River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-07-04


any at Santo Domingo and start
ed for Liverpool to see what was going on in
that part of the world We were caught in
heavy gale and were forced to run into Var
mouth Nova Scotia, where we arrived in
sinking condition.
On the. false charge that my papers were
forged, the agent for Lloyds', with whom the
ship was insured, seized the vessel as l was
having her repaired and had me arrested for
barratry. / taken to Halifax, where
put to considerable inconvenience in Sc
curing bail
pleaded my own case and, as soon as
could get hearing, was released, but in the
meantime the agent for the underwriters had
libeled my ship and sold her at auction, and
her new owners had sent her away to South
America
My last real adventure had ended with the
burial of the Leckwith, which sank in the Red
Sea, and l was hungry for some new excite
ment-the very essence and sole enjoyment of
my life. While casting about for something to
satisfy my appetite, the recollection Of the
Yarmouth outrage came over me and decided
70 steal ship and let the underwriters pay
for her, partial compensation for the one
they had stolen from me.
After survey of the available supply, I hit
on the Ferret, q handsome and fairly fast lit
tie passenger steamer belonging to the High
land Railway Company, which was lying at
Gourock Bay the Clyde They would not
Get her out on a general charter, which was
what I wanted so concluded to charter her
for a year for a cruise in the Mediterra-
mean, with the option of purchase for fourteen
thousand pounds at the end of that time. All
of the negotiations were conducted and the
deal closed by Joe Wilson, my trusted aide,
and / was careful to impress him with the ne
cessity for the insertion of the option-of-pur
chase clause had so much confidence in him
that / did not closely examine the charter pa
pers and not until it was too late did dis
cover that he had neglected the one vital point.
My plan was to go back out East and dig
up the guns Frank Norton and | had buried
on little island when we left the China Sea.
and perhaps resume the unholy occupation OF
preying on the pirates between Singapore and
Hong Kong 1 wanted the option-of-purchase
clause Inserted in the charter partly as a sop
to my conscience and partly with the idea
that If we were, by any remote chance. appre-
hended before we reached the China Sea
could announce that had exercised my option
and was prepared to pay for the ship.
With the delivery of the charter, in proper
form, as supposed, made great show of
fitting the ship out for a yachting cruise. at
the same time smuggling on board two small
cannon and lot of rifles and ammunition.
Lorensen. my old captain, was seriously i'll,
so l took on as sailing master man named
later developed that he had a strain of negro
blood and a well-defined streak of yellow. Tom
Leigh one of my old men. was first officer.
and next to him was George Ross. another
new one
We coaled at Cardiff and cleared for Malaga.
We passed Gibraltar late in the afternoon, as
was intended and signaled "All well" to the
observer for Lloyds' As soon it was dark
we headed over toward the other shore for
twelve or fifteen miles and then stood straight
out to sea again. AS we made the second
change in our course we stove in couple of
our boats and threw them overheard, along
with a lot of life-preservers. I wanted to make
1t appear that the Ferret had foundered. and
we ran into heavy blow which dovetailed
beautifully into my scheme. At daylight we
were well clear of Gibraltar but within sight
of the Moroccan coast. called the crew aft
and addressed them to this effect
Taking advantage of the optionofpurchase
clause in the charter / now declare myself the
owner of this ship and will pay for her. as
stipulated, at the end Of the period for which
she is chartered. We are going on very diff
ferent trip from that for which you signed.
1t will be attended by some danger but, prob
ably, by profits which will more than compen-
safe you for the risk you run. Those of you
who wish to go with me will receive double
paw a bonus of fifty dollars for signing new
papers, End a share of the profits from the
trip Those who do not care to go may take
boat and go ashore
Every man agreed to stay with me. ] there
upon rechristened the ship the India-a name
legitimately held by vessel on the other side
of the world as was indicated by Lloyds'
register-fred gun and dipped the flag and
declared her in commission. At the same time
/ rechristened myself. a ceremony to which |
was. equally accustomed. and took the name
of James Stuart Henderson. I presented the
ship with new log and certificate of registry
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