The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-02-08
"FLASH HARRY" OF SAvATI,
By Louis Becke.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


NEARLY 30 years ago, when the late
~ King Malietoa of Samoa was
quietly arming his adherents and
conciliating his rebel chiefs in order
to combine against the persistent en-
croachments of the Germans, + was
running small trading cutter be-
tween Upolu and Savai'i, the two
principal islands of the group.
One day | arrived in Apia harbor
with a cargo of yams which l in
tended to sell to an American man
of-war, the Resacca. I went along
side at once, had the yams weighed,
and received my money from the pay
master. Then ! went ashore for Il
battle in the Vaisigago river, a lovely
little stream which, taking it's rise
in the mountains, debouches into Apia
harbor Here | was joined by an old
friend, Capt. Hamilton, the local pilot,
who. stripping off his clothes,
plunged into the water beside me.
AS we were laughing and chatting,
thoroughly enjoying ourselves. par
ty of natives, young men and boys,
emerged from among the trees on the
opposite bank. Casting off their scan
ty garments, they boisterously en-
tered the water and began disporting
themselves, when, to my surprise, |
saw that their leader was a white
man, tattooed in every respect like u
Samoan. He appeared to be about 30
years of age, was clean shavcn, and
had light-retl hair.
"Who is that felIow?" l inquired
"One of the biggest sco,ndrcls in
the Pacific" replied my companion
"'Flash Harry from Savai'i He de-
serted from either the Brisk or the
Jealous British man-of-war about
seven years ago, and although the
commanders of several other British
warships have tried to get him, they
have failed. He is the pet protege of
one of the most powerful chiefs in
Savai'i, and laughs ut all attempts to
catch him. To my knowledge he has
committed four atrocious murders,
and, in addition to that, he is II drunk
en-, foul-mouthed blackguard. He only
comes to Apia occasionally
there is no British man-of-war about
and paints the town red, for, al
though he is merely a loafing beach
comber, he is literally supplied with
money by his chief, and possesses an
extensive harem as well. He simply
terrorizes the town when he breaks
out, and insults every timid European
he meets, male and female"
"Why doesn't some one put bull
let through him?'
"Ah. now you're asking 'Why" Por-
ter, a respectable local trader, told
him that he would he riddled if he
came inside his fence; and the scoun-
drei knows me well enough not to
come into my place except with civil
word on his foul tongue; but then,
you see, Porter and 1 are Americans.
If either or both of us shot the man,
no commander of an American man.
of-war would do more than publicly
reprimand us for taking the law into
our own hands; but if you or any 9TH
er Englishman killed the vermin, you
would be taken to Fiji by the first
man-of-war that called here, put on
your trial for murder. and. if you es-
capped hanging, you would get pref
ty turn of penal servitude in the Fiji
jail
We finished our bath. dressed, and
set out for llamlton's house on
Matautu Point, for he had asked me
to have supper with him. On our way
thither we met the master of Ger.
man barque then in port, and were
chatting will, him when Mr.. "Flasl
Harry" and his rctinue OF manai;
(young bucls) overlook us. The path
being narrow, we drew aside few
PAGES to let them pass; but at sigl
from their leader they stopped. lie
nodded to Hamilton and the German
captain, but neither took any notice
of him; then he fixed his eyes inso
lently on me, and held out his hand.
GLOW do yer do. mister? You're {
nice sort of cove not to come ant
see me when you passed my place il
your cutter" Then, with sudden fury
as / put my hands in my pockets
C you, you young cock-a-hoopy
-! DO you mean to say you dom
mean to shake hands with white
man?" ,l,.s s..
"Not with you, anyway" an
swered.
''Then the next time I see you II
pull your - arm outof the socket,
he said, with an oath; and, turning
/, on his heel, he went Off with his fol
lowing of bucks. All of them wer,
armed with rifles and the long be
heading-kniyes called mia oti (deatl
knife), and as we three had nothing
but our fists, we should have had q
lad time had they attacked us, fol
we were in an unfrequented place, and
would have been half-murdered before
assistance came. In Samoa in those
days street brawls were common.
The next time you do meet him.
80 -. j. / IN, v