Cañon City record., 1906-09-20
The Ambition Of Chin Fla

Chin Fin was born on the i7lt!
of Hainan. in the China sea. :iis'l ="
was content with his lot until arr-v-
ing at the age of sixteen Then he l''
gan to ache to do great things. -
was precocious youth and fairly we.i
educated.
At the age of eighteen, when chs
Fin sailed for Singapore to broader
his mind he was as we'll posted on
the subject of piracy as the average
American consul. His father patted
him on the back and told him 10 be 4
good boy and do all the grating lie
could. and his mother fell on his ue;,l,
and wept and cautioned him that Sic
was badly in need OF pair of dii-
mond earrings and chatelaine watch.
The yoln2 man arrived at his des'ila
tor right side up and began TO look
around for tough people TO coasort
with He found about 10000 Of thea.
He figured that to become a pirate lc
must first become a tough man. IL
got in with the gang without any trou
BILE He became a swindler. thief.
robber and worse He passed the first
six months in learning his A p C's aud
the next six In jail When his Sin-a-
pore record was finally looked up it
was found that he had had hand in
about 100 different Jobs" in three
years and that these Jobs" ranged
from gold brick swindles to slittin;
throats. How many of his little
curves the police failed to get on to
can only be guessed at.
When Chin Fin reached his majority
he was ready for piracy on the high
seas. He had passed through all other
grades of crime and even the police
had paid him the compliment of being
crackajack In spite of his youth
he could lead men. and. as for plan
ming no one could equal him. He had
saved his cash instead of blowing II
in. and he had induced certain other
tough chaps to do the same. and so
when the time came he WAS we'll heel
ed That time came when he learned
that certain merchants Of Singapore
We're to ship a large sum of money by
q sailing vessel to Manila Ii was not
only In the way of trade. but the mer
chants We're going to make a corner i'll
the hemp market.
Chin Fin got his news straight. He
bribed confidential clerk to get it.
and then murdered the clerk to get
his money back and prevent any case
of conscience. An agent was instruct
ell to purchase ship and hit her our
with guns. while Chin Fin attended to
getting crew. The day came when
his craft was all ready and only wait
ed the sailing of the other. 1t had so
happened that on an occasion Chin Fin
had desired TO burglarize the house of
the parents of one of his gang. The
son flied objections. He thought it
was carrying good thing too far.
Chin Fin got mad and stabbed the
youag man and then went on with his
bur.larizing. The victim proceeded TO
get well. saw wood and say nothing.
but when the time came he gave away
the piracy snap. Being forewarned.
the merchants and authorities put up n
job of their own. Just as secretly as
Chin Fin himself had worked. they
had brig fitted out &, another mort,
armed with six guns and Iuanned hy
eighty men. and when the treasurs'
ship finally sailed for Manila she was
followed by the brig. The latter
looked as peaceful as an old hen.
Chin Fin was In waiting at the An
Amba Islands. That was piratical
stronghold before his day. and the
young man had an eye to the eternal
ntness Of things The treasure ship
made her course up the China sea. fol-
lowed by the siouchy looking old brig
at a respectful distance. and one morn
Ing about 10 o'clock was within i've
miles of the Islands. The pirates We're
waiting for her They not ouly came
sailing out from the Ice of the group.
but they raised the black flag to show
their hand Chil Fin wasn't going to
play any baby business by sailing un-
der a false dag The brig was sighted
In the distance, but treated with con
tempt The treasure ship naturally