The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-10

= river pirates did In the case of the
Nv Jones, q stern-wheeI steamboat
,5er once belonged to the government
-s-,ica and which was employed with
-.bar boats Of the government fleet on
IN Mississippi river in looking after
,1a levees. keeping the channel clear
and The government lights burning, and
,ta numerous other matters that the
vevernmant has assumed in connec-
-io1 with the navigation on that
stream.
captain Dickson was a retired secret
service officer and I had known him
Tor many years. He had no thought OF
rublishing his "reminiscences. but when
could get him under the influence OF
warm fire in his coy parlOr, a pipe.
and q glass-never more than two In
an evening-of his favorite sherry. I
always got something that was worth
r1blishinE and I used to tell him so.
And as the principals to the affairs
we're so hidden in the telling and the
locsl Of the events was usually so far
sway he did not object. l prefer to
tel It I'm his own words.
The boat had been operated by the
government until it had been consid-
lred unsuited for its needs, and then
vas sold 10 a curious old river man
named Hank PaTlOw. who employed II
IS q trading boat. towing a large fat
bat with it, and picking up such odd
JOBS Of towing and freighting as
,fanca threw in his way.
was I'm the Office of the surveyor of
Customs at a certain Mississippi river
itv one day when Parlow came in to
have his license renewed and the sur
veyor introduced him TO me. He was a
PECULIAR character, and when it came
% paying the fee for the license, Par
'gT drew forth a greasy pouch from
some indetermnate place Of conceal
weHt about his person, and paid the
amount from a 500 gold piece. He
asked for his change in gold, but as
there happened 10 be none in the
office just then, he accepted the silver
and bills with some showing of reluc-
lance, and bowed himself out of the
Office
After he had left. the surveyor told
me that ParlOw was a miseT and was
reputed to he worth many thousands
of dollars. His fortune. 50 the river
men said, was concealed somewhere
about the boat Davy Jones, and it
Was thought 10 he all in gold. as Par
low invariably had every bit of silver
end every bill that fell into his hands
converted into gold coins at his first
opportunity.
! didn't see Parlow again until some
weeks later when he came into my
Office and told me that his boat had
neen stolen from the wharf the night
before and he wanted me to find it.
lie was frenzied with grief and cha
grin and swore, with many black and
ons-Winded oaths. that he would kill
The thieves on sight if he could find
t1em doubted if the case was one
70 ny Jurisdiction, but I wired the par
ucu-ars 10 the department at Washing
Ion and received instructions to go on
search Tor the vessel and endeavor to
lapture the rOgues. It seems that
there had been consi6erab bic con7D1aiTlt
nom the port where / was then sta
toned, Of thefts of goods and other
articles from steamboats,. and as the
work vas attributed to a gang Of river
pirates, the chief thought it would he
sood Job to round up the gang and
PIT them where they would do no
harm
Pariow offered to pay all expenses.
and he told me that a friend of his.
q saloW, SlOuChing fisherman named
-stroW, owned a fast cabin gasoline
SCAT that would be put at my disposal.
wired notice Of the theft of the Davv
Jones TO points along the river and its !
I.0ltaries, as I felt sure that the boat |
"a'd not remain long uBdetected if it /
showed itself at any port Of the Mis- |
'ssippi.
me next morning when I opened my
once, I found a dirty slip of paper 4
among the letters in my mail box. Ex- /
mining IT, I discovered pencil writing /
-I u and after some difficulty l de- 1
.pie7ed this MESA ge:
tae day Jones Is up st francis River.
IL was not signed and the writing /
moved that tine author was I'm no /
use d scholar I was bordering over /
NIen PaTlOW came in TO tell me that 1
~ gasoline launch was ready for my
taituTe whenever / wished to set out.
---1 not really intended going on a
s>s As I thought the boat would be
' III a day OF so. but the anony-
t.-S ietter had put the idea in my
80" I showed the note to Parlow and
became highly excited.
.l SWore. That's Just what
..lslt they'd do. They've run out
.--s VI the swamps to pick the boat
SeS so that they can find my gold.
So am no gold aboard it. but them
As rVeT-rats think there. lis, and
p. e 81. the first time they've tried to
.--- Questioned him about it and learned
a,- ann that the st. Francis river
80 INTO the Mississippi from the
r-.ll-lSaS side a short distance above
So Ark-- and that the country it
.5ts.-- through was wild and little in
sea- me Mississippi was at a flood
ssi5 .y->t at this time. and Parlow
t7r Ia -lat me thieves could run the boat
oack into the woods. through any
.eri-,- II slough. and have every oppor-
,,- - p" PICK the boat to pieces with
.-as 1a' OF being disturbed or discov-
1sr. vas for setting out on the in
The t5i..--t ue u. Francis in pursuit of
soluts - ana he seemed to have alb
ro-fs5 'aith IN the dirty note that p1lr-
so7s 70 iel where the thieves had
-sss- J. too for some 1nscco,,T,t bis
u1te --L.Lnea 10 pin some faith to the
hat So ylore. ! arranged to leave
i1s-rr---5 afternoon on the launch. and
'oo3 @ We, Parlow to lay in supplies of
tons 80 essolfle and make pren3ra-
Wai,s.a cruise Of several DAYS.
4 rf-S- ABOUT o'clock and made ran
Se-7 ~ DOWN the river IA os+e-,
bul -. VI -SSisSippi river curing a 4oo5
rszis'il,Io never fully understood its ir-
10 the lo'ee until this trim down II
ar H. 'llTiy-foot launch. We travelass
-ie rate Of "a -. = - e -