The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-05-30
WOMEN WERE FAMOUS
PIRATES IN THE PAST.
Mary Read and Anne Bonny Flew the Jolly
Roger for Years.-Did Everything
Pirates Usually Do.

knew they were women. They brand
ished cutlasses and pistols, and what
they lacked in whiskers they made
up for in ferocity.
And just at this stage of the game,
that soft-hearted Mary fell in love
again. A young artist had been cap
tured from British ship-Rackam
had an idea that he might be useful
in sketching scenes and drawing
charts. Pirates, you know were great
at chart notwithstanding myste-
rious maps showing location Of buri-
ed treasure, with explanations in ci-
pher that it takes Sanskrit diction-
ary and an X-ray machine to make
clear.
Mary and the artist became good
friends long before the artist suspect
ed that she was anything but a slen-
der and more than unusually hand
some boy. At night, when other
members of the crew were drunk or
sleeping, these two would sit together
in a sheltered corner of the deck and
Mary would lean back with her head
in the artists lap, and listen to him
tell the story of his life and his am
bitions. The artist seems never to
have suspected his comrade was
girl, so at last Mary told him, and
they were married-informall it is
true, and without priest or license.
Pirate ships do not carry chaplains,
although license is plentiful enough
aboard them.
After the marriage the cruise went
on for months, and once Mary saved
her husbands life when he had been
challenged to a duel by one Of the
rufians of the crew. Mary succeed
ed in quarreling with this man and
fought him a duel herself before her
usband had an opportunity to risk
his life. The girl pirate-still known
as Frank to her shipmates-went
ashore on a little island, and the pi-
rate with her. Both drew their pis-
tolls and fired; but neither was seri-
ously wounded. Then they attacked
each other with broadswords, and af-
ter a. few minutes fierce clashing
Mary stabbed her enemy through
the body and killed him. Then she
wiped her sword on the grass and
went back aboard ship and nobody
thought anything of it. g
But it was not long after the duel
that the pirate ship was overtaken by
a British frigate. A short fight fol-
lowed, the pirates serving their stub
by cannon until storm of grapeshot
drove them from the deck. Every
one rushed to the hold except Mary
Read and the redoubtable Anne Bon
ny, who continued to load and fire
the cannon. Anne in rage rushed to
the companionway of the ship and
roared down to the men below to
come up and fight, and when they
refused jerked a great pistol from
her belt and fired into the budding
cursing mass, killing one and wound
ing several others. But it was of no
avail, and in a little while the crew
of the man-of-war came tumbling and
cheering over the side of the pirate
ship and overwhelmed it's covering
defenders.
All the pirates, including Anne and
Mary, were put in irons and carried
back to England. The artist was al
lowed to go free, as it was easily
proved that he was a member of the
band against his will, but his pirate
wife was tried and sentenced to the
gallows. AS she was expecting soon
to become a mother, reprieve was
granted her, and before it expired
she fell i'll of fever and died. Rack
am, leader of the band, was hanged,
but Anne, his roistering wife, was
reprieved from time to time and
finally allowed to go free.-Kansas
City Star.