The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-10-01
BUCCANEERS OF OLD
HUMAN FlENDS WHOSE NAME IN
sPlRED FEAR ON THE SEAS.

For More Than Two Hundred Years They
| Terrorized Ocean Travel and Shipping.
The Horrible Deeds In Which John Ds-
Wis Seemed to Take Delight.
Piracy on the high seas has become q
thing of the past. Civilized nations, with
their warships have made it possible for
every class of vessels to plow the watery
main without danger G. beng overhauled
J by a band of barbarous freccooters. 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 1t was necessary for every merchant
ship carry guns to protect herself against
| tho depredations Of the marauders of the
| sea, it 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
sells fall prey to the diabolical cruelty and
stink balls. The first pirates ransacked
ships in Spanish waters They
made themselves formidable and dreaded
enemies of that nation s merchant marine
service.
Lewis Scott, an Englishman, was one of
the first daring freebooters whose name
sent thrill Of terror into the heart of ev-
cry sea captain. He not only pillaged ships
OH 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
brutal band of followers at his command
He pillaged the town, carried off women
and demanded heavy ransom for the cap
tives. This example of Scott's was fol-
lowed by John Davis a 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
a 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 a
ship, would push q 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
had been attacked by sharks as soon as
they fell into the water.
1t Was in the carly part of 1902 that the
British merchant ship Albion had sailed
from India with valuable cargo and q
fair sized crew. On board Of this ship were
an aged Protestant minister and his daugh-
ter, beautiful and accomplished young
lady Of about a5 years Of age In those
days the trip from India to England took
all ships around the cape Of Good Hope.
Everything had gone we'll 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 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 wore handed out to the crew. Tho
few small guns on board the Albion wcrc
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 tho protection of the vessel, but
t,,fp al hot hn fr
that class of work he would perhaps prove
to be more harm than good.
AT 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 Tho 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 a search Of the ship
was made. The poor minister and his
daughter were found in the cabin praying.
Brutally they were hauled on deck. The
clergyman was unceremoniously forced to
walk tho plank. Words sink into insignif-
cameo when an attempt Is made to picture
the anguish of the young woman as sho
saw her father flondishly murdered.
Tho captain Of that outthroat gang, be-
Ing impressed with the beauty Of the young |
woman, offered her the privilege Of either
becoming his wife or to walk the plank, as
had her father. She preferred to die, Us
had her parent
This SO cnraged the pirate that he order