The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-11-18
BUCCANEERS OF OLD
HUMAN FiENDS WHOSE NAME it,-
sPIREo FEAR ON THE SEAS.
For More Than Two Hundred Years They
Terrorised Ocean Travel and shipping.
The Horrible Deeds In Which John Da-
Wis Seemed to Take Delight.

Wis Seemed Ia Ioke Delight
Piracy on the high seas has become a
shing of the past. Civilized nations, with
sheir warships, have made 1t possible for
every class of vessels to pillow the watery
main without danger of being overhauled
by band of barbarous freebooters. The
pirates of old are no more; their cruel vo-
cation Is gone But while they existed
their daring excited admiration, while
their barbarity thrilled every human being
with horror. Old sailors spin peculiar
yarns about some of the pirates and their
supposed fabulous wealth.
Looking backward upon those old times
when it was necessary for every merchant
ship TO carry guns TO protect herself against
the depredations of the marauders of the
sea, 1t will prove of interest to recall some
of their exploits.
The freebooters, or pirates, commenced
their organized work about the year 1900
and continued their depredations until this
present century was we'll advanced. In
fact In certain parts OF the Chinese sea
there are at present numerous Chinese pi-
ratical craft, and at intervals foreign YES
stink balls The first pirates ransacked
ships in Spanish American waters. They
made themselves formidable and dreaded
enemies Of that nations merchant marine
service.
Lewis Scott, an Englishman, was one Of
the first daring freebooters whose name
sent a thrill of terror into the heart Of ev-
cry sea captain. He not only pillaged ships
on the ocean, but also invaded towns, car
ried off women and ransacked the treasury
of the community. One of his first notable
acts of outlawry was his invasion of the
city of St. Francis of Campechy He sud
denly appeared one night in that city with
a brutal band of followers at his command.
He pillaged the town, carried off women
and demanded a heavy ransom for the cap
tives. This example of SCOTS was fol-
lowed by John Davis, n native of Jamaica,
West Indies who, with one ship and 90
men, attempted an act the audacity OF
which excited admiration and astonish-
ment
Davis landed near Nicaragua in the sew
enteenth century, leaving his ships at
anchor, guarded by ten men, The remain
der he distributed into three canoes. Avail
ing himself of the darkness of the night,
he sailed up the river which leads TO the
city of Granada. They were challenged by
sentinel, TO whom they spoke In Spanish
and were passed as fishermen After dis
embarking without encountering any OBJ
stacles Davis and his crew fell upon the
soldiers who had peaceably witnessed their
landing. The attack was so sudden and
unexpected that the whole of the soldiers
were massacred before they had time to
make any effort to protect themselves.
After that bloody deed had been commit
ted they dispersed themselves throughout
the town and pillaged houses and churches.
Cries of terror resounded on every side.
But the Davis gang offered no violence
to the inhabitants of Nicaragua. The
booty secured by the pirates on this occa-
sion amounted to several thousand dollars.
After this adventure Davis returned to
Jamaica, where fleet of eight ships, Of
which John Davis was appointed admiral
by his comrades, was fitted out, and the
whole started on pillaging expedition.
The pirates of old, after overhauling q
ship, would push plank over the side.
All the crew of the captured vessel were
forced to walk the plank. This was hor-
rible custom. At many of the butcherous
plank walkings the sea would be red with
the blood of the poor unfortunates who
they fell into the water.
1t was in the early part of 1902 that the
British merchant ship Albion had sailed
from India with valuable cargo and a
fair sized crew. On board of this ship were
an aged Protestant minister and his daugh-
ter, beautiful and accomplished young
lady of about 25 years of age. In those
days the trip from India to England took
all ships around the cape Of Good Hope.
Everything had gone well from the time
that they had left the Indian shores until
the good ship had arrived in the southeast
trade winds. A suspicious looking vessel
was seen one morning early with a mass
of sail on her and making direct for the
Albion. The captain of the British ship
had his fears when the stranger was first
sighted, and they were realized as the
bulky form of the pirate ship doomed high
er and higher on the horizon.
Arms were handed out to the crew. The
few small guns on board the Albion were
loaded, and everything was placed In read
mess for the carnage that was soon to fol-
low.
1t became the captains duty to inform
his passengers that the strange looking
ship which was gaining on them rapidly
was pirate The minister offered to take
part In the protection Of the vessel, but
was informed that as he was not used to
that class OF work he would perhaps prove
to be more harm than good
Al last the battle came. The superior
arms and numbers of the pirates overcame
the few valiant Englishmen, and the cut
throat freebooters boarded the merchant
ship. The captain was brutally murdered,
and tho rest Of the crew were forced to
walk the plank. Several sharks were tear
ing the poor victims apart from limb to
limb. The sea was red With blood, but
there was no cessation of the butchery
After all Of the crew had been dispatched
In that cruel manner q search of the ship
was made. The poor minister and his
daughter were found In the cabin praying
Brutality they were hauled on deck. The
clergyman was unoeremoniously forced to
walk the plank. Words sink into insignifl-
canoe when an attempt Is made to picture
the anguish of the young woman as she
saw her father flendishly murdered
The captain of that cutthroat gang, be-
ing impressed with the beauty Of the young
xuonap ofYara1 har tho v,rfytlaoa % aitbor