Connecticut western news., 1889-12-04


 ssMurder!" followed hy two pistol shots and rush ot feet, and realized that trouble was at hand. l rang the beii for the engineer to stop and then shut and secured my blinds, and l was not moment too soon. The wheels had scarcely ceased to revolve, when 1 heard the batter of feet outside, fol- lowed by exclamations of anger and disappointment. Then I used the speaking tube to warn the engineer, and he speedily informed me that he had made himself close prisoner.
 My iron shutters were provided with port-holes, and when I looked down upon her bow deck l saw the dead bodies of the mate and lookout lying there and covered with blood from numerous knife wounds. None of the natives was in sight, but directly fierce yell arose from the lower deck, by pistol shots, and I knew that the safIi'on-faced wretches were the white men as fast as they could get to them. They left me alone for about quarter of an hour. Then about half dozen of them came up ai3 demanded my surrender. From their dialect I knew them to be Coreans. They called to mo in that language, saying they had full posses sion of the steamer, had killed all but two of the crew, and that my life would be spared if promised to do as they directed. 1 communicated with the engineer, found that he was all right, and he added that the Captain and some of the crew were in the arm ory and prepared to hold out to the last. l then informed the pirates that l could not thinI of surrender, and as they began battering at the door with a capstan bar showed the muzzle of revolver out and killed one and wound ed another before they could get out of range.
 There was only gentle breeze blow ing, and that was at our backs. The two junks were coming down slowly, having to make frequent tacks, and when about a mile and half away saw that they were loaded with men. It was put-up job between the two parties, and all the details were thor oughly understood. The engineer had been blowing of steam to prevent an explosion, and I asked him to hold fast and give me show to carry out a plan which had suddenly suggested itself. Fortunately for us the native stokers had just fired up before they got the signal. They had murdered the chief, who was an Englishman, as also the oiler, who was German, and had left the furnace doors shut as they rushed up on deck to join in the mur- derous melee. The boilers were there- fore making steam at lively rate.
 As soon as the engineer understood what wanted he started ahead, and I took the wheel and brought the steamers head in line with one of the junks. We were headed about north. One of the junks was headed about southeast on her tack, the other south west. They were, therefore, nearly broadside on to me. We went ahead at moderate speed, as did not want to alarm them. The natives on board gathered in the bows and began way ing cloths and hats as warning to the junks. The people on the latter must have argued that the steamer was in the hands of their friends, for they fired their jingals and waved their cloths in reply.
 held for the junk headed to the southeast, and she at once lowered her sail to wait for the steamer to come up. When within quarter of a mile of her rang the bell for the engineer to go ahead at full speed, and the steamer started off like wild locomo- tive. We were almost upon the junk before the people divined our object, and they had only time to utter one long-drawn. shout of terror. 1 held the steamer for her broadside, and she divided that junk like the two halves of an apple falling away from knife. 1 expected @ great shock, but there was none. It was no more than as if we had run down a yawl. 1 believe she held at least fifty men.
 and when l had headed the steamer around not more than half dozen o1
 the poor wretches were in sight, and
 those were clinging to fragments o1
 the wreck and tossing about. l gave
 the engineer information of how wt
 had succeeded and told him proposed
 to serve the other junk the same way
 The natives aboard the steamer seemed
 helpless and terror-stricken at first, bu
 when they realized my plan they
 moved to prevent it. They ran dowl
 and opened the furnace doors to lower
 the steam, and gang of six or eigh
 attacked the wheelhouse. A second
 party made an attack on the engineer
 room at the same moment.
 The second junk, seeing the fate O