Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-03-23
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Clle AeW lue VI ohC VI lac PouetA
American republics, and we could see
guns on her deck and a crew of muir
derous looking Spaniards all armed
with knives and pistols" The piratical
vessel proved to be the Spanish brig
Panda, which had stolen out from her
customary haunts along the African
coast on the watch for unwary Yam
KEGS like our friends from Salem.
ATTACK ON THE MEXICAN.
She ordered the master of the Mexi-
can to send a boat aboard, and then
sent a crew of murderous cutthroatS
back to board the schooner. These
miscreants took Captain Butman down
below, and by fearful threats made
him disclose the hiding place of his
treasure - $4,000 in silver - slowed
away beneath scuttle in the captains
cabin. The old man did not want to let
1t go, but as there We're no firearms
aboard his craft he had to comply with
the pirates demands. There We're
ten money boxes" with $4,000 in each
box, and the Spaniards were not at all
slow in getting them up and transfer
done, 1t might have been thought they
would allow the plucked Yankees to
go their way, but not SO. The pirate
captain gave orders for the Ameri-
cans to be confined below and the
matches battened down, then set the
schooner atire and left her, burning in
a dozen places.
The Panda sailed away, but slowly
ard ever with a watchful eye upon the ,
schooner. her master evidently intend
ing to leave no men alive. 1t was af-
terward learned that so long as the two
vessels were within sight of each other
the captain Of the Panda had a man
at the masthead to report any sign of
life aboard the Mexican. Had there
been, doubtless, there would to-day be
no survivors to tell of their exploits in
the very long ago. But the Americans
We're wary, for, though Captain But
man found means to escape from the
hold and liberate the others, he kept
himself concealed and also kept up the
pretence of destructive fire raging
aboard, even after he and his men had
it well under control, by burning cot
ton waste and oakum. After the pirate
was hull down on the horizon the i'm
patient mariners collected on deck and
soon repaired the sails, which had been
cut into ribbons, and the running rig
ging, which also had been severed. AS 4
the compass had been thrown over.
board and the money for the purchase
of return cargo carried away, it was
concluded best to return to the home
port, instead of continuing on to Rio.
There were no cables in those days,
but justice though slow finally reached
the pirates who had committed the out
rage, for an account having appeared
in a Salem paper, one of the towns
omnipresent shipmasters took it with
him to the coast Of Africa, where it
came to the notice of the commander
of a British sloop-ofwar, who was
looking for slavers. He at once sus-
pected the real perpetrators of the
crime, took them away from under the
very eyes of an African king, who
made show of protecting them, and
finally landed them, by a roundabout
course, in Boston JAIL from which they
only emerged to their trial and execu-
ton. All save one, and that one the
first mate of the pirate craft, who, hav- \
ing been the means of rescuing an
American crew from shipwreck few
years before, was recommended to
mercy and pardoned by Andrew Jack
son, whom the Spaniard afterward re-
garded as his patron saint
This in brief is the story of one Of
the latest attacks of the old-time pir.
ates upon American seamen. 1t may
be obtained more in detail from the
survivors themselves, If so be one
would journey to Salem or Beverly. 1t
was related to the writer a few months
ago by one who was cabin boy
aboard the Mexican, seventy years ago
venerable Benjamin Larcom, now
eighty-elght years of age, blind and al
most helpless from old age. but still in
possession of all his faculties, and
cheerful In the faith that has sustained
him throughout long and, except for
the adventure Of his youth, an unevent-
full life.-F. A. Ober, in the New York :
Evening Post.