Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-08-12

fOuEnt nave kept II secret cNcntS tnht
occurred at its inception. though they
have weighed heavily on my con-
science. have refrained from giving
1t. partly lest by doing so | might be
forced TO pay the penalty OF crimes l
was forced 10 commit and partly from
dislike TO inflict needless pain on
those who might better never know
how loved ones supposed to have been
lost at sea really persisted And now,
realizing that there will come a day
when those most intimately connected
with these unfortunates shall them
selves have passed away and the rec
ord be read only by another generation.
have decided to put II In writing to
ease my conscience and that 1t may be
perused by those whom 1t may con-
Germ.
Az the end OF the last century I was
engineer on the Mary Blame. n small
steamer used for bringing Japanese
goods to America. returning loaded
with American supplies to be sold In
the island empire. On our way home
from one of these trips we touched at
Singapore.
On leaving Singapore we had got
well away from land when ! received
an order TO put on more speed. did
so and was jogging along at pretty
good rate when got another order to
run her for all she was worth. told
the stolSers TO heave In more coal,
opened all the drafts and turned on
all the steam she would bear. At that
moment the first mate came down the
iron steps white as sheet and told me
that we were pursued by u suspicious
looking craft, and. though she few the
British dag. the captain was sure she
was run by Asiatics. She was safler.
Junk built. and since stiff breeze was
blowing she was making about as
good Roadway as we. We were NOV
ing against the wind. while the other
was crossing it. thus getting all the
benefit from II that was possible. She
stood between us and the land so we
couldn't run in. Her object was to
reach given point rs soon as we.
What we should have done was to
turn back as soon as we suspected the
craft. but the captain. not really know
Ing she was q pirate. thought we could
pass her and thus save delay. He
reckoned wrong. The first thing |
knew of what real danger we were In
was hearing n boom. Then ! got an
order from above 10 shut OF steam.
Looking out of my portfolio. saw
the villainous looking thing sailing in
n course 10 head Us of. while lot OF
copper colured rascals aboard OF her
were raising n skull and crossbones
flag In place Of the union jack of Eng
land which had been hauled down.
Moreover. some masked portfolios had
been opened and half dozen small
guns run out.
II was plain to me that all was up
with us Not soul came down into
the engine room TO tell me anything.
but since ! could see for myself what
was going on knew they were all
paralyzed with fear would not leave
ms post. first. because there was moth
Ing to be gained by doing so. and. sec
ond. | might nj any time receive an
order
The pirate passed TO point where
couldn't see her. but 1t was not long
before heard tramping on deck
that told me we were boarded. and
down came couple OF swarthy Malays.
who covered me. the one with re-
volver. the other with cutlass. The
man who covered me with n cutlass
spoke enough English TO tell me that
was TO stay where | was and run the
engine Two other men came down,
and one of the first two went on deck
knew by his bearing that he was the
commander and the other was his in
terpreter.
Nothing can induce me to give an
account of the incidents that occurred
during the next half hour Thank
heaven | did not witness them. will
only say that the crew. excepting Jack
Coyne and a Swede. jacobson. who beg
ged to be allowed 10 join the pirate
gang. and |. were forced to walk the
plank. There were also several pas
sengers. whose names | will give In a
separate paper. who shared the same
fate.
While our vessel was not much or
craft II was far better than that OF
our captors. having the advantage OF
steam power. and they decided to
scuttle the saier and use the steamer.
This they did during the night. which
was coming on. and In the morning
the Mary Blame was sailing on. to all
outward appearances. rs II nothing
had happened. The pirates gave 9th
er ships ms wide berth as possible
and when unable TO do so kept only
the two men of our crew whose lives
had been spared on deck
And so II was that we three white
men were forced to obey the orders OF
some twenty copper colored devils.
thus enabling them 10 attract small
boats. murder the occupants and ap-
propriate anything OF value found in