The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-15
CHINESE PIRATES.
They Capture a British Steamer
Near Hong.Kong.
a Daring Deed Officers and Crew Taken
unawares-The Captain and Two Others
Killed and the Vessel Looted.

AHo L acme Mall steamship Oceanic ar
rived yesterday from the Orient, one day
Iate' with mails and advices from Hong
mug up TO the 18th ult., and news of a bold
"ho most astonishing act of piracy which
occurred IN sight of that port week pre-
fious. The particulars of the tragic affair.
aS related by eyewitness, in the Overland
Cn III MALL are as follows:
Inc Namoa, one of the Douglas line of
steamers, sailing under the British flag be-
tween Hong-kOng and Swallow, left the
nis.rhamed port at 3 o'clock ON the morning
Vi december 10th, with five cabin passen-
Ss.s ana go Chinese in the steerage, the
latter containing also quite a number of
oan francisco Cinnamon returning home
WIN lhe aecumulations of years of pinching
and saving. Five hours after anchor had
peen weighed, and while the vessel was but
DO miles out, band of pirates, some forty
OF nlty III number, who had come on board
aS meek = looking passengers, suddenly
sprahg from their quarters in the steerage
anu made their calling known by indiscrim-
mate hring upon such officers and passen-
gers as happened at the time to be on deck
Inc murderous gang, with rare cunning,
mad seized upon a most opportune moment
LOT the attack, as the ships officers were at
that time scattered over every portiorrof the
Vessel, and were thus unable to combine
against the onslaught. Before the crew
could realize what the demonstration meant,
the pirates, evidently following a carefully
lald plan, had divided themselves into four
gangs aud commenced simultaneous at
Cdch on The saloon, the engineers and Off
GERS quarters, the bridge and he engine
room: The attack was so sudden and so de-
teIihlhed that resistance was impossible.
Apart from that the pirates had taken
steps TO prevent ANYTHING nf tha kind Inv
nrst taking possession of the arms and am
intuition OF the ship, consisting of twelve
rlHPs. twelve sword-bayOnets, twelve cut
iasseS and fourteen revolverS, all of which,
except the revovers, were in their racks at
Ine nead OF the saloon companion-way.
CALL FOR THE CAPTAIN.
In the saloon Captain Pocock and the
passengers were sitting at tifin when the
cut-thf0ats made their assault, thrustlng
their reVolvers through the skylight and
GAZING upon the captain to come on deck
Alter some barley with them one of their
number speaking pidgeon English, the
SnlpS commander, on their assurance Of
ms safety, left the table to comply with
lhelf wishes and walked to the door of the
saloon, but hardly had he reached the deck
when pirate standing there deliberately
ieVeied his pistol and shot the officer in the
right breast.
Mortally wounded though he was, he man.
aged 10 Stagger to his State-room and reach
us bunk, where he died half an hour later
W filie tllS was going on in the saloon the
olner squads shot or captured the remaining
ol1cers at their posts, and compelled one of
the number, under pain of instant death in
case OF refusal, to point out where the
treasure and v8luables were The saloon
passengers In their terror had meanwhile
rushed from the liffin table aud concealed
themselves IN their state-rooms, followed by
tue shots and stink-pots of the pirates.
AIterward they we're persuaded to come
out and submit to confinement with the
captured officers In the Statt-room, where
Tue captain was then in mortal agony.
Having thus overcome all from whom re-
slstanee might be expected the shooting
ceased, a guard was placed in charge OF the
prisoners, and the rest of the band imme-
dlateiy commenced to loot the vessel 1t
happened that there was no treasure on
ooaId, but the pirates made amends for this
disappointment by taking everything of
value that could be carried off. The crew
was compelled to turn out and ransack the
luggage OF the passengers, European and
Chinese, and all the money and valuables
That could be found anywhere on the snip
were taken.
NAVIGATION UNDER CONFUSION.
Some six hours after the attack began,
the vessel, which had been meanwhile navi-
gated in circle by one of the native quar-
terInes tiers, under compulsion, was brought
back to the scene of the outbreak, when
six Junks we're waiting. These in answer
to the steamers whistles threw blue lights
on the water and quickly came up along
side when the work of transporting the
yaiuables began.
This accomplished, the crew was further
compelled to furnish a feast on deck for the
pirates, aud as soon as they had sufficiently
RECALLED themselves, preparations were next
made for taking leave of the vessel The
ships lights were threwn overheard. the
6remen forced to draw the fires and blow off
steam. the wlndlass disabled, and everything
done that their ingenuity could suggest to
delay the steamer from getting awav.
Finally they went over the SHE, after having
held the steamer in possession for eight
hours, their last act being to throw a bag
containing $500 into the epgine-rOom as a
cumshaw to the tiremen.
Fifteen minutes later the imprisoned Off
GERS and passengers broke out of their mar
row prison; the wounded were placed in
the hospital, ana everything was placed in
readiness for return to Hong Kong. After
something like order had been restored it
was found that the casualties included three
killed-Captain Pocock, Malay quarter
master and Captain Petersen, German In
the employ of the Chinese customs service,
while the wounded numbered six-the sec
ond and third engineers, two Malay quar-
termaSters, one Chinese sailor and one Chi
neSe cook.
CRUISERS IN PURSUIT.
On receipt of the news at Hong Kong the
greatest excitement prevailed among all
classes. A magisteral inquiry was set
afOot, and the British Government imme-
diately sent its cruisers to the neighborhood
of the outrage 10 hunt down the culprits, if
possible. AT last accounts, though several
arrests of suspicious characters had been
made, none of them had been identified, but
police the identity of the leaders was estab-
liShed beyond doubt, and there is every
prospect OF their early capture.
AT the sworn investigation Bruce Ed
ridge, the chief engineer of the Namoa, gave
a complete history of every thing connected
with the transaction. He depoSed that the
vessel had a general cargo. including forty
chests of opium. There was no treasure
Captain Pocock was master, and himself
chief officer. There were two other officers
and three engineers, ali Europeans. The
crew consisted of fortv-fve, ali told, Chinese
and Malays-two-thirds being Chinese
There were four European first-class pas
sengers and 259 Chinese. The Chinese pas
sengers were all in the 'tween-decks
On reaching the rsin Ko Channel, fortv
five miles from Hong-Kong, everybody ex-
cept the deck officer went to tiffin. ave
had been at tiffin two OF three minutes"
continued he, when | heard several shots
fired along the upper deck, followed by
the fall of heavy body on deck almost
Immediately above the saloon, and shouts
from the men who were firing. The next
thing saw was several men surrounding
the skylght and firing down into the saloon
WIN tctoiNOlo. luty tOullUuel ilrtDg until
they had fred twenty five or thirty shots.
Immediately the firing commenced every
body jumped up and stood in different parts
of the saloon.
sTINKPoTS WERE THROWN.
Several stinkpots were thrown down from
the skylight. At the time the stinkpots
were thrown five or SIX men entered the
companion way and fired several shots into
the saloon, everybody taking refuge in the
State-rooms at the sides of the saloon. The
captain took refuge in the stewards room
and from there opened parley
with the pirates, who told him all
they wanted was money and that if he
would come on deck and surrender his
valuabes they would not shoot him. The
captain then went up, and moment later |
heard shot and the fall of a body in the
captains room.
MUSTER IN THE CABIN.
Following this the carpenter came along
and informed us that the pirates wanted
everybody to go to the cartain's cabin and