Bisbee daily review., 1903-05-26
A BAD CROWD


 at the English dag.
 Numbers of men started to go aloft, but stuck at the crosstrees, and such sails as were cast loose were not sheet cd home to do their best. We walked up 10 her hand after hand and in halt sn hour were within biscuit toss, and our captain was hailing to know wha: was wrong. The answer was plain enough without words. Her decks fairly swarmed with men, all but five or six of whom were in convicts' dress. As a matter of fact, there were just ninety or them. It was useless for them to reply to the hail. but the yell make the hair curl.
 Our craft was sheered in bit closer and a demand made that the convicts surrender. They could plainly see that we were strong crew and had mount cd guns but the demand was received with yells of derision. The leader of the gang, whom we had not before identified. now mounted the rail and in broken English warned us to keep
  ly declared that they were escaped convicts from the French penal settle ment
 The defiant attitude of the conyicts seemed to put our captain in an en- barrassing position. but after mo- ment's thought he called out to the fel- low on the rail:
 You must have captured the brig to get away from Cayenne. What has become of the crew?"
 "Dead-eyeIy one of them killed and thrown overboardr' shouted the fend in answer.
 Do you mean to say you murdered captain. mate and all hands?"
 Yes; all the crew. Now. you've got the news. and you sheer of and go your own way. Let q French ship pur- sue us and take us--'
 We were compelled to widen the dis tance between us to prevent accident through the lubbery manner in which the brig was steeTed, but we reduced sail so as 10 keep abreast of her, and the captain and his officers descended 10 the cabin for consultation. don't know whether they questioned their right to interfere or discussed the best method of recapturing the brig. but they were not absent over a quarter of an hour When they came on deck, we got 1he order to load with solid shot. and in ten minutes every man and gun vas ready for action. One of the convicts was aloft with a glass and could plainly note every movement aboard of us. and our captain, who was likewise posting us. reported that the fellows had armed themselves with rifles and revolyers and were erecting shields against the bulwarks.
 4 solid shot was fired across her bows as summons to heaye to and as a warning of what was in store for her if she did not. but the roar of inc gun was followed by chorus of y2lls and three or four bullets came whiz- zing over our heads. The brig widsned the gap untr out of rife range, and the captain then said to the cTGw of Long Tom:
 Aim to strike her above the water line 4 few shots may take tlle fight out of fhem."
 The first shot passed between her fore and main mast without touching anything. but the second smaBhed her bulwarks and killed two men. 4 third and fourth were fired. both of them creating havoc aboard and we were looking for some token of surrender when the brig ported her helm and came bearing up to our quarter. We had the weather gauge, but she had been three or four points of the wind. The fellows were evidently determined 10 get near enough to use their rides. but with their poor seam&Dsbip they stood Do show.
 We gave the ship more sail, and aft CT a couple of tacks were off the briggs quarter and sending solid shot aboard again. There was great confusion among the .convicts. and We were hop ing for a signal when the wretches brought two women on oeck- We could see tbs1n very plainly without q glass. and their presence put stop to cur firing. as the congicts had expect cd It was q scheme D stop our fire, and every man groaRea in spirit as he wondered how our captain would take it. He must have req aiized that there was but one course open to him. and after a bit he said to the captain of OHr big gun:
 Aim at her foreniast and try tO cripple her. She must Surrender or IF sinE her."
 Daring the next thirty minutes we fired six times. and each time tbe shot was pumped into her hull. but with their craft lying a wreck in the trough of the seas they continued 10 shout defiance at us. The unfortunate wom- en must go down if the convicts did. but death would be preferable to oIT sailing away and leaving them in the hands of the monsters. We changed eur shot to shell as we loaded Long Tom again. and the gun was pointed 10 strike the hull. One after another five shells were sent into the brig. each one tearing a great hole and carrying wounds and death. and we had reload cd for the sixth time when it was seen that the craft was settling away.
 We had OFT eyes on her as she was heayed up broadside to Us by wave,