The Elbert County tribune., 1905-11-16

M \,/I Hlaulc Felsnter, WHICH
w III came into the Port of New
York with excited tales of
tyr hoons in the China seas. of an EN-
counter with Russian warships and of
the firing of peremptory shot which
baGe them lie still until the war arma-
ment had passed. But the chief tale
OF this trip from the East deals with
a chattering horde of Japanese simiaas
which escaped from their cages. defied
ca..ture, swung aloft during the day
and at night descended to torment the
Chinese sailors, and harassed one to
commit suicide.
The Montrose was on her maiden
trip, and the monkeys, 10 the number
OF about two hundred, were taken on
board at Yokohama. Officers of the
vessel had bought them at bargain
rates and meant to dispose of them
here. There was also taken on board
at that and other ports sundry parrots
and divers dogs. The parrots were
hung about the deck in cages. pens
were improvised for the monkeys and
the dogs were allowed at large.
Among the monkeys was an excep-
and one dark night in the Indian Ocean
he escaped from his pen. Not satisfied
with his own freedom he must needs
unfasten the doors of other pens, and
before any one had been made aware
of it, n hundred of the captives were
fitting like shadows about the deck
and up and down the rigging.
The first alarm was squawked from
cages where indignant parrots were be-
ing deprived of their plumage, and
from kennels where poodles were being
beset The watch on deck was sent to
restore order and to drive the monkeys
back into their prisons, but in a short
time the watch below was called TO
kee1 the monkeys from pulling the pig
taiiS off the heads of the watch on
deck. Throughout the rest of the night
an offensive and defensive warfare
ragged.
When daylight came all of the mon
keys had taken to the rigging. where
they gleefully swung by their tails and
gibbered defiance of all pursuit. See
ing that 1t was impossible to capture
them there, Captain Glegg concluded
that he would starve these long tailed
mutineers into submission. and accord
ingly gave orders that all provisions
were to be secured and placed where
the monkeys could not reach them.
The day passed with the monkeys still
festooned about the rigging.
Night came. and with it descent of
the tribe on deck. They trooped below,
scampered from place to place, their
movements being followed by the
squeals of suddenly awakened China
men, whose hands and feet they had
bitten. to whose queues they had given
vicious yanks.
For days that was kept up, the mon
keys taking refuge aloft during the day
and descending at night to loot lockers
and generally disturb the peace of the
crew. One of these, Mongolian. Hoy
Sing by name, was so harassed by the
little torments that he became dement,
ed and one night took n plunge over
board. The ship was stopped and
search made, but no trace of him could
be found.
Eventually starvation did its work
and sixty of the recreants allowed
themselves to be enticed back into their
cages, where food had been left as
lure. and where trap locks promptly
fastened them i'll again. About forty
others died. some from starvation and
some jumping overheard when hotly
pursued.
Coming through the China seas the
vessel encountered n typhoon, and
while passing through the Gulf of Ar
den, on her outward voyage, in Febru-
ary. the Montrose overlook four Rus
sian battleships and four torpedo boats
proceeding in the same direction. One
of the vessels fired a shot across her
bow. which the officers Interpreted as
Il signal that the Montrose should drop
behind and not keep them company
New York Herald.