The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-12-04
iMALAYS DEADLY WORK.
WITH 'CREESE IN HAND HE RUNS
AMUcK ON BOARD A SHIP.


AMUcK ON BOARD A SHIP.
Five Men Killed and Two Badly Hurt In
Ten Minutes - Slashing Right ana
Left With His Terrible Weapon, lie
Takes Possession Of the Vessel.
''In four voyages to the East Indies,
two Of them to Malay ports, l have
seen but one instance of that native
performance called running amuck.
Fortunately I saw it from position OF
perfect safety, but the sight was
enough to make me steer clear OF oil
Malays afterward, and any vessel that
has them on board," said Erdix Deer
ing, who as boy and man sailed many
seas in deep'water ships. 1T was in
1865, when I was boy on my first
voyage on the ship Harry Warren,
which sailed from Boston to India
with q cargo Of ice. We were lying
at anchor in the roads off Madras, un-
loading our middle-deck cargo into
lighters, and hundred vessels of all
nations were anchored about us, dis
charging or taking on board their car
goes. The ship nearest US, about two
cable lengths away, was the British
ship Mahratta, which had come from
Singapore in ballast with crew OF
Malay Lascars. It was one day at
noon that, as our crew lay round I'M
der the awning in the forecastle wait
ing for orders to turn to, one Of the
sailors sitting on the capstan sung
out:
"'Hi, mates! Just look over to
the lime uicer! They're having some
kind of rumpus there! See 'em 60
ing! believe it's one of those Malays
running amuck"
1--WE all jumped to our feet and
looked at the Mahratta, and some Of
us ran up into the rigging to get q
better view. From the topsail yard
could see all that was going on on the
deck of the British ship. Amidships
a Lascar, naked to the waist, was
slashing and stabbing at European
officer who had tried to grapple with
him, while everybody else in sight or
the ship was running fore or aft OF
taking to the rigging. On the quarter
deck the Captain was hurrying two
ladies down the companionway int
the cabin, supporting in his arms on
Of them who had tainted. AS the of
fcer fell lifeless to tho deck, tn
Malay bounded past him following
three sailors who had run aft, alont
the port gangway, upon the poop. A
he ran he swung before him long
slender knife, its crooked blade curv
ing in and out like the writings of
; snake. He overlook the rearmos
3 man on the poop and cut and stabbe
! him, as he had done with the officer
: until the man fell. Meantime tn
: second man leaped overheard, pre-
: ferring to take his chances with tn
}. sharks and water serpents to remain
: ing on board, and the third man ra
:, across the quarter deck and up int
. the mizzen rigging like cat. Th
y man in the water swan for our ship
~ and some natives in lighter pickle
= him up ahead Of the sharks.
- "The Malay left the man he ha
" killed and looked around as if for fres
u victims, but he himself was the on]
~ living person in view on the deck
. He ran fore and aft, searching, b.
a found no one, and he tried the cabi
a door, but it was closed fast. Then /
"a went to the nizzen rigging and starte
4. up the ratlines after the man who ha
" taken refuge there. When the Malls
It, had got as far up as the mizzen te
2. the man he was after took to the to-
n. gallant fore-and-aft stay and began
D, 20 down it, hand over hand, towa1
e, The mainmast. The Malay kept on I
US to the topgallant cross-trees, and b
,e- gan to follow the man down the sta
"There was something frightful
I'd the relentlessness of his pursuit.
&c had got about ten feet down the ST.
is. when the Captain appeared on Z
ry poop with revolver and began fri
ng at him. One, two, three shots he fir
As and the Malay kept on down the sta
S. He was two.thirds Of. the way
ct, the, foot when, at the fourth shot, t
ns arm that held the creese fell helple
IT. by his side, though his hand 81
to clutched the weapon. He clung to
Ter stay by one handa and his feet and k
Do on down it almost as fast as befo
I'll! A fifth and sixth shot, and at the |
OF the Malay stopped still, then fell i
a lump Of putty to the deck, full TO
feet below. Whether he was d
hit when he struck the deck I do not knt
ase but the mate, who must have b.
id. watching from his room, ran out II
Nv the cabin to where the Malay was v
hit q handspike and made sure work
7,c. the fellow before be could rise. II
|or. the Lascars came running from
w. forecastle and down the rigging,
. with capstan bars, Delaying pins,
knives struck and thrust at the d
Il Malay until if he had had do
lives in him they would have b