The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-09

wRECKERs WATCHING FOR VICTIMS
few significant hints about even darker
things that take place along the coast Of
Cornwall. was told that it was an old
practice among certain Cornish coast
men to deliberately attempt to lead YES
sells upon the rocks at night by means
of "lure lights for the sake of the
plumber that could be washed up during
the ensuing day.
''But it amt the dirty weather, - said
q rough coast guardsman whom in
duced to become reminiscent as he knit
ted his tanned brow at some strange
craft that came swinging up the chan
mel. ''It amt the dirty weather as al
ways brings wrecks on this coast.
Then, after all, the gentle art of ship
wrecking had not passed away with the
pirates of Penzanoe, as most of the
world seems to have thought. pressed
the coast guard for particulars.
"Well, " he said as he put down his
glass, 81 know this coast pretty we'll,
and it seems to me these Cornishmen
are born wreckers. It's bred in the bone
with 'em, and they can't stop it them
selves, SO we have to try and do it for
'em.
"Any coast guard along this shore
will tell you that they carry it on now
and then right under our very noses.
Even the best of 'em don't see anything
wrong with stripping a body or two,
and there's many family around here
as gets it's bread and butter from that
sort Of thing. Between you and me,
there's more of it happens than people
suspectI"
asked him how the work was done
'Done?" said the guard. "Why it's
mostly done with what we call lure
lights. And this is how they do it.
The cottagers along this coast here once
In awhile set lamp swinging in their
window. Nowadays as soon as we see
one of those lure lights we go in and
squelch it, but once there was time of
a squally night when you'd see enough
Of 'em swinging away in the windows
along here. Why do they do it? Well,
out there '-pointing seward with his
glass-''of a dark night seamen natu-
rally think that swinging light is moth
ing more than a riding light or lamps
on a lightship, or perhaps a vessel
swinging at anchor in deep water, and
naturally enough they come right for
'em every time. The first thing they
know, of course, they have pounded upon
eAo 1OC6S auu AEO GO4AS W PAOCSS.
"You see, times have been hard
about here for many a year, and these
people say they've got to live some way
or other. And whenever a wreck does
come ashore a Cornishman seems able
to smell it out like bloodhound. After
q big wreck they go swarming down
those cliffs like red ants, and then you
can often see them fighting like hungry
dogs to get held of the first body that
comes ashore. It's queer, too, but they'll
do anything to save life, and help the
women and children, but when they're
once dead they just plumber and moth
ing more Why, I've even known EN-
to knock ont the teeth from a body
Just to get the gold filings, if they hap
pen to see any. OF course we stop 'em
from stripping the bodies when we can,
but 1nan can't be everywhere at once,
and these folks are just like rats when
there's a wreck anywhere about
But if you want to hear about wreck
ing along this coast, though, just go up
and see old John Terquay at his cottage
over yonder. Hs was at it before I was