The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-25
PIRATES OF CHINA.
How a British Steamer Was
Held Up Last Month.
THE CAPTAIN WAS SHOT DEAD.
A Passenger Also Murdered and Some
OF the Crew Wounded-A Well
Planned Attack.

The Hongkong Telegraph of December l2
gives the particulars of the robbery of the
British steamship Namoa and the killing
of Captain G.. T. Pocock by Chinese pi-
rates, as told by Chief Officer G.. r. Ed
ridge.
The ship left Hongkong bound for Swa-
tow, Annoy and Foochow The crew con-
sisted of forty-fve, all told They were
Chinese and Malays-two-thirds Chinese
and one-third Malay. There were five for
eign first-class passengers on board and
80 Chinese. The first-class pas
sengers were quartercd in the saloon
and the Chinese in the tween decks
They got as far as Tsinco channel when
everybody went to tiffin. The Tsinco
channel was off Fokai point and was
formed by Tsinco island and the isle of
Mendoza. 1t was half mile wide.
Everyone went down to tiffin except the
second officer who was left in charge of
the deck. Witness was sitting on the
port side of the saloon table They had
been about two to three minutes at table
when he heard several shots fired on the
upper deck. The dining saloon was on the
tween deck, aft. The shots were followed
| by the fall of a heavy body on the deck,
Immediately above the saloon, and he also
heard the shots of the men who were firing.
The next thing he saw was several men at
the skylights firing down into the saloon;
they were using revolvers. He thought at
least thirty shots were fired into the
saloon, at this time. Everybody jumped
up at once and stood in different parts of
the saloon. Several stinkpots were thrown
down through the skylight. The pirates
appeared to aim at individuals. Witness
was standing behind the table where he had
previously been sitting. A second
lot of pirates, some five or six in
all, came rushing down the COM
panion ladder and fired several shots
into the saloon, causing everyone to take
refuge in the stateroom. The captain
took refuge in the stewards room at the
fore end of saloon, and he {witness) went
into the pantry. After several minutes
had elapsed, during which time the
captain had spoken with the chief en-
gineer, who had come in. The chief en-
gineer was in a room at the after part of the
saloon. The captain asked him in loud
voice calling QUIT if be, the chief engineer,
could suggest means of escape from the
saloon. The chief replied that he could
not suggest anything, except complete
been hit in the saloon. After that, the
captain, seizing the opportunity afforded by
temporary cessation of the firing, got the
steward, who was in the stewards room
with him, to ask the pirates what they
wanted. The pirates replied, through
him, that they wanted money. They then
offered, if the captain would come up and
give them all his valuables, to spare his
life. The captain asked them if they
would really spare his life if he came
on deck, and they promised not to kill
him. Upon that the captain went on deck.
A minute or two later he heard a
shot fired and the fall of body in the
captain room. The pirates remained on
the staircase while the captain passed up
to his room. Two or three minutes after
the shots were fired in the captains room
he heard the carpenter speaking to the
chief engineer in the saloon. He said the
| pirates wanted every one to 60
on deck. Witness kept the pantry
door closed. He could not see the
carpenter, but knew it was him by
his voice. Two or three minutes later lie
heard the man, the second officer, being
forced down the companion. The second
officer told the chief engineer and the
passengers that if they'd go into the cap
tain's room without resistance the pirates
would spare their lives. They did so, or
rather he heard them go up
| and into the captains room. After
| they were in the captains room, the
| pirates made rush, in body, into
! the saloon. At that time witness was till
in the pantry. The pirates then threw
| open the pantry door and found him (wit-
| ness standing there. Two men with re-
| volvers stationed themselves on each side
| of the door and told him to come out. One
| OF them spoke in English, saying: go top
| side. In going up the staircase, in front
| of the two men, he saw some half dozen
| pirates, armed, opening the cabin doors.
| The pirates were dressed as ordinary Chi
nese coolies, and the only distinctive
| mark on them was q red string with a
| cash attached to 1t, hanging from the
| breast. Each of them had two re-
| volvers-one attached to their neck
| with a white cord and the other held in
one hand. The pirates were smoking
cigars as they were carrying on operations.
| He did not notice swords in their possess
sion. He went up the stairs, followed by
the two men, and when near the top of it,
man standing there cooked his revolver
| and prepared to shoot him, but three or
| four who were down below sang out to
| him not to do so, in Chinese. The
| man then pointed TO witness TO go into
| the captains cabin. The man who at
| tempted to shoot him was evidently on
guard. He (witness) went into the cap
tain's room as ordered. The captains
cabin was immediately above the saloon
| and was entered by him from the
| companion. As he entered he saw
the captain lying on his bed suffering from
awound in the chest, apparently dying He
also saw there all the officers of the ship
| and the four foreign passengers The
| chief engineer and the second officer were
attending to the captain, and giving him
water 10 drink, and the others were talking
10 each other. There'were no pirates in
! side the room. In addition TO the
two already mentioned there was
! one other pirate on guard at the
| captains room door. AS soon
| rs he got inside the captains room, pi-
rate closed the door. There were eleven
! people in the room altogether Four or
| i've minutes later n couple of pirates came
! TO the door and knocked, and someone
sang out, "open door" After the door
| was opened they saw the boatswain. a Ma
| lay, standing outside. He was guarded
| by number OF pirates. They de-
! manded through him that the passengers
! should give up all valuahles on their per-
son. Witness told the officers and passen-
| gers To hand over all they had in their pos
| session-the captain was not then alive. he
| died before the boatswain and pirates came
! To make their demand The captain died
after he twitnesS) had been in the room for
| a couple of minutes The captain died
about 3 quarter 10 O'Clock, Judging from
! guess work. A pocket-knife worth about
+! s. was all he had on him. which be handed
over. His gold ring and shirt studs he
secreted i'll the pantry and found them on
Thursday morning. Every one passed