Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-10-08
Jumping Overheard.

in Cuba. Sugar war bringing good
price, and the value of plantations
and slaves doomed with it. The
treaty between Spain and Great
Britain, by which Spain agreed to re-
linquish the African slave trade, be-
came a dead letter. Everybody was
financially interested in the landing
of African slaves in Cuba. All
man had to do was to pay in his
money to the house that was sending
vessel to the African coast, and if
the vessel was landed on the island
the investor would realize eight or
ten times the amount of his invest
ment.
The best known and most success
ful among the slave-trading captains
was Spaniard from the Barcelona
named Eugenio Pinas. He was 3S or
40 years old, very shrewd, and per-
fectly fearless. He had made the
"middle passage" many times, and
seemed to have phenomenal luck in
avoiding capture by the British
cruisers on the African coast or in
Cuban waters. He had accumulated
considerable wealth, and had said
that the trip, to which this article re-
lates, would be his last. The expedi-
tion was gotten mp by syndicate of
the wealthiest plantation and slave
owners of Havana. Only six or eight
men were interested.
When everything was ready for his
departure Pinas went to the Custom
House in Havana to clear his vessel
"for Sierra Leone and market"
He was accompanied by a clerk in
the employ of large firm that had a
big interest in Pinas' enterprise.
Pinas had once rendered the clerk an
important service. This young man
requested a private interview, and
they went to an American ship chand.
ler's where, in a back room, they
were safe from intrusion. The clerk
then said to Pinas:
"It 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 in
terested to the extent of Is per cent.
of the prices for which the slaves are
sold. Your interest, if you bring a
thousand slaves, will amount to about
$150,000, and if you and your mate
should happen to die about the time
you get back here this amount will
be so much saved by my employers.
/ see you understand me. You must
protect yourself. All that l ask in
return is that you do not betray me. +"
From this information Pinas was
convinced that he was in danger Of
being poisoned when nearing the coast
of Cuba on his return. He had nc
fear of a mutiny, because he knew
that his 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 as cabin boy young man
named Jacinto, on whose fidelity he
knew he could rely. The captain
wished first to verify the information
given him, and, second, to obtain, il
possible, proof of the criminality of his
employers in the conspiracy. The
better to effect these objects he took
Jacinto into his confidence. One day
while on the road to Africa, he gave
Jacinto a make believe threshing in
his cabin. The young man yelled
and begged for mercy, and pretended
before the crew, as soon as released
that he was sore all over from unjust
and cruel treatment. He sought
sympathy, especially from the chiet
cook in the galley. The boys objec,
was to convince the cook that he was
anxious to have revenge on the cap
tain, and even, if, possible, to take hi'
life.
The cook at first apparently sus.
pected trap and declined to assist
the boy. But Jacinto gradually
worked his way into the cooks con
fidence, 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 well paid for doing it, and
that Jacinto could be useful to him in
carrying out his plan. As their
friendship increased the cook finally
produced a document which said that
in case Captain Pinas and his mate
should bring a cargo of slaves close tc
Cuban shore, and should they &C.
cidently die before landing, and
should the slaves be safely landed
the cook would, in consideration o.
any services he might render in bring
ing the vessel into port, be paid the
sum of $4,000 on presenting himself
at the office of the firm in Havana
The paper was signed by one of the
firm. The cook told Jacinto that he
thought it would be best to put thu
captain out of the way as soon as they