Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1909-04-29
AN ACT OF PIRACY
ON THE RAGING SALT
AN UNLAWFUL EXPEDITION IN
TERRUPTED.
Four Boys of Tender Years Fly the
jolly Roger.

There has been an act of piracy near
Phoenix to which the attention of the
admiralty court or the juvenile court
is hereby directed. Tom Rains, who
keeps a boat on the river near the foot
of Seventh avenue called at the office
of the sheriff on Wednesday night and
reported that it had been stolen. He
said that a Mexican youth in his en-
ploy had come upon the thieves, who
had tied the boat up some distance
down the river, where it then was. Mr.
I Rains only wanted the thieves pun
ished.
The Mexican youth said that the
piratical crew was made up of whites
and blacks. and that he knew the rem
devious of the blacks. Deputy Sheriff
Adams. heavily armed accompanied
him to a house near the corner of
Adams and Third streets, where there
were several negro children. The Mex
lean boy picked out two desperadoes,
one about eight years of age and the
other about ten. He was not sure
that they were the Captain Kids but
he would know if they put their caps
on. In the meantime they had denied
any knowledge of the theft of the boat,
but when they put on the caps and
were positively identified. they burst
into tears and said they knew all about
it, but that they had been the victims
of a press-gang, consisting of small
white boy. They accompanied the Of
ficer to his home, but he had not re-
turned. They then went with the Of
ficer to the home of the fourth rover
/ ..ff l,a l..
| window as he was eating his sup
per
From all of the three boys the Off
Ger got the following connected story
of the crime on the high seas: The
unbound white boy. accompanied by
the negro children. went to the river
on Tuesday and found the boat an
chored to a sand bar some distance
from the bank The white youth di-
vested himself of his clothing and went
! after it. He brought it to the shore.
and the negroes embarked, ana the
nose of the boat was pointed down
the river
They worked the,craft down through
shoals and rapids for a distance of
two miles. 1t was then getting late
in the afternoon, and the vessel was
tied up for the night, and captain and
crew returned to the city.
On Wednesday morning, they start
ed out bright and early and met the
fourth boy, who was on his way to
butcher shop for a steak for break
fast. His spirit of adventure was
aroused by the thrilling tale of the
events of the day before, and he Joined
the crew.
That day was spent in running the
boat seven miles further down the riv-
er, and they, perhaps. would have made
longer voyage, but about o'clock
in the afternoon the boy who had been
sent out on the beefsteak errand re-
membered that he had not yet had his
breakfast
1t was then decided TO anchor the
boat again and return to Phoenix. but
on the following morning they were
going to re-embark and pursue their
voyage to Tucson. That brings events
up to the time of the discovery of the
theft Of the boat and the gathering to
gether of the pirates by the strong hand
of the law.
The three boys already in custody
were sent to their respective homes
with instructions to report at the office
of the sheriff early yesterday morning.
When Deputy Sheriff Adams came
down town he found. instead OF three
boys, four awaiting his arrival. The
fourth was the captain. and the in
stigator of the outrage, who had been
vainly sought for the night before
He had called at the home OF the
little negroes to re-enlist them for the
voyage to Tucson. They mutinied.
seized him, and by force and threats
compelled him to accompany them 20
the office of the sheriff
There the quartet was severely lee
tured on the sin of boat stealing and
were sent home.