The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-15
PIRATES
IN CHINA
They Seize a French
Launch.
GENERAL CHINESE NEWS
Lunatic Attacks an Imperial Process
sion in Japan--A Pest in
Rice Fields.


Sunday morning, 14th inst, by Messrs.
Sculfort & Co. of Hongkong, the owners
of the Nau Chau, steam launch flying |
the French flag and plying between
Hongkong and Kwanchauwan.
1t seems that she lekt Kwanch, uwan |
at o'clock on the morning of the 18th |
inst. with the passengers (six of whom
turned out to be pirates) and a cargo of
cotton yarn and other commodities and
300. The crew numbered eighteen men
and boys.
At 1890 a. m. on the 18th inst, when at
a placed called Mong Chan, which is
us east and 20.40 north on the chart,
two of the passengers who had come on
board with a box containing FOUR car
penters' axes, protesting to be carpen
tiers, attacked the compradore, the as
sistant compradore, and the cook, as they
were sleeping in the cabin. inflicting seri-
Gus injuries upon them with their axes.
At the same time three of the other pas
sengers rushed on to the brioge and
made an onslaught upon the captain "a
the pilot, the steersman and
a sailor The sailor closed with OF
the assailants, wrested an axe from him,
and having struck him blow, threw
him overheard The sailor was subse-
quently found shot dead. The captain
and the others who were on the bridge
were pressed forward, and the steersman
was thrown into the sea. Neither he nor
the pirate whom the sailor pitched into
the water were seen afterwards, and in
all probability both were drowned. The
captain and others having been secured
in the hatch forward, the pirates got pos
session of four loaded Winchesters and
revolver and turned their attention to
the engine room. The firemen, having
heard the scuffing. were coming on
deck when they were met with a volley,
one of them, named Leung Tai Yau, be-
ing shot dead. Having overpowered the
engine room crew. the pirates forced the
engineer to remove the eccentric rods
from the reversing gear of the engine, to
run the water out of the boiler. and to
sever the steering chain. There Is also
cut in the connecting rod of the steering
chain opposite the engine room, this hav-
ing apparently been done with chisel
with the object of disabling the steering
gear. The part of the machinery thus re-
moved was thrown overheard, this being
done with the object of preventing the
crew from followingp the pirates on their
leaving the launch.
At about this time junk which was
crowded with men came alongside, the
men speaking Cantonese and the Sanui
dialect Shots were fired from the junk
at the two boats hanging on the davits,
and being riddled with bullets the boats
were rendered useless.
At a. m. on the 18th inst. the pirates,
having evidently gone away in the junk
by then the engine room crew came on
deck They released the men who had
hoo in, ho oh for r6
moving some long spikes with which the
hatch had been fastened down, and the
anchor. and then turned their attention to
the engine. The latter was not disabled
totally. and The launch was able to pro-
coed slowly on her way to Hongkong.
1t was found that the pirates had made
a fine haul, having gone away with all
the specie, four Winchester rifles and a
revolver, a cask of liqueur brandy, an
aneroid, binocular and clothing, jewel
ry, and money taken from the crew val
ued at $1,000. The compradore was re-
lieved of $500, four watches, and some
clothing; the assistant compradore 5000
and some clothing; the pilot SAT and cloth
ing; and other members of the crew were
also stripped of their belongings
On the launch arriving in Hongkong the
two dead bodies We're removed The
wounded men declined to go to hospital
preferring to go to the houses of their
friends.
1t Is some time since a piracy of such a
magnitude as this took place in this To-
cality. Every precaution seems to have
been taken at Kwangchauwan to prevent
any bad characters from taking passage.
The men who carried the carpenters box
on board were apparently harmless indi-
viduals, there being nothing about them
to lead anyone to conclude that they were
not what they represented themselves to
| be.
INSANITY ON THE CHINA.
The Pacific Mail liner China had an
exciting episode on board on her last voy-
! age. Just after leaving San Francisco
one of party of three passengers who
lad been engaged in that city as superin-
tendents in a gold mine in Corea, about
100 miles north of Chemulpo and were on
their way out, showed signs of insanity
and had to be placed in confinement. II
first manifested itself in the form of mel
ancholia, and close watch was put over
him. Later on he twice entered the
room of lady passenger who was i'll
He was then put in confinement and I'M
der constant watch. In a day or two he
became violent. Once he broke the door
down and got out; twice he got away
from his guard while taking exercise. Al
one time he secured one of the knives be-
ing polished for the table and on the 9TH
er occasion he was seized just as he got
TO the rail preparatory to jumping over
Fortunately, he did no damage to him.
self or to others, although twice he man.
aged to get on the upper deck among the
passengers. The unfortunate gentleman
seemed to be an attractive person and o.
considerable refinement
CHINESE FOR THE CAPE.
1t is reported from Capetown that tn,
alarm at the prospect of the introduction
OF Chinese cheap labor into Cape Colon,
and Rhodesia, a scheme which, 1t is un
derstood, is favored by Mr. Rhodes. il
spreading among all classes of colonists
The mercantile community have alread,
protested in the strongest manner. an,
on September 18th the Capetown CORPORA
ton decided to send a deputation to 81
Alfred Miner to offer an equally EN-
phatic protest. Kimberley is quite hos
tile to the project, which is regarded a
likely to be altogether Injurious to tn
welfare of British artisans and workme,
who may settle in the country after m
war. besides introducing the immoralit,
and uncleanliness of the lowest claase
of Chinese. There will certainly he vebe
ment opposition to their importation int
South Africa, not stopping short OF for
chile resistance.
SITUATION AT CANTON.
The North China Daily News saws tina