The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-03-01
A PRISONERS RUSE.
HOW ROC ESCAPED FROM THE SPAN
IsH PRISON BY A TRICK.

A Clever Pirate Who Won Freedom For
Himself and Eis Companions by Forging
a Letter and Playing on His Captor's
Fears.
Mr.. Frank R. Stockton, telling ST.
Nicholas readers about "The Buccaneers
of Our Coast" describes the clever es-
cape of Roc, the Brazilian, famous
pirate from captivity among the Span
ish at Campeachy Mr.. Stockton says:
When he was coming into the bay,
Roc had noticed large French vessel
that was lying at some distance from
the town, and he wrote his letter as if
it had come from the captain of this
ship. In the character of this French
captain he addressed his letter to the
governor of the town, and in it he stated
that he had understood that certain
had great sympathy-for the French
and the buccaneers were always good
friends-had been captured by the gov
ernor, who, he heard, had threatened to
execute them.
The French captain, by the hand of
Roc, went on to say that if harm should
come 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 quarter 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 inf1ict
upon the Spanish ships, or upon the
town of Campeachy, should be taken as
soon as possible after he should hear of
any injury that might be inflicted upon
the unfortunate men who were then
lying 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
of 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 a
letter which he was ordered to present
to the governor.
The slave performed his part Of the
business very we'll The next day, wet
and bedraggled 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 he 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-
oners.
The governor read the letter with a
disquieted 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 feet 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 harbor at that time, and he did
not know how many buccaneering ves-
sells might be able to gather together in
the bay if it should become known that
the great pirate Roc had been put to
death in Campeachy.
1t was unusual for a prisoner to have
powerful friends so near by, and the
governor took Roc's case into most ear
nest consideration. A few hours refec-
ton was sufficient to convince him that
it would be very unsafe to take risks
with such dangerous prize as the pi-
rate Roc, and he determined to get rid
of him as soon as possible. He felt him
self in the position Of a 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 a man SO
situated, and to get rid of a great pirate
| without provoking the vengeance of his
friends was the natural inclination Of
the governor.
Now, Roc and his men were treated
we'll and, having been brought before
the governor, were told that in conse-
quence of their having committed nc
overt act of disorder they would be set
at liberty and shipped to Spain upon
the single condition that they would
abandon piracy and agree to become
| quiet citizens.
To these terms Roc and his men
agreed without argument. They de-
clared they would retire from the buc-
caneering business and that nothing
would suit them better than to return
to the ways of civilization and virtue.
There was ship about to depart fol-
Spain, and on this the governor gave
Roc and his men free passage to the
other side of the ocean. There is nc
doubt that our buccaneers would have
much preferred to have been put on
board the French vessel, but Roc made
no suggestion of the kind, knowing how
astonished the French captain would be
if the governor were to communicate
with him on the subject.