Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-09-23
ne Sailed With Lalitis.

An old negro, whom the white
people believed TO have been much
more than 100 years old. died on
the Brule cotton plantation, near
All-Seeing Eye, in Texas. short
time ago. The negroes called MIN
"Old Pirate" from the fact that
he never'tired Of talking Of his adj
ventures at sea. To the white peo-
pie he had always been known 90
"Uncle jolly" q name which be
maintained was given TO him by
Laftte's pirates when he was boy,
from the fact that he was sprightly
and always in q good humor.
According to bis story he was
born Q slave on one Of the islands
OF the West Indies. When he was
10 or IL years Of age his master
started on q voyage to New Or
leans. taking his family aud the me-
gro boy, Jolly, along. One day.
shortly after they had left the 10.
land, . big ship sailed close to them
and began TO Gre big guns. The
ships drew closer together and the
people in both vessels began to fire
guns and pistols. After few NO.
ments the pirate ship ran alongside
and hundreds Of ferocious- looking
men with swords and pistols in
their hands sprang on boaid, utter
ing savage yells and curses. jolly
saw his master fall fighting on the
decks, and he ran below to tell his
mistress. There were several wo-
men aud many children in the cab
in.
1t 10 hard for anyone to believe
that anything in che shape of q hu-
man being could have been guilty
Of such cruelties as these monsters
perpetrsted upon their defenceless
victims. The negro said that he
could not bear 10 witness the ago.
mics of the women and children,
and he returned to the companion
way. where he met several Of the
pirates. One struck at him with q
cutlass, but another interposed, re-
marking, Don't kill him; he is
worth pocketful of gold." They
threw him up on the deck and went
on into the cabin OF the ship.
The captain and half dozen Of
the crew who had escaped the mas
sacre were put in chains. The wo-
men and children were driven be-
low. The pirates at once began to
loot the doomed vessel, and several
hours were spent in transporting
the booty to the decks of the pirate
ship. Late in the evening the ship
was set on fire and the pirates sailed
away.
Little attention was paid to the
negro boy, and he vas permitted to
wander about ~ he pleased. The
next morning the pirate captain.
followed by several officers, STUN
bled on deck, and then the negro
boy witnessed o scene that haunted
him to his grave.
The prisoners we're all driven on
the forward deck Of the ship, pre-.
paratory to walking the plank. The
captain was the FIRST one ordered to
walk out. He folded his arms
across his bosom, and moved to his
death With firm step and with his
head erect. The women and chill.
dren now realized that they were
to be drowned in the sea, and they
began to pray and moan piteously.
One poor woman, pressing q child
to her bosom. walked mp to one Of
the pirate officers, and implored
him to spare her life, offering him
her jewels and promising him q
large sum Of money. The monster
tore . gold chain from her neck,
and cursed her. The child was
crying, and the merciless demon
wrenched il from her arms and
hurled it into the sea. The poor
mother at once ran to the side of
the ship and sprsng overheard.
Joliy's curiosity prompted him to
follow her to the ships side, where
ne saw her rise upon q wave and
grasp her infant in her arms. He
felt some satisfaction m knowing
that the poor mother sank to rise
no more with her little baby clasped
to her breast.
The sailors walked the plank one
after another, all but one who 90.