Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-11-14
KING PATRICK THE FAST.

a Wicked Savannah Sailor Who HAS BE.
come AN Oriental Potentate.
Twenty years ago Patrick O'Keeffe
was u comparatively poor man. making
his living as II sailor on small vessels
coasting between Savannah and neigh.
boring ports. Today he isa King. lie
is the owner and absolute ruler CT the
island of Nyph. in the Australian
groups oj' the Pacific, almost i'll the heart
of the tropics He would probably be
still a resident of Savannah and poor
man, but for two tragedies in which he
figured as one of the principals.
In 1867, as the story is told by al old
timer. he was mate Oh the schooner An.
ME Sims. which piled between this city
aud Darien On the schooner Was q
young Irish sailor named Sullivan. lie
and O'Keetfe were apparently good
friends. While near Darien loading
lumber the mate WAS building n cabin
on the schooner and he asked Sullivan
what he Thought of it. The sailor made
joking reply Which angered OKeeffe,
and fight resulted. Sullivan got the
best of it and O'Keeffe Went to his quar-
tiers, and securing pistol. returned and
began firing ut the sailor.
The latter lodged behind the new
cabin several times, and finally got up
and remarked to O'Keeffe that he
couldn't shoot anybody But he was
mistaken, Tor the next bullet struck him
o,,,1 l,o 3;o,1 =, :, c(o,+ ,rl,i1e Tho IN 81 re
was brought to Savannah, and, after a
long confinement in jail, was tried and
acquitted in the United States court.
Afterwarl, while IN officer of small
steamer. he had trouble with one of the
deck hands and ran him into the river,
were he w;ls drowned.
These troubles seemed to worry
O'Keeffe, and he determined to leave
the States" as he termed it. In 1871
he sailed away from Savannah rs second
mate on an American vessel bound for
Liverpool, and when he babe his friends
goodby on the wharf he told them that
he would never return to Savannah I'M
less he came in his own ship.
From Liverpool he shipped to the East
Indies, and from there to Hong-Kong.
He had saved IL little money by this time,
and began small fruit and lumber bust
ness between the Pacific islands and
Hong-Kong. He was successful, and
after few years secured the island of
Nyph from the natives by n trade CT
some sort. The island abounds i'll teak
wood and fruit, and O'keetfe bought Il
schooner and brig and started business
on IL big scale. His vessels ran to Hong
Kong, and he soon built up an extensive
trade, which has steadily increased, until
now he is reckoned as very wealthy
man.
OKeeffe left behind him when he
sailed away from Savannah IL wife and Il
baby daughter, who is now IL young
woman. For years nothing was heard
of his whereabouts. After he began to
prosper in his PARKWAY home, however,
he wrote letter and sent money to his
wife. He tried to persuade her and his
daughter to go to him, but they wouldn't
do it. Regularly twice a year since he
sends relnittlnces for their support and
keeps upa correspondence with them.
Mrs. O'Keeife and her daughter live on
Liberty street, near East Broad, and
have IN oil painting Of the brig of the
king of Nyph hanging in their parlor.
Besides being a trader of wealth and
position, O'Keetfe is the ruler of q large
colony made up mostly of Malays, who
swear by him.-Savannah News.