The San Francisco call., 1906-08-19
ORIENTAL. PIRATES
ARE UP-T0-OATE.I !
Lieutanent Henderson
of Navy Tells How
Sea Outlaws Do Work
SHOW NO MERCY

Lieutenant w. r.. Henderson of the
United States navy who arrived here
last evening, on the army transport
Thomas has been enga ged in the ex-
citing but baffiing business of chasing
pirates in Asiatfc waters. He gives an
interesting account Of the methods
pursued by the Celestial disciples of
the late Captain Kidd /
Lieutenant Henderson was in com;
mand of the gunboat Callao, stationed
in the West River, end brings with him
from. the Orient wholesome respect
for the Chinese pirate. He also brings
an overcoat made out of two British
: navy blankets. Henderson is more
than common tall" and would be no.
tceable without the cream colored
sack that he Is taking to his home in
the East to keep him warm when skat-
ing time comes. The coat is quite a
startling affair, much affected by Britt
ish navy officers, but seldom seen in
this part of the world. If you see
tall. handsome young fellow. wearing
a loose fitting garment that suggests
memories of the exodus from the Occi-
dsntal Hotel on the morning of April
Is, know by this that he is not be-
lated refugee, but a gallant navy Off
eers who has been trying for months to
instill in the Oriental mind some respect
for the fourth commandment. -
PIRATES ARE PASSENGERS.
The cable dispatches have told how.
on July IS, Chinese pirates attacked
the British steamer Sainam on the West
River. about $50 miles from Hongkong.
Among those killed was DIR. Mcdonald,
i British medical missionary.
Lieutenant Henderson chased those
pirates with the Callao. He was on
5oard the Sainam soon after the at
y - I. = 49,,
case are typical of the up-to-date pig
tailed pirate.
The pirates boarded the Sainam at
one of her ports of call as passengers.
It developed later that each was armed
with modern revolver and well sup
piled with ammunition. The pirates
distributed themselves about the ves-
5el and when the time came made short
work OF the Sainam's crew. Captain
Toscelyn, master OF the vessel, was
wounded and escaped further harm by
dropping to the deck and pretending
/ to be dead. The mates were killed and
some members OF the Chinese crew who
offered resistance were murdered The
chief engineer escaped by crawling un-
der the boiler, where he was so badly
burned that he was in the hospital at
Hongkong for many days afterward.
DR. Mcdonald, who was passenger,
demonstrated with the pirates, and was
shot through the head, dying instantly.
STRIP CAPTURED VESSEL.
/ When everybody belonging to the
steamer had been murdered or rem
dered hors du combat, the Chinese
heisted a signal, in response TO which
a large sunk came alongside. Into this
Junk the pirates loaded everything on
the Sainam that was loose or could be
detached. They stripped the cabin,
70
bit of eoal from the steamers bunk
ers All the brass work that could be
unscrewed or broken off was taken,
and even the dead and wounded We're
robhed Of whatever the pirates deemed
worth while. -
we found that junk a few days
later. said Lieutenant Henderson.
There were three Old Cinnamon on
board. They knew nothing. The junk
had been moored there. they said, for
months and months. 1t was always
there We seatched the craft but
found nothing and did not expect to. 4
1T is hard TO believe it in these days,
but there. on the West River, piracy
is fourishing as 1t never did on the
Spanish Main These Chinese pirates
are wonders. They will steal anytning,s
and manage to get away with vast
amount of valuable property every
month.
I'VE patrol the river in the Callao
constantly and the British have gum
boat on, the same service, but the
pirates are the only ones whose watch
fulness is rewarded. -g
s'Once in while the Chinese Gov
ernment. after an unuslallY daring at
tack, will proclaim, the arrest and
execution of pirate. AS a matter of
course however. these occasional sac
rifices to the demands of the powers
for assistance in suppressing piracy
are ancient Chinese. who would soon
die anyhow, or natives whose absence
from the. earth Is desirable to the
Viceroy."
Rudolph Bartn matchmaker and jeweler will
be located at 1921 Fillmore st, near Sutter.