Mower County transcript., 1890-04-30

were received daily OF piracies In the
West Indies and ON our Southern sea-
board. To render the reports more ex-
asperating was the prevalent belief that
the pirate ships were fitted out in
American ports. They were. fast-sail-
Ing cruisers, which as soon as they were
at sea hoisted what was called the
Artigas flag, and proceeded on cruise of
murder and robbery.
The island of st. Bartholomew was .
nest Of pirates, into which their plunder
was easily introduced, and every facili-
ty afforded for the disposal Of their ILL.,
gotten pelf. At one time there were 30
OF these vessels known to be securing
tho Southern coast.
The flag derived its name from the
commander of small army of insur-
gents, whose base Of operations was the
north side Of the river La Plata. He is
described as an illiterate fellow, whose
followers were little better than saw
ages. Under this flag it was claimed
that American citizens had acquired
fortunes, and had returned home to
''spend with extravaganza that which
had been gained at the price of blood" I"
These stories may or may not have
been true; but whether owned by Amer
leans or not, the fact remained that
pirate ships were preying upon Ameri-
can commerce to an alarming extent.
The stories told by some of the victims
on their return home filled the public
mind with indignation and desire for
vengeance.
That which is most vividly remem-
bered, and frequently referred to by
aged people of to-day, is the robbery of
the brig Mexican of Salem. This is not
only because of the circumstances at
tending the robbery, but from the fact
that the pirates were subsequently capt.
ured, brought into Salem, and finally
tried. convicted and executed in Boston.
The Mexican was commanded by
Captain John Butman, and sailed from
Salem, August 80, 1882, for Rio Janeiro.
September 20, when in latitude S3 de-
grees, longitude 81 degrees 80 minutes
west, she was chased by a pirate
schooner. which, as soon as she
was within gunshot, hoisted pa
triot colors, backed the maintop-
sail and fired shot. When within hail
ing distance Captain Butman was Or
dered on board the schooner. Know
ing that it would be useless to
resist, he obeyed the order. AS
soon as his boat came alongside the
schooner five rutiians instantly jumped
into it. They were each armed with
large Knife, and told the captain to go
on board the brig again. AS soon as
their feet struck the deck they insisted
that there was money on board, and,
drawing their knives, threatened the
sailors with instant death unless they
were shown where it was hid
den. With blows and kicks they
finally succeeded in forcing the crew
to disclose it's whereabouts and
bring it from the run on deck. Ten
boxes, containing $40, 900 in specie, were
transferred to the schooner, the entire
crew of demons assisting their ship
mates in taking it on board. Not con-
tent with this, they soon returned to the
brig and began a wholesale system of
pillage. The officers and crew were
forced to go below, and the companion
way, forecastle and after-hatchway were
fastened. Then, after destroying the
compass in the binnacle, cutting away
the tiller ropes, hslliards, braces and
mutilating the rigging and sails, they
took all the combustibles they could
find, put them in the oaboose house and
set fire to it. On leaving they then
scuttled the briggs boat and stole the
colors.
Having done all the mischief they
could think of, and leaving the crew of
the brig, as they supposed, to die hor-
rible death, the pirates made sail for
the eastward.
AS soon as they left the brig the sail
ors confined in the cabin succeeded in
getting on deck through the scuttle
which had not been securely fastened,
and extinguished the fire, which was
king such headway that in few mo-
ments the masts and mainsail must have
been in flames.
The reason for the abandonment of
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complete destruction now became ap-
parent. A ship was sailing to the south
east and the schooner was in pursuit.
To this circumstance, which seemed to
afford an opportunity for additional
plunder to the pirates, the crew of the
Mexican undoubtedly owed their lives.
The strange ship was not captured
while in sight of the brig.
A minute description of the schooner,
furnished by the captain of the Mexican
on his return to Salem, led to her sub.
sequent capture. She was described as
a low, straight schooner of about $50
tons burden. painted black, with mar
row white streak, large head with the
horn of plenty painted white, large
maintopmast, but with neither yards
nor sail on it, masts raked very much,
mainsail very square at the head, sails
made with split cloth, and all new. She
was armed with two long brass 12-
Founders and a large gun on pivot
amidships, and had crew of about 70
men, who appeared to be chiefly Span
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