Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-08-21
DAILY STORY
THE AMBITION OF CHIN FIN.
TCopyright, 1906. by c. ]. Hirt.J

was content with his lot until arriv-
ing at the age of sixteen. Then he be-
gan to ache TO do great things. He
| was Il precocious youth and fairly well
educated.
At the age of eighteen. when Chin
Fin sailed for Singapore to broaden
his mind, he was as well posted on
the subject of piracy as the average
American qSnsul. His father patted
him on the-back and told him to be
good boy and do all the grating he
could. and his mother fell on his neck
and wept and cautioned him that she
was badly i'll need of pair of dia-
mond earrings and chatelaiIre watch.
| The young man arrived at his destina-
ton right side up and began TO look
around for tough people to cOnsort
| with. He found about 10000 of them.
| He figured that to become pirate he
must first become tough man. He
/ got In with the gang without any trou-
| bic. He became swindler, thief,
robber and worse. He passed the first
six months in learning his 4 Il C's and
the next six in jail. When his Singa-
| 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 Sitting
| threats. How many of his little
| curves the police failed TO get on 10
can only be guessed at.
When Chin Fin reached his majority
lie 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 or being
4 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 it
| 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 large sum of money by
a sailing vessel TO Manila. 1t was not
only in the way of trade, but the mer-
chants We're going to make n corner in
| the hemp market.
Chin Fin got his news straight. He
bribed Il 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
cd to purchase n ship and fit her out
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
Oh; III
was carrying good thing too far.
Chin Fin got mad and stabbed the
young man and then went on with his
| burglarizing. 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
| job of their own. Just as secretly as
Chin Fin himself had worked, they
had Il brig fitted out at another port.
| armed with six guns and manned by
eighty men, and when the treasure
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 piratcal
stronghold before his day. and the
young man had an eye to the eternal
fitness of things. The treasure ship
made her course up the China sea, fol
lowed by the slouchy looking old brig
at respectful distance and one morn
ing about 10 o'clock was within five
miles of the islands. The pirates were
waiting for her They not only came
sailing out from the lee of the group,
I,,.4 r,l,o
their hand Chin Fin wasn't going to
play any baby business by sailing I'M
der false flag. The brig was sighted
in the distance, but treated with con-
tempt. The treasure ship naturally
tried to get away. She turned on her
heel and put back to meet the brig.
but the pirates pursued with yells and
a great waste of ammunition. They
saw that they could capture two ships
where they had counted on but one.
BY and by things got to work. and
Chin Fin felt his back hair curl The
brig began hammering away with six
guns TO his two, and at the end of
eighteen minutes thirty of his fifty
rascals were dead or wounded and his
craft in sinking condition, and he
had to cry for quarter. 1t was granted
him. and his men We're taken aboard.
While the treasure ship pursued her
voyage, the brig started back for Sing
apore. She had had seven men killed
or disabled. The pirates were shackled
and confined between decks, and for
two days they We're as humble as
cats. There was no need for Chin Fin.
who was natural orator, to tell them
hnIv fha case stood They LVara going
back to the straits for trial. conviction
and execution. Had those pirates been
able TO get a professional jury and a
weeping lawyer from the United States
they could not have been acquitted.
One day, fifteen months after the rails
ing of the black flag to the music of