life ne would pilot Es
anywhere and prove his gratitude in any
way. Shin Les took him in hand for G
few moments, and then announced that
we could depend upon him. We ran into
the bay, brought up alongside of the
brig, and sent forty men ashore to clean
out the place. Not pirate was TO be
seen, all having bolted for the woods.
Everything that would burn was set on
fire, and prize crew was put aboard the
brig to navigate her TO Hong Kong. She
| reaches that port safely, and ouf salvage
money went to reimburse the company
for its outlay.
When we sailed out of the bay 1t was to
| look for the boss pirate. He was nearer
than we thought for. At O'Clock next
morning we saw his feet dead ahead, on
its way back to Formosa empty handed,
and by 10 we had the junks under fire.
These were drawer lot of men. Know
ing that they could not outsail US, and
seeming to suspect that we we're an enc
my, they closed right in for a fight. 1t
| did not last long, however. We bad one
man killed by the fall of block from
aloft, and three OR four wounded by the
bullets from their ancient firearms land
in return not man of them escaped. In
less than an hours fighting altogether we
sent nine junks and 200 mel to destruc-
ton. Butchery, was it? Well, call it so;
but remember that in the previous twelve
months the fleet OF this old pirate had
captured no less than ten foreign crafts
and six traders, and that every man,
woman and child aboard had been muir
dered. There was no sentiment about
| Climbing. He thought of nothing but
blood and pluBder, and he would cut a
child's throat with smile on his face.
We were now ready to sail in search of
Shrng- Wong. who had less power, but
was just as great a villain. Those two
leaders had divided up the territory, and
compelled all lesser pirates to join them
and come under their control. So, then,
we had only two men to strike at to down
the whole lot. At the close of the third
dav, after heading for the south, we came
upon the track of the piratioal feet. A
trader IL woods and dye stuffs had been
overhaued about hundred miles north
OF the northern group of Philippines,
called tho Little PHILIPPINES. The crew con-
sisted of three men, boy and the vessel
| had only part Of a cargo. Shung Wong
had boarded her himself, and although
the crew we're native Chinese he could
nat restrain his bloody hand. He de-
manied sum equal to $500 in American
money. There was only $40 aboard, and
he personally cut the captains throat
had the others logged, and went on his
way to the bay of Luzon, which is on the
west side of the island of that name. We
| spoke the trader, and received from her
| terrified crew the incidents above mar
| rated, and then shaped our course for the
bay. As luck would have it, an American
ship called the Joseph Taylor was ahead
of Us, and as she passed down the coast
was attacked by the feet, about seven
miles off shore. We heard the rumpus
about an hour before daylight. There
was little breeze, and though greatly out
numbered, the crew of the Taylor beat
them off. At daylight the wind freshen-
ed, and we slid ~ between the iunks and
the shore just as they were preparing for
second attack. We were no sooner
within range than we opened upon them
and seeing escape cut off, the fellows
tried hard to board US. In thirty min
utes from the opening of the fight We
had sunk or run down every junk ano
disposed of every pirate. and had only
four men wounded in doing it.
Oar work had been done so promptly
and we'll that it struck terror to the heart
of all evil doors in those seas, AID 1t va;
several years before another at of piracy
was committed. The Chinese govern
ment returned its than ks to the associa
ton, ship owners sent in contributions OF
money to express their gratitude, and
when we came to sell the schooner to the
Chinese government for a cruiser, the
company was financially ahead, II wai
probably the briefest cruise and attended
with the greatest results recorded of an,
vessel.