The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-18

Lewiston, Me-, a grizzled seadog now in
his seventies, but still hale, still nearly
still able to smoke his pipeful OF Connec-
ticut tobacco strong enough to raise the
roof and still competent to chamber more.
Medford rum than any oiled and scented
Assyrian bull of our cities. Strout llKes
to sit and gaze over the tumbling waters
that roar against Names rock-bou una
coast and tell Of the time that he saw
Semmes. Incidentally his tale is indicl-
tive of his own iron nerve.
Il was master of the American brig
Cuba" he told me, land sailed out OF
Trinidad on July 2, 1861. had a cargo of
sugar and was bound for London. The
Cuba was 236 tons burden, and with the
wind dead astern she walked the waters
like a thing o. life. Which is poetry Two
days out-Which is to say on July I've
sighted a vessel on our starboard bow. She
was travelling nearly a parallel course
and pretty soon she veered in and fired a
shot across our bows Naturally l stop
ped The rebellion had broken out and
confederate cruisers were securing the seas
swapping up our merchantmen, but re-
lied on our bills of fading to see US
through. They had the stamp of the
British consul at Trinidad. 1 was ordered
to go on board the Sumter and Semmes
took my papers. He was a sour-looking
surS stamp he grinned. That's a id
yankee trick he said Then he added: /
am sorry to inform you that you are a
prisoner Of war told him that he WASH t
ha.f as sorry as / was, and he seemed to
believe me. He sent me back to my yea
Rel along with prize crew that was arm
ed to the teeth
THE Sumter took US in tow at 10 O'Clock
In the morning. At 3 o'clock next MORN
ing the hawser broke. Semmes tried three
times to refasten, but the sea was too
high. He then ordered the captain of the
prize crew to take the Cuba to Cienfuegos.
We were only sixty miles west of that
point. We were unarmed and were allow
ed to walk the deck. / got chance TO
talk to Jim Bebbage and Jim Carroll, my
two mates, and we determined to recap
ture the vessel. On July s I found the
prize master asleep on the round house.
Immediately we got possession OF all OF
the arms The prize crew got onto the
racket and ran for their arms. Finding
them gone. two drew their sheath-knives
and one got an ak and they rushed aft
where we We're. The mainsail was down
and lay between us. One of them tried
to jump over it and hit him on the head
with a cleaver that l had in my hand. He
fell, scrambled back and did not attempt
to return. My mates and my cook were
now armed with revolvers and one o. my
seamen had a cutlass. IF you stir, /
shouted to the prize crew, I VIII bloy
you heads off, They didn't stir. When
ordered them 10 surrender they yielded
and went forward. followed by myself
and the crew.
Il had on board only four pairs of irons.
/ put one on the prize master and the
others on three of the most dangerous Of
the prisoners. The rest we tied with
ropes. That day fell in with the brig
Costa Rlca, which took two Of the prize
crew. then headed the Cuba for New
York Nothing of importance happened
until the 14th of july, when the prize
MASTER whose irons had been removed
at his urgent request, managed to get
hold of a pistol and perched himself in
the mainCop. Then he rolled a cigarette
and lighted 1t. blew some smoke through
his nostri1s and called down that he
had something 20 say TO me. DO you in
tend to carry me to New YoTkg he ask
ed. I told him that did. He took some
more smoke into his mouth blew II out,
laughed and said: We'll, you1l never do
Il alive All right said 1. then IN car
ry you dead Al that he yelled out: It's
your time 90 dodge and fred at me. The
bullet struck the deck at my feet and I
did dodge. Johnny Reb told the truth
that time. He fired again and did some
more lively hopping Then i ran below
and got my pistol AS my head reap
peared In the companlon-way he turned
soose one more time and the splinters few
into my hair.
II got up deck at last and proceeded to
even up things. He was swinging around
up in the maintop and / was dancing
around on the planking. / suppose II
was the Misunderstanding duel that ever
was He used up all OF his loads with
out hitting me and I shot at him three
times without coming anywhere near him.
Then / lodged a ball In the mast Just
above his head and the next shot I got
him in the arm. IL was his right arm,
and was broken above the elbow. He
dropped his weapon TO the deck. All OF
this time he had been holding his cigar
cite In his left hand. He was the nervi-
est devil I ever saw. He threw the Gig
arctic away and came down. I dressed his
wound and locked him up. / kept guard
over him untf We reached New York, on
July q, IL was Sunday. / remember. and.
though We did not know it. the guns then
we're roaring at Bull Run, the nrst big
battle OF the war I delivered my pria-
oncrs TO the United States authorities
but the prize master, whose name was
Thomas, went 20 Bellvue hospital, where
some northern women nursed him until
he got well. He stayed In prison for
while and there was some talk OF hang.
ing him for a pirate, but / did the best
could for him, because he was a brave
man, and finally they exchanged him and
he went back south.
ct began suit Tor salvage OF the brig
Cuba ana ] got $1,000 Tor a. She was
owned IN Mihrdge. Ne, and when the
Alabama claims were Up for Adjustment