Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-02-17
F., PRISONERS RUsE.
law soc ESCAPED FROM THE SPAN
lsH PRISON BY A TRICK.


Fears
Ne Frank R. Stockton, telling st.
x;cbolas readers about The buccaneers
prr Coast" describes the clever es-
# Roc. the Brazilian, famous
e.I,ts from captivity among the Span
i"b of Campeachy Mr. Stockton says:
when be was coming into the bay
Doc had noticed large French vessel
that was lying at some distance from
.he town, and he wrote his letter as if
y bod come from the captain OF this
hin In the character Of this French
aartoin he addressed his letter to the
noyarnor of the town, and in it he stated
,bat he had understood that certain
oo,nrauions OF the coast, for whom he
had great sympathy-for the French
and the buccaneers were always good
friepds-had been captured by the gov
.rror who. be heard had threatened to
execute them.
The French captain, by the hand Of
Roc went on to say that if harm should
eome TO these brave men, who had been
taken and imprisoned when they were
doing no harm to anybody, he would
swear, in his most solemn manner, that
never for the rest Of his life would he
give 1uarter to any Spaniard who might
fall into his hands, and he moreover
threatened that any kind of vengeance
which should become possible for the
buccaneers and French united to inflict
=
town Of Campeachy, should be taken as
soon as possible after he should hear Of
sny injury that might be inflicted upon
the unfortunate men who were then
living imprisoned in the fortress
When the slave came back to Roc,
the letter was given to him with very
particular directions as to what he was
TO DO with it. He was to disguise him
self as much as possible. SO that he
should not be recognized by the people
u the place, and then in the night he
was to make his way out of the town,
and early in the morning was to return
as if he had been walking along the
shore of the harbor, when he was to
state that he had been put on shore from
the French vessel in the offing with
letter which lie was ordered to present
to the governor.
The slave performed his part Of the
business very well. The next day, wet
ana bedraggied from making his way
through the weeds and mud of the
coast, he presented himself at the for
tress with his letter, and when he was
allowed TO take it to the governor no
one suspected that be was person EN-
ployed about the place, Having fulfilled
his mission, he departed, and when seen
again he was the same servant whose
business it was to carry food to the pris-
Onors
The governor read the letter with a
disquietod mind. He knew that the
French ship which was lying outside
the harbor was powerful vessel, and
he did not like French ships anyway
The town had once been taken and very
badly treated by little fleet of French
and English buccaneers, and he was
very anxious that nothing of the kind
should happen again.
There was no effective Spanish force
in the harb0r at that time, and he did
not know how many buccaneering YES
sells might be able to gather together in
the great pirate Roc had been put to
death IN Campeachy.
1t was unusual for prisoner to have
powerful friends so near by, and the
governor took Roc's case into most ear
nest consideration. A few hours reflec-
ton was sufficient to convince him that
It would be very unsafe to take risks
with such dangerous prize as the pl
rate Roc, and he determined to get rid
Of him as soon as possible. He felt him
self IN the position of man who has
stolen baby bear and who hears
through the woods the roar of an APP
preaching parent. To throw away the
cub and walk off as though he had no
idea there were any bears in that forest
would be the inclination of man SO
situated, and to get rid of great pirate
without provoking the vengeance Of his
friends was the natural inclination of
the governor.
Nov" Rec and his men were treated
well and, having been brought before
the governor, were told that in conse-
quonce Of their having committed no
overt act Of disorder they would be set
al liberty and shipped to Spain upon
il' single condition that they would
alaE ion piracy aud agree to become
qul.. citizens
l1 these terms Roc and his men
agreed without argument. They de-
rl#r.d they would retire from the buc-
'a. ing business and that nothing
".l suit them better than to return
. ways Of civilization and virtue.
was ship about TO depart for
and on this the governor gave
ri his men free passage to the
rIde Of the ocean There is no
hat our buccaneers would have
preferred 10 have been put on
He French vessel, but Roc made
tinn of the kind, knowing how
led the French captain would be
GOVERNOR were 10 communicate