Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-02-25

in fneir cabins The people in the saloon
bad not realized what was happening tiIl
Captain Saunders exclaimed, 'My God
we are taken by pirates" The miscreants
continued to blaze away whenever a door
was opened, and tried to throw their
"stink-pots" into the cabins, nearly suffo-
eating the occupants, who were without
weapons or any means whatever for max
ing a defence
The stand of rifles, according to custom
was placed at the head of the saloon, and
the first thing the pirates did was TO pos
sess themselves of these weapons. Then
the pirate chief, who spoke "'pidjin" Eng
lish, shouted down that he wanted the
captain, and sent one of the boys, or ma
tive stewards, to tell him that if he and
the passengers and others would make no
resistance they would not be hurt, but
that the pirates intended to rob the ship
of everything of value. There was no
question of resistance, seeing how com
plete the coup was, and how well it was
arranged, and the captain, despite the ad-
vice OF the chief steward, also a China
man, said he would go and speak to the
pirates. He stepped up the companion
way, and as he reached the deck two vii
lains discharged their revolyers at him.
and bullet entered his right breast He
staggered into his cabin and fell on his
berth, where he died an hour after sHe
was conscious up to the last, and asked
those who were with him to remember
him to his wife and four children, who
live in Hong Kong. The rest of the pas
sengers and the chief officer were hunted
from their hiding places, one by one, by
the pirates, who at once proceeded to rifle
the cabins and saloon lockers.
After some parley, in which the pirates
promised to spare the lives of their cap
tives if they did not attempt to escape or
show fight, the prisoners, guarded by a
crowd of yelling ruffians, who knocked
them about with the butts of their revol-
vers, and threatened at every moment to
fire, were led up to the captain'o cabin and
all hustled in. Their captors, before part
ing with them, relieved them of their
watches, money and anything they had on
their person that struck the pirates fancy,
treating them with the most barbarous
contumely, splitting in their faces, and
only refraining from doing them serious
bodily hurt. The other officers, who had
been taking tiffin in their quarters, were
captured by the rest of the gang and
dragged in the same manner to the cap
taln's cabin, where they were all hustled
in, with the exception of the second Off
Ger, whom the pirates kept to guide them
to the treasure-room. In similar way
the Chinese passengers forward had been
made prisoners and guard placed over
them. Three or four of the pirates stood
at the outside of the captains cabin, with
revolvers pointed at those inside. while
some of the Nomoa's sailers were reauisi-
toned to batten up the door The prison
ers. eleven in number, were kept pent up
in this small place ali day, while the pi-
rates held the ship and searched the lug
gage of all the passengers, taking what
ever struck their fancy, and packing up
the loot in bags and baskets. The third
officer and second engineer had both re-
ceived bullets in their left arms when the
attack was made on their cabins. Two
other Malay quartermasters had been shot
in their hunks, one of whom has since
died, and two native cooks were similarly
wounded. The prisoners in the captains
cabin suffered terribly during their cap
tivity, and did not know at what moment
the iiends outside might take it into their
heads to scuttle the ship or set her on fire,
as they several times seemed inclined to
do
The pirates, who evidently knew some
thing of navigating steamer, kept the
hremen at their places, while two of their
number occupied the bridge and directed
the ships course by telegraph. They kept
her going in huge circle all day, and sew
eral steamers passed within a comparative
ly short distance of her, but seeing no sig
nal or anything suspicious, merely thought
she was somewhat out of her course.
The pirates had promised the chief engi-
neer. through one of the sailors. that they
would leave the steamer at eight O'Clock,
and true enough, towards that hour she
was slowed down. For some two or three
hours previously the horde had been en-
joying an open-air banquet on deck, and
regaled themselves to their hearts con-
tent, despite the fact that the decks were
covered with blood, and the corpse of the
murdered Captain Peterson lay stark and
stiff where it fell, while the unfortunate
Captain Pocock was dead in his cabin, in
which the eleven European passengers
were confined. Shortly after seven O'Clock
the prisoners heard the steam whistle
sounded, and through the cabin window
saw a huge beacon on the headland of
Pinghoi. Immediately afterwards blue
lights were burning on both sides of the
steamer at some distance, and four Hong
Kong junks We're seen approaching. The
steamer was brought to stand still, the
anchor let go and the junks came along
side. The work of transferring the booty,
which was q rich one, estimated at forty
thousand dollars, quickly proceeded, the
pirates requisitioning the services of the
crew of the Manor in the work They
did not attempt further violence, and by
eight o'clock they had kept their promise
and were gone off, having first thrown a
bag containing some two hundred dollars
to the firemen, as a reward, perhaps, for
their trouble and long spell at the engines
Before leaving the pirates took the precau-
ton of breaking up the boats with hatch
cts, turned off steam, and smashed the
windlass SO that the anchor could not be
raised without some trouble. But the ca
BILE was slipped and half an hour after
wards the engines revolved, and the steam
er slowly made her way back to Hong
Kong, where she arrived next morning.