The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-08
PIRATE OF THE PACIFIC.
The Death of1a Skipper Who Was
for FEARS u Terror.

I The Death 0f3a skipper Who Was
@ for Years a Terror.
Bundaberg STAR
News has just come to hand by the
recruiting vessel Rio Loge, of the death
of one of those celebrities or charact-
ers of the South Seas known as Pirate
Martin. On interviewing Mr.. Douglas
Rannie, our representative CLEANED the
following particulars:
Il knew Pirate Martin well. and
often met him during my travels. He
was fine-leoking, handsome man,
and had the, appearance more of a
soldier than a sailor. He seemed to be
always in hot water, and I never met
him without she had grievance on
hand. My first introduction. to him
was to dress a wound in his chest.
He had been gambling in a traders
house, and had large sum of money
about him. While sitting in a room
adjoining the store, the store being in
| darkness a shot came from the store
and the bullet ploughed across Mar
tins chest, making a very ugly wound.
| The would-be assassin was the man
who managed the store, and irumeCi-
ately zdecamped after firing the shot.
But not to be outdone Martin brought
a case of dynamite ashore and plac-
ing it under the store, threatened to
blow the whole concern sky high if the
man who shot him did not turn I'D
The result was that a search party
went out and soon returned with the
delinquent, who was shaking with fear.
Martin then gave him a chance of
settling the affair with weapons ION.
the beach, but the trader was too
| much of a cur and a coward to fight,
so Martin, whose temper had cooled
down. let him off for a considerations
1.-THE next occasion on which 7 came
across Martin was when I was taking
a trip on a French schooner. the, Dau-
prime. Capt. DemOselle my own YES
sci having been lost. The only other
Britisher on board the Dauphine except
myself was the mate, Dick Hender-
son. AS it happened, one fine morning
we were close to Ambryfn, when what
should run out but the cutter Constan-
tine, Pirate Martin in charge. He
wanted us to heaxes to-, and he ran up
the French flag to his masthead, but
old Demoselle would not heave to, but
called his mate and said: Dick, bring
de pig The spigS.was brought. Now,
den, Dick, brinss Fon bottle An empty
bottle then showed up. Now, den,
Dick, make the bottle fast to the pigs
head, den bend on the signal halliaris,
and run fem up to the main peak.
And up went pig, bottle and all as
reply to Martins signal, and old
| Frenchy drew himself up as he remark
ed, 'Dere, now, you tam buccaneer, 1
tell you you Won drunken pig
Martins reply was shot which made
old Frenchy scuttle below, and sing
out to the mate Dick, put on all de
sail you cam
I'VE returned in a week or two in the
Dauphine to Port. Sandwich, and there
we found Martin, waiting for us We
were all mad with fever on the Dau-
phine at the time. And Martin came
on board with a challenge to Demoselle
to fight him for the insult given when
off the coast of Ambrym. But Demo
! selle was too i'll to fight and the duel
was postponed. [ was confined to my
bed at the time, but l must say that
[ never experienced such kindness, at
tention and nursing as 1 received from
Pirate Martin. He brought me every
delicacy he could get from his own ship
and any that money could buy ashore.
And through his care and kindness
was soon able to be about again. In
the meantime he robbed the Dauphine
Of everything he took fancy to. When
DemoSelle managed to walk about, one
fine day Martin put q bullet threw the
crown of his hat at a, distance OF about
twenty PAGES, just to let Frenchy know
how near he, could go without, hurting
him., He was reckoned0 about the best
shot with a rifle or revolver to be met
with about the New EIebrides. a-
Martin was supposed to be trading
IO1 a I'M OF NOu1nSdn merchants WHICH,
sailing the Constantine. But when he
got full ship he disposed of the cargo,
sold the ship, and proceeded to Sidney,
where he lived in quite a royal style
till the money was spent. Then the
longing came over him, and he started
for the islands again. When the steam
CT in which he was a passenger called
at Noumea the French police got wore
CT his being on board, and went to
arrest him, but too late, as Martin
had got the tip and gone ashore. There
he annexed a boat, took in supplies,
and made for the New HebrideS alone,
and arrived.
my next meeting with him was on
the coast Of Aoba. He was then in
command Of a schooner called the Black
Angel He told me then that he was
the avenger of. blood. A Mr.. Pena had
been murdered by his native crew.
They had looted the vessel, and had
left her to drift anywhere. Some of
them had got to Afpba, and now it was
Martins inteIttion to shoot them on
sight, and / believe that he eventually
carried out his intention.
''The last /. saw of the old pirate was
up the river from Port Sandwich, and
he had then turned his attention to
agricultural pursuits. He had very
pretty site for his house, and on either
side he had a plantation of coffee, with
plenty. And 4thefe he reckoned he
would have a 3olIgeespell if left to enjoy
life without Interruptions from the ma
tives. But at last one Of those sWag-
gering blades whom you will find
among South Sea, ISLANDERS, as we'll as
whites, made public his intention of
potting old Martin.
THE next time [ met him he was In
charge of a smart cutter named the
Paul Jones suggestive nance. He was
then lying at anchor off the Rev. Mr.
Mcrton's station at Mallicolo. AS usual.
he was in trouble, 1 boarded him on my
way to call on Mr.. Morton, and he then
called my attention to the state of his
dingy, which I noticed was all smeared
with blood. He informed me that a
large crowd of natives had come down
to the beach near the station, presum-
ably to sell vegetables, ETC., so he sent
the cook ashore. in the dingy to buy
what he could. The poor cook no sooner
touched the beach than the natives
rushed upon him. and hacked him down
with their tomahawks and carried off
his body. By the time Martin got his
repeating rifle the natives had cleared
away. But presently two appeared on
the beach, and Martin promptly bagged
them He then made some of his new
crew swim ashore and bring off the
dingy. At this time Martin was oceu-
pied for the most part in lodging the
men-of-war:
So one day Martin was entertaining
some visitors to dinner when one Of
his servants came and whispered in his
ear. Martin got up from the table,
saying. Excuse me gentlemen, for a
minute and picking up his rife, he
went outside. He returned in a few
minutes and sat down as if nothing
unusual had taken place. In about an
hours time his servant again whispered
to him. and, as before, he picked up