Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-05-28

A wicked Savannah Sailor WIN nss Ne
come an Oriental Peteatats-


come an Oriental Poteatats-
Twenty years ago Patrick O'Keeffe
was comparatively poor inan, making
his living rs sailor ON small vessels
coasting between Savannah and neigh
boring ports Today he IA king. He
Is the owner aud absolute ruler of the
island OF Nyph. in the Australian
groups of the Pacific. almost in the heart
Of the tropics He would probably be
still resident Of Savannah and poor
man. Int for two tragedies In which he
figured as one Of the principals.
In 1867, ms the story Is told by an old
timer. he was mate of the schooner An
ME Sims, which piled between this city
and Darien. On the schooner was
young Irish sailor named Sullivan. He
and O'Keeffe were apparently good
friends. While near Darien loading
lumber the mate was building cabin
on the schooner aud he asked Sullivan
what he thought of it. The sailor made
joking reply which angered O'Keeffe,
and fight resulted. Sullivan got the
best of it and o'Keeffe went TO his quar-
tiers. and securing pistol. returned and
began firing at the sailor.
The latter lodged behind the new
cabin several times. and finally got up
and remarked to OKeeffe that he
couldn't shoot anybody But he was
mistaken, for the next bullet struck him
and he died In short while. The mate
was brought to Savannah, and, after a
long confinement in Jail, was tried and
| acquitted in the United States court.
Afterward, while an officer of small
steamer. he had trouble with one of the
deck hands and ran him into the river.
were he was drowned.
These troubles seemed 10 worry
O'Keeife, and he determined to leave
the States" as he termed IT. In 1871
he sailed away from Savannah as second
mate on an American vessel bound for
Liverpool. and when he bade his friends
goodby on the wharf he told them that
he would never return to Savannah un.
less he came In his own ship.
/ From Liverpool he shipped to the East
Indies. aud from there 10 Hong-K Kong.
He had saved 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 "a few years secured the island oil
| Nyph from the natives by trade Of
some sort, The island abounds in teak.
wood and fruit. and O'Keeffe bought a
schooner and brig and started business
ON big scale. His vessels ran TO Hong.
Kong. and he soon built mp an extensive
trade. which has steadily increased. unit
now he is reckoned as very wealthy
man.
| O'Keeffe left behind him when h,
sailed away from Savannah wife and /
baby daughter, who Is now yonnl
woman. For years nothing was heart
OF his whereabouts. After he began 4
prosper in his faraway home, however
he wrote letter and sent money to hi
J wife. He tried to persuade her aud hi
daughter togo TO him. but they wouldn'
do il. Regularly twice year since h
sends reinittanccs for their support an
! keeps upa correspondence with them
Mrs. O'Keeffe and her daughter live %
Liberty street, near East Broad. an
have an oil painting of the brig of til
king of Nyph hanging in their parlor.
D Besides being trader of wealth an
{ position, O'Keeffe is the ruler of larg
. colony made mp mostly Of Malays. VIII
0 swear by him. Savannah News