St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-28
THE PIRATES OF CANADA.
a LayyIess Gang That Plumbers All
Kinds of Ocean Craft.

A LavIess Gang That Plumbers All
Kinds of Ocean Craft.
Quebec Cor. New York Sun.
In no other part of the world, per-
haps, is there such a daring s.ang of
pirates as that which infests the
straits of Belle Isle, the narrow pass
age north of Newfoundland, by which
steamships in the summer months
reach the Gulf of st. Lawrence from
Europe. Some of them live a good
part of the year on Belle Isle itself,
but others come from Newfoundland,
Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia, ostenSibly to engage in the fish
cries, but in reality on, the lookout for
what they can loot and steal from the
ships in distress.
There are at least three OF four
wrecks every year in the vicinity of
Belle Isle, and sometimes a great iron
steamship breaks up or runs aground
there. This is a rich harvest for the
pirates. They swarm about the wreck
and help themselves to everything that
they can lay hands on. The captains
and crews of such ships in distress
have usually all they can do to save
their lives from this treacherous coast,
without concerning themselves with
the fate of their cargoes. Should they
venture to demonstrate with these
highwaymen Of the sea for the free
dom with which they help themselves
to other peoples property. they would
be laughed at for their pains, as was
the captain of the wrecked steamship
Mexico, a few days ago. Capt. DAILY
has just arrived from the scene Of the
wreck of his ship, with the most start
ling description of his experiences with
the pirates.
Daily endeavored to make terms with
the captains of the fishing schooners
that Swarmed about the wreck for the
saving of the cargo, but they laughed
In his face, saying that they intended
lay hands on. AS an instance of the
barefaced character of the robbery
carried on by them Daily reports that
he went aboard one schooner at a.
time when it was deserted by all save
woman. He suspected that some of
his effects were concealed on board.
The woman protested that there was
nothing whatever there belonging to
him He insisted upon a search and
found nailed to the bulkhead the por-
trait of his wife and children which
had been taken from his cabin. Con-
tinuing the search he found small
hatch battened down and upon OPEN
ing it discovered thirteen bags Of
clothing belonging to his shipwrecked
sailors.
Shipping men feel that 1t is an out
rage upon foreign as well as Canadian
shipping for such a gang of pirates to
be permitted at large in Canadian wa
tiers to prey upon the commerce of the
world, and wonder that justice was
not melted out to them long ago. Thus
far no attempt whatever has been
made to bring these marauders to
justice. Were a gunboat to be sent
down to the straits, as many wish, it
would be lodged quite easily by the
fast-sailing, Iight-draught fishing,
wrecking and smuggling sehooners of
the gulf, with the. intimate knowledge
possessed by their crews of the boys
and coves of the coast.
Some day the pirates will encounter
a weil-armed captain and crew at a
wreck, for steamship men know what
they have to expect here. There will
be desperate fight, for the pirates are
well armed, and on some of their
smuggling expeditions they have al
ready engaged the crews of the govern
ment revenue cutters.
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