Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-03-29
THE PIRATES DUNGEON.

our own nelSnDOrnoou anorus
many localities of romantic incident
fit to employ the pen of the novelist
or romance writer. Though accus-
toned to look abroad, expecting to
find theme and inspiration only
in distant places, still, the fact is
very plain that there is material
enough at our very doors.
All along the shores of Massachu-
sets Bay there are spots conse-
Grated by many IA wild and thrilling
legend; and not ten miles from Bos-
ton, in the city of Lynn, we might
name a score, one of which will
make the subject of this sketch for
our readers.
About the year 1865, the rivers
and bays along the coast of New
England were the haunts of pirates
and smugglers, who defed the eff
forts of the kings cruisers, and
knowing perfectly the coast, would
often, by some daring stratagem,
lead the larger crafts of the royal
navy into dangerous places, where
they might strike some sunken rock,
and quickly after sink to the bot
tom. Now and then, perhaps, one
was successfully attacked and con-
quered; but it was like taking a bee
from its hive-there seemed to be
just as many left behind-nor was
there any alteration in the frequen-
cy of the devastations and unlawful
acts committed on the coast. At
length this evil became so great,
that the home government applied
itself in earnest to eradicate it,
which was partially done, at least,
before the close of the century.
Our story relates to this period,
and to the class of rovers we have
referred to.
One fine evening, just about sun
set, in May 1868, a small, rakish,
fore-and-aft schooner. of the most
symmetrical build and appearance,
wound her way gracefully round
the promontory of Nahant, dropped
her anchor just at the mouth of
Saugus river. As the sleepy day
gathered the mantle of night more
closely about its breast, a boat was
lowered from her side and four stur-
dy oarsmen were seen propelling
the little craft up the rivers course
to spot where it's meanderings
were lost in the dense wood.
A few of the towns-people of
Lynn had noticed them, and, at a
time when danger threatened them
from every quarter, it was natural
that they should suspect that the
visit of the stranger schooner to
their harbor portended no good.
The families were put OH their
guard by those who had seen the
boat ascend the river, and their arms
were laid that night by their bed
sides, for immediate use. No dis
turbance, however, molested the
still hours of the night, and the
first light of the following morning
found the inhabitants gazing anx-
iously towards the spot where the
schooner had anchored on the pre-
vious evening, but no traces were
to be seen of her. She had spread
her broad wings and flown away
Stewards.
Time passed on, and circumstan-
ces of which we have spoken, had
been forgotten, in the stirring
events of the times, when a man
named Henry Ewing, was found to
be on his death bed. He was reput-
ed an honest man, and was black
smith. He told the minister who
attended upon him in his last mo-
that there was one thing
that weighed heavily upon his heart,
and being solicited, he finally dis
closed that on the day after the
visit of the strange schooner, he had
found a note at his shop stating,
that if certain quantity of shack
les, handouts, hatchets and other
articles of iron manufacture, were
made and deposited at a certain
place with secrecy, an amount of
silver, richly repaying their value,
would be found in their place.
The blacksmith, though he knew
that these articles were designed
for some illegal and unholy purpose,
III Ill l. LII e,,~,,..Io II 4Io,,,