The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
LAST HAUNT OF HHE SHANGHAI
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muI. .ta ~ thla affleie. may linpoFt
a. ,bo MAINS N ft~ prineipal tgeafy
= rnt shtuld have psasssi snfo .
-.4.UI Sc ~ th' issteF ffanNiy en-.
.,..,p. Iulsas N va fog tie obvious
m.r...,t he tlominable g~Fartice HAnWn
=. .UIr tI ttnr theFr hrf aaa'ifneSi anys
uirt ffsti ~prpfnrtlons,
V..I ,.. me Nv the meanlHa N ths vefb,
t.....t Itmt NICE ~ familiar asoundan
AL ., pii,n escrrilheIy esay, IN The
rI..F araa t~ltHehtltna " ~ ttr merchants
a .|r tho press sana iiasst " he
.. .s rr.y hat Ia. IN ~ ehect upon
~. . sfa hut whereas the aipomiaabls
.v,am fnr pres- . had Ill the force
d, 0.F .,Uuul ". and the presssd mah
n,r a 4riyei anyw hsrc, kidnapped
rr ~u..ttri IN hla lawful occupations,
-, .r.IrpI hercver he might bs found,
,bsr.U. mn wa always illegal and only
s~..rt.tt.I shere law 81 her did not exist
%, sherr 49, In Amcrica, Va operations
.efe ,nI are, capricious and entirely
unrrHtuI"
IlH W..l' ~ 'I"l''''''N w '""re o"h"heu
In tn' truly diabollc trHhto were slim
puy'F '.'i u ~'y we're because al
th,.rh nh" practice Ia Sthl carried on e u
hardly as rr''i" IN ts methods as 70 used
tphsI
, -~o.callrI boarding master. that L., .
riHfln win" kept q boarding house Tor
soarreu. rnoc we'd u commission TO procure
ilr IN pu' ward hound ship n certain num-
her e sailors. For each one ne WOuld de'
mand o certain aum, but that sum by no
mean- satisfied his desire Tor gain lhe
ostcn-tnlr contract with the seaman speci-
sed that h. was TO receive a certain portion
d hi wages. usually two months IN ad-
vance.
Vow, -c1men Icing proverbially foolish
and easily led, II was seldom difficult to
lure them to the boarding house, generally
With the promise Of drink, give them in that
drink a powerful opiate, and then convey
them on board the vessel. receive their
advance notes under any preteSt or non
forge their signature or mark to the ships
articles and retire. When the victim re-
turned to consciousness he would be far
far at sea and compelled to make the best
Of his very bad bargain.
This was the simplest form OF shanghai
ing as carried on in American ports oecl-
donally, Of course. a sober seaman was
encountered who did not desire drink and
who being aware of the system was anxious
to have nothing to do with either the board
ing master or his myrmidons. In their
righteous anger at such recaicltrancy
these worthless never hes'tated TO use such
force as they deemed necessary to reduc
the seaman to unconsciousness, secure
in the knowledge that he was poweriess
to retaliate against the over wheiming
force they brought against him, certain
Of their immunity from legal interference.
inco, as they boosted, both police and
Judges were in their pay.
The well organized shangha boarding
house was situated over the water ana
when business was brisk IL was no un-
common thing for Jack TO be met IN the
street and invited inside to nave a drink
DO stunned, dropped through a
into a boat, and taken on toward q ship'
al within the space OF hah an hour
A step further In tho business was n
only brought 10 perfection IN such places
40 Callao, San Francisco and Portland ORE
A ship would arrive from overseas, her
crew having probably several months
wages due to them.
No sooner was abe ct anchor than she
vas boarded by q gang OF HUMANS Who'
utterly Ignoring the master n tne omoers,
went forward invited the crew 70 ieeve
the ship, telling them, OF course, no" niSh
wages were out OF the port VI course,
liquor was freely rendered In order nat
compliance might be easy 80.
II poor Jack felt disinolined 70 leave
his ship, thinking perhaps OF his hard
earned wages and knowing the nsavory
reputation OF the port. other methoos were
instantly resorted to. REVIEWERS were
Produced and the hapless crew, ~terrorised
INTO submission, were literally driven over
the side, their clothes hastily
together and flung after them and away
mey went-to lind themselves eshipp
PROBABLY the same night on board OF some
other vessel, with two months ADVANCE
wages gone to the boarding master
Ihe ship they had been stolen rom
would, OF course, want q Grew In her turn'
Nhich would be supplied In the same way
and 20 the merry little game went on
IL may well be asked why did not the
reWs, or at least the oficers' resist such In
famous treatment, quite qua 70 the worst
save raiding or even piracy Well, pr1n-