The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-25
Strange Story of an American
Buccaneers Last Cruise.
T~HREWOVERBOARD PAPERS
These Were Swallowed by a Shark, but
Later Recovered-They Were Pro-
duced in Court in Time to
Cause a Hanging Bee.

the island Of Jamaica. During the
weeks while Kingston served the news.
paper correspondents who have beer
watching the Cuban blockade as the
only door to the outside world a few
veracious have been IN.
carthed. one of them is wrapped uI
with a bundle Of yellow, water-wdshed
documents which hang on the wall OF
the Kingston museum under the print
ed legend The Shark Papers"
The story connected with The Shark
Papers is so remarkable hat 1t would
be impossible to believe it were it not
all to be found i'm the authentic papers
and sworn statements of Kingston cour
records. To Americans 1t has a special
interest, since IL relates to the trial
and taking off of the last American pi-
rate brought to book in the West In
dies. 1t has been verified and is known
to be absolutely true.
In July, 1873, Captain Briggs, an
American whose christian name does
not appear, fitted out the schooner
Nancy in the city of Baltimore, osten-
sibly for trade with the Dutch West In
dies. IL appears that he took out his
papers for Curacao. The crew consist
ed Of seven men besides himself. The
vessel was of light burden and built
"a AAit A'NA' VI A''' 'iAll't AiAi ~
which Baltimore was famous at the
time.
The Nancy never reached Curacao.
on he way South h stopped at one
of the Bahama islands, where she took
On board some small I'M and arms
for men. At the time the Caribbean
and the adjacent waters were filled
with great fleets of sailing vessels.
These peaceful vessels afforded a SPLEEN
did chance for spoliation to any craft
armed and ann for that purpose.
In less than a month after Captain
Briggs, in command of the Nancy, left
Baltimore for Curacao news reached
Kingston that a piratical schooner was
in the adjacent waters levylng tribute
on merchantmen. She vas "A fore-and-
after, with a black hull and raking
masts. She lay low i'm the water, n
forward she carried "a swivel gun,
known as a long ON.
Stories of her speed and the character
Of her crew melted the spirit of a num-
Der of English sailors then i'm the har-
Dor Of Port Royal. Conspicuous among
these ships was Captain Roberts of the
war covert sparrow. From the govern
or of Jamaica Captain Roberts receiv-
ed Instructions to go out and look for
the mysterious stranger reported in
the vicinity of the French possessions
in Hayti. Captain Roberts at once
made sail for the scene Of the report
ed depredations. Within a week he
came in sight of two vessels, one evil
IDENTIFY in pursuit of the other. The
pursuing vessel answered in every way
to the description he had received of
the piratical American schooner. While
under a full head OF sail the pursuing
schooner carried no flag; the vessel be-
ing pursued had at the foremost the
stars and stripes. As soon as the En-
glish man-of-war came in sight the
pursuing schooner tried to make for
the shore, but she was soon overhauled,
a shot from the Sparrow forcing her to
stop her way and to permit a boat to
be sent aboard.
Captain Briggs asserted that his mis-
sion was peaceful and that he was an
American sailor, n that he had his
clearance papers from Baltimore TO the
Dutch port OF Curacao. The officer
from the Sparrow demanded To see
the NanCy's papers, but they We're not
forthcoming, nor could Captain Briggs
find them. Under the circumstances
the only course left the commander of
the Sparrow was to take the Nancy to
Kingston charged with piracy. Under
the maritime laws then and now pre-
Vailing If the vessel were condemned
as a pirate the officers and crew would
be executed, and the ship and cargo
would be turned over as a prize to the
captors.
Throughout all these proceedings
Captain Briggs comported himself with
the utmost GOODNESS. He claimed that
the port from which he sailed, his des-
and his purpose were entirely
legitimate. When asked for his papers
to substantiate his claims he boldly as
that they We're lost through no
of his own. Captain Briggs
and his crew were arraigned before
high court Of admiralty of the ISL
and, charged with piracy. The Ameri-
can consul used all the power at his
command to show the innocence of his
Briggs himself made a
defense even more able than that of
The consul. He was "A cool, handsome.
intelligent man, whose inn
the court and spectators with
honesty and sincerity. Briggs was
quick to see that, while the absence of
his papers might tell against him. the
could not convict him of pi-
racy unless the papers were in their
possession.
The American pirate conducted his
own case.s When asked to explain why
he was so far out Of his course when
oyerhauled by the Sparrow he said he
had been driven by the trade winds.
claimed hat he simply wanted some
water from the NtSsel ne was PURSUING,
and that he didn't show his flag be-
the other captain. owing TO the
of the two vessels. could not
seen it. He also laid stress On the
ahsurdity Of calling his vessel a pirate
when she had a crew OF only seven.
The words and n Of Captain
Briggs impressed the court very strong
ly, and even the captain of the Spar
row. although originally sure of his
ground, began to feel that he had
a mistake.
The judge asked Captain Briggs:
Did the same storm that drove you
out of your course blow away your
ship papers,"
Not at all abashed. Briggs replied:
II annot explain the absence of the
l am an American sailor and
tried to do my full duty. Whether
the papers are present or absent. l
ask before you condemn me or wen
hRfnFa NRn Gat mo fraa- for nTnVof ~