Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-05-24
the Southern coast.

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
/ lad been gained at the price of blood.
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 filed the public
mind with Indignation and desire for
/ vengeance.
4 That which is most wildly 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
4 that the pirates were subsequently capt
ured, brought into Salem, and finally
1 tried, convicted and executed in Boston
The Mexican was commanded by
| Captain John Butman, and sailed from
| Salem, August 20, 1882, for Rio Janeiro.
September 20, when in latitude 80 de-
grees, longitude "a degrees so minutes
west, she was chased by 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 ruffians 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, threaten / 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 its whereabouts and
bring it from the run on deck. Ten
boxes, containing $50, 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 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
! al
/ the tiller ropes, balliards, braces and
mutilating the rigging and sails, they
/ took all the com bustibles they could
/ find, put them in the caboose 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 extingsished the fire, which was
ma king such Roadway that in few mo-
ments the masts and mainsail must have
+ been in flames.
The reason for the abandonment of
+ the brig without waiting to witness its
complete destruction now became APP
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
/ plumber to the pirates, the crew of the
1 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 a 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 70
Founders and large gun on pivot
amidships, and had crew of about 20
men, who appeared to be chiefly Span
! iards and mulattoes.
! The Mexican arrived in Salem in May,
! 1882, where an account Of the piracy
was speedily published. This account
/ fell into the hands of an American mer-
| chant named Gould, residing in Port
Antonio, Princes Island. The descrip-
] 1n+ g t,l
named the Panda, that had sailed from
I Port Antonio only few days before for
! Africa. The British sloop-of-war Cur
! lew, arriving at that port shortly after,
! the particulars were given to the COM
| mander, Captain Trotter, with the addi-
| tional information that the Panda was
then supposed to be lying in the river
/ Nazareth.
/ Captain Trotter Immediately went in
! search of her.
June the Curlew arrived at the
! mouth of the river, and her three boats
manned with forty armed men, under
| command of the Captain, went in search
| of the pirate. After rowing all night
| the men in the boats got sight of the
object of their pursuit lying at anchor.
| In order to secure her capture they
kept inshore as much as possible to
avoid being seen, but from the nature
/ of the river it was impossible to conceal
themselves long. They, therefore, when
| within a mile of her, displayed their
| colors.
AS soon as they espied the boats the
! pirates took to their boats and hurried