The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-01
A GUNCOTTON PLOT
Coaesfning an Ifishman and Some
Filibsstess.

IL 10 one OF the honored tricks OF the
ammunition trade.
The second obstacle was the notori-
Gus swiftness OF the state OF New Jer-
sey la the matter OF justice.
Down on the East river front. In the
kingdom or ship chambers. divers,
wreckers. sailmakers and crimps, is a
little corner office whose address 10
known To many Central and South
American governments and to persons
VINO would like to be Central and South
American governments. In that Office,
sitting with his feet on the $40 desk
that forms the sole furniture, may be
found twhen he isn't busy son,ewhere)
a tail, Observation-Disclosures Irishman
with humorous wrinkles around his
eyes and Jaw that can set as sud-
denly AZ n trap
Affairs In the fsr-ofr republic were
getting highly critical and the sacred
cause OF liberty. coffee and concessions
was suffering when the Irishman got
the problem to solve.
IL stood so: Given $500, ind one
Duck OF captain, two mates. four gun
ners, bos'n and twenty men. who can
night swear and chew tobacco. Also
deliver three tons OF guncotton on
board the steamship - of Quaran-
tine. without asking questions.
Luck and good MANAGEMENT brought
forth prize In the captain lire. We
will call him Captain Dick Bascom. His
real name In almost as we'll known az
the name or the merchant He WAS one
OF the most famous OF the oldtime fast
clipper sailors IN the days of the roar
Ing wind Jammers-a terror of a cam
tain. too; one OF the kind that made
crews hugely averse TO shipping on
American vessels unless they were the
smartest OF sailor men.
He was temporarily down on his luck
and his mild scruples were overcome
by the advance OF 500 AS bargain
money With his aid two "bucko"
mates were found and enlisted. Before
noon next day the gunners and crew
were collected.
IL was expensive. though: for mates.
gunners and bos-ns insisted on getting
the frst months wage OF $40 In ad-
vance and the crew got $50 each. The
| ship broker thus stood TO lose 81 Os0
cash II the gang skedaddied, and he
knew too well that gentlemen who are
not above ilibustering are not above
running away with advance money.
But he had his plans laid by that
time. IA soon as his little navy had
been duly gathered he marched them
out OF the South street meeting place
straight abroad a TUG that steamed to
the Erie basin. The tugboat captain
had one sacred order. IL was: Keep
water around them fellers."
The ship broker was not tiinld per-
son. but he had a deep respect for
New Jersey. and through a thoughtful
night he had considered how he might
best get that guncotton without landing
In a cell.
When the solution came Il was bril-
liant. II included not only the safe re-
moval Of the stun. but his safeguard
Ing of his fl.oso worth OF crew.
Some time before there had been n
public sale OF several old United States
monitors. relics OF the civil war. The
purchaser OF one had towed II down to
the Erie basin to break II up for junk.
Jim Murphy. the ship broker. got the
loan" OF the craft for 500.
He set half a dozen men TO paint
her during the night. When he arrived
with his tugboat OF nlibusters the mon
itor presented quite an imposing APP
pearance.
Soon she was under the tow. In the
, middle OF the bay. where the men could
not escape. they were transferred to
the old craft. Some OF them had al
ready shown distressing signs OF n de-
! sire To let the suffering south Ameri-
can republic get along without them.
and when they were transferred To the
! cheese boz" they made vivid promises
to Jump the thing at the FIRST oppor-
tunity.
Arriving behind Liberty island the
tug stopped a few hundred yards OF
shore. and Jim Murphy brought out a
fine American nag and holsted IL at the
stern OF the monitor. Then he jumped
Into a small boat and went ashore.
Within twenty minutes he appeared
again at the end az the pier and waved
his hand. The tug shot In and laid the
monitor alongside. But the filibusters
did not jump the ship: for behind Jim