The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-07-14
A SEA
SECRET
Illustrating the Fac. That
Dead Men Tel
No Tales
By D. Thorne Taylor
copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

ii Copyrfghf by American Press Asso-
III citation. 1911. III
Ever since the Spanish war was
fought have kept secret events that
occurred at its inception. though they
have weighed heavily on my con-
science. l have refrained from giving
it, partly lest by doing SO might be
forced to pay the penalty OF crimes
was forced to commit and partly from
dislike to infiict 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 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 1t In writing to
perused by those whom 1t may con
Germ.
At the end OF the last century l was
engineer on the Mary Blame. a 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 I received
an order to put on more speed did
~ and was jogging along at a pretty
good rate when l got another order to
rum her for all she was worth told
the stokers 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 a suspicious
looking craft, and. though she flew the
British flag. the captain was sure she
was run by Asiatics. She was a sailer,
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 1t. thus getting all the
irnetit from It that was possible. She
stood between us and the land so we
couldn't run in. Her object was to
reach Il given point as soon as we.
What we should have done was to
turn back as soon as we suspected the
,raft. but the captain. not really know
Ing she was u pirate. thought we could
pass her and thus save delay. He
re,.koned wrong. The first thing I
Knew OF what real danger we were In
was hearing boom. Then | got an
order from above to shut off steam.
LOOKING or of my portfolio. 1 saw
the infamous looking thing sailing in
II course 10 head us off. while lot OF
copper eolored rascals aboard of her
were raising a skull and crossbones
flag In place of the union jack of Eng
lnnd which had been hauled down.
Moreover some masked portfolios had
iren opened and half dozen small
guns run out
II WAS plain to me that all was up
with us. Not a soul came down into
the engine room to tell me anything,
hui since could see for myself what
was going on | knew they were all
mralyZed with fear ! would not leave
my post first. because there was moth
ing to he gained by doing so. and. sec
ond might ut any time receive an
order.
1 he pirate passed to point where
conduit 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 a re-
,olyer, the other with cutlass. The
mau who covered me with cutlass
spoke enough English to tell me that
! VAS 10 stay where ! was and run the
engine Two other men came down,
and one of the first two went on deck.
1 knew by his bearing that he was the
commander and the other was his In
tetpreter.
Nothing can induce me to give an
account of the incidents that occurred
during the next hnlf hour. Thank
heaven 4 did not witness them. | will
only say that the crew. excepting Jack
Coyne aud Swede. jacobson. who beg
ged 10 be allowed to join the pirate
gang. aud |. We're forced to walk the
pink. There were also several pas
spugers. whose names | will give In
separate paper. who shared the same
fate.
While our vessel was not much OF
craft. 1t was far better than that OF
our captors. having the advantage or
steam power. and they decided to
scutfle the sailer 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. as II nothing
had happened The pirates gave 9TH
er ships as 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 1t was that we three white
men were forced to obey the orders OF
some twenty copper colored devils.
thus enabling them to attract small
boats, murder the occupants and ap-
propriate anything OF yalne found In
them No ship of any Importance was
attacked When we were spoken by
such Coyne or jacobson was forced TO
run up signals stating that We were
the Mary Blame OF New York, home
ward bound. and all was well aboard
The murders we saw committed and
Indirectly helped to commit haunt me