Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-03-19

nee was a create rogue, afpi lite
respeckted the olde provci5 II ben
, cure among thieves. f" IN 1867 ht
) attacked Porto Bello, or Puerto Velo
! on the Isthmus, with 300 men, sur
prising and storming the outer
works at night. In the morning he
/ locked the officers in one roaniof the
castle, set fire to the nmga4ine and
. blew them into eternity
The explosion caused such con-
sternation that the brave old gov
ernor could not rally the people to
his support, and was Obliged to re-
tire within the inner castle, where
the fighting continued until Morgan
compelled the priests and nuns Of a
convent to plant ladders against the
wall They screamed and pleaded
for mercy, but the governor, who
had some OF the old Cortez spirit 10
him, shot them down in crowds.
When the ladders were planted the
pirates rushed to the attack, scaling
the castle wall aud putting all to the
sword. From the raid the pirates
secured s2sO,OOO.
IL was soon after this that Morgan
undertook what turned out TO be one
OF the most remarkable naval en-
gagements ever fought, and which
is Of interest 10 Americans owing 10
the fact that the conditions were ex-
actly the same as those which pre-.
vailed In the Santiago fight, Of the
late Spanish American war. Mara
calbo had been sacked in 1854 by
LOilonnois, but had recovered from
the shock, and 10 1868 was again
very rich town Like Santiago, in
Cuba, II Is situated on the shores OF
a long bay, or lake, having very
narrow mouth. 50 narrow ia fact that
one ship could almost block H.
Morgan entered this peculiar bay
with three ships, stormod the town
and took the fort His entire com.
mand entered the building and were
making merry with some wine which
the garrison had left, when Morgan
stepped outside to take q view OF the
/ place As he did SO he noticed some
thing burning on the ground, and,
Fastening 70 where IL lay, found that
it was a fuse which the enemy la
their retreat bad laid 70 the powder
magazine IN thu fort Il bad burned
70 within few feet OF the powder
vaults, but he snaIched IL away and
stamped out the flame, which in an
other minute would have blown him
aud his command 10 atoms.
TORTURED THE cAPrIvHs.
Tho city was deserted, but Nor.
gan sent loo men into the woods to
hunt up the fugitiyes, who, with
their wealth, were secreted in the
forests roundabout They returned
With thirty men and women. This
was kept up for days. and the most
inbuman fortunes we're employed %
force these uniortunates 10 confess
where they had hidden their wealth.
Some were broken on The rack. while
others we're tied aud burning torches
placed between their fingers. In
this way many were roasted alive.
Slender cords were wound round
the heads OF the men. and twisted
until their eyes burst from their
sockets. Every day for nearly two
weeks the town resounded day and
night with the cries OF the tortured.
Crime such as is seldom seen was
enacted, ana nsedss OF torture were
invented that rivaled ia ingenuity
Of cruelty the inhuman devices of
the Indians.
Weary of scenes OF bloodshed and
suffering, Morgan finally sailed away
but, to the dismay Of his crew, found
the entrance 20 the harbor blocked
by three Spanish warships in the
same manner that the feet Of Ceyera
was blockaded at Santiago harbor.
They had also rebuilt the fort at the
mouth Of the harbor, but, undismay-
ed, Morgan coolly removed the plum
der and prisoners from his largest
vessel to the smaller ships OF his
feet, and filed it with gunpowder,
pitch, tar, rosin, and other combus-
tibles that he could find in Maracai-
bo Then he mounted wooden can
non about over the vessel, and Gov
cred the decks with posts dressed
TO resemble men, Having finished
all this he sent word TO the Spanish
commander, stating that unless he
paid heavy ransom for Maraeaibo
he would burn the place TO theground.
The Spanish admiral replied that