The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-11-12
PRICE FIVE CENT?

that the gin down along that way Is
the ginniest gin that was ever ginned
Your okolehao' here Is like water
alongside of ii. 1t was not long before
the Captain and the crew were safe
in the arms of Morpheus Sorensen
next developed a supply of irons which
he used on the captain and sailors.
When they came to he laughed at them
and sailing the ship close inshore, he
bargained with number of beach
combers always to be found on those
forlorn shores and soon had the ship
under weigh again. Now he had
things all his own way and started out
to trade with the unsuspecting natives.
"His system of trading, though very
questionable. was simple and effective.
1t was his practice to invite the chief
of an island with small following
aboard the Albert. He would then get
the sailors to interest the men on deck
while he took the chief down below
to treat him. A dinner was usually
spread out, but the unfortunate chief
usually got no further than the soup.
At the given signal, the poor fellow
was overpOwered and put in irons.
Then the sailors with their rifles and
revolvers would chase the natives over
the side of the vessel, instructing them
at the same time that their chief was
in irons and would be killed unless a
proper ransom was at once delivered
aboard Under such circumstances,
Sorensen never failed to profit by the
deal. the natives bringing aboard more
than agreed on in the hopes of gain
ing their chief back again with less
delay. That was one mode. Another
was the following:
"Sorensen would entice a number Of
natives aboard and after giving them
meat and drink-especially the latter
would, with the aid OF his men. throw
them all into irons. Then with stiff
breeze blowing, he would sail away to
the other side of the island where rival
tribes lived and there sell the captives.
Now, as Sorensen was familiar with
the customs of the place and krcw that
they hardly ever worked down there,
he must have known he was not selling
slaves. but supply of fresh meat.
That however did not seem to bother
him in any degree whatever
"Sorensen followed this life for a
number of months. Finally a COM
plant was laid in and the II. M. S.
Dart rounded him up. He was tried in
1884 and sent to the penitenitary for q
term of ten years. He served his time
and then mysteriously disappeared
"NOt many months ago he turned up
in San. Francisco just as he did in Mel
bourne and in his possession were
specimens Of gold ore which, when
| analyzed. were found to be marvelously
rich in the very much coveted glitter
ing material. He told stories of the
great wealth of the Solomon Islands,
| saying that he had just come from
there He had succeeded in winning
the friendship of some Of the natives
| who showed him the places where the
great wealth was stored.
''There was a fever Immediately and
| number of young men got together,
| formed company, purchased the So
! phia Sutherland. and taking Sorensen
at his word, without the least proof
that he had procured the gold ore from
the Solomons and started out on the
| journey.
''I felt sorry for the young men and
| Immediately took steps to save them
from the fate of the captain and crew
of the schooner Albert. Together with
the friend l have already mentioned,
I went aboard the vessel and the story
| Ol luc adventures VI oOICuSCu was tOiu
them You can imagine the effect this
had on the poor souls. They were sim
ply dumbfounded and did not know
what to do. The next thing did was
to confer with the British Consul, who
sent a dispatch to the British Solo
mons telling the authorities there to
forbid the landing Of the men il 1t was
found that was Sorensen aboard.
"Just before leaving the steamer
Ovalani. brought the news that the
Sophia Sutherland had arrived in Suva,
Fiji, and that on the voyage to that
port from Apia, there had been trouble.
One of the men had been put in irons.
I strongly suspect that it was Soren-
sen, for the feeling against him after
his record had been told. was by no
means friendly. The men had been
warned and evidently had their eye or
him. That is the last / heard of the
poor fellows. I hope that they vii
have the good sense to give up theil
foolish project and return home at thu
earliest opportunity"
Early last evening the jury, two dis