The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-08
LAST OF THE MORO PIRATE CHIEFS

the town s walls. None but Moros and
Mohammedans are safe, and even they
may meet with outlaws.
In July a Moro named Jikiri, who
| has been called ''the. last of the pi-
rates." was killed by American troops
on the Island of Patian. For nearly
| two years this man and his band of
outlaws harassed the coasts of Sulu and
| North Borneo, more than one hundred
deaths being laid TO their account. In
these days of enlightenment it seems
hardly credible that cutthroats and out
laws could for so long successfully defy
the allied military and naval forces of
| America.
For the past year gunboats had pa
trolled coasts and islands, and soldiers
had searched hills and forests, all TO no
| avail Now and again odd members of
the band were killed or captured, but
Jikiri. and Jamnao, his chief associate
in crime, continued their campaign of
lust and murder, their fame attracting
to their side the most lawless among
the Moro people.
The Sulu archipelago is a series of
small volcanic islands, islets: and coral
reefs-from the Peninsula Of Zamboan-
ga to the northeast extremity of Bor-
neo, and separating the Sulu and Cele-
bes Seas, The bigger islands are rich
in timber, and their hills and mountains
shores often being marshy and covered
with mangrove trees. Other islands
are low and fat, surrounded by coral
reefs and sand banks in places forming
| lagoons, which can only be entered at
high water. Hiding in these mangrove
creeks, sailing with their light craft IN
shadows where gunboats could not 1ol,
hills when pursued by troops, it was
easy for this band of pirates TO elude
the soldiers and sailors.
Chinaman Unafraid.
The first I heard of Jikiri was in
the month of May, on returning by way
of the Boelongan river from an eNpedi-
ton in Central Borneo l had reached
the northeast coast, and sought TO Sc
cure a native boat to British North
Borneo. No native, however, would
take me, for Jikiri had been seen IN
the district, and they were afraid to
venture out. AT last / found China
man who wanted to make the journey,
Ny pistol and white skin seemed to
give him sense of security, SO with
his help we hired Malay Hprau' and
set sail with four natives, who enter
tanned me en- route with exaggerated
stories of the pirate s prowess and grew.
some forebodings Of what he would
do if he caught us. The journey ended
WlIHOuI nlSDap, IuOuRu ITesu oLOllcS VI
Jlklrl greeted us on arrival
There was no British soldiers in
North Borneo; an efficient but small
force of constabulary keep tho peace
and patrol the country. The few white
men scattered along the coast l found
armed and In state of preparedness.
During my stay in Sandakan, the Brit
ish headquarters, American gunboats
and coast-guard cutters were constant"
IL |
eral Bandholtz, chief of the Philippine
constabulary, pay an official visit to
the governor. By an arrangement en-
tered into between the two govern
ments, American gunboats patrolled the
British Borneo coast and the constabu-
larry of the two countries worked In CO.
operation.
Crossing the straits I reached Jolo
early in June, and found that walled
town scene of great activity. Men
and guns were coming and going out
| almost daily, and rumors of Jikiri filed
the air, On the second day of my ar
rival | went outside the walls to sec
the body of one of the pirate crew,
who had been killed in a fight with
stood on the wharf while seven more
were brought in as prisoners by one of
tho gunboats, among them being Jiki-
ri g own brother.
At Zamboanga, on July 4, came news
of the pirates death. l sat among
the crowd gathered to celebrate In
dependence day, and just before the
customary Grafton was delivered, Gov
crnor-GeneTal Forbes, visiting tho dis
read the following wireless" from
| Jolo:
Troops just returned from Patian. Had
! hard fight with outlaws at mouth of cave.
| Privates Mcconnell and Gonnoud, Sixth
cavalry killed. Lieutenants Wilson and
| Kennedy and about twenty enlisted men
and one sailor gunboat Arayat wounded.
JiSi-i's band al! wiped out.
1t was a most dramatic announce.
ment and occasioned a feeling Of gen
eral relief, tempered with sorrow as
we thought of the price that had been
paid. Details of the fight received
later show that Jikiri and seven of his
residence Of the sultan of SUN, on the
south coast Of the island Of Jolo When
| this information came to hand on June
30, Captain Byram, with two troops of
| Sixth cavalry, started IN pursuit Get.
ting word of their coming, the outlaws
escaped to the island of Patian, n small
horseshoe shaped reef situated about
! lowed in the gunboat Arayat, and
Jikiri was run to ground at last and
discovered in cave located in the
crater of an extinct volcano,
Fight in the Crater.
Owing to its peculiar formation, the
cave made an admirable stronghold,
thick bushes covering the outer slopes
and inner walls Of the crater, Below
the lip of the crater cup the entrance
sloped downwards. and TO shoot at the
desperate pirates necessitatcd climbing
down the opposite walls exposed all the
time to a terrific rifle fire,
Several women were with the out
laws, and they were offered an OPP
portunity to leave. All but two took
advantage of the ne offer these saying
and share their fate. A mountain gun
and n section Of artillery were taken to
the island, and as the gun was lowered
into the crater the men were subjected
10 a close fire Privates Mcconnell
and Gonnoud were shot dead, and Ser
geant johnson Of the artillery received