The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-07-05

HAQI bargain, a little schooner at St
Thomas, loaded her with mahog
any at Santo Domingo and start
ed for Liverpool to see what 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 /
having her repaired and had me arrested for
barratry. l taken to Halifax, where
was put to considerable Inconvenience in Sc
curing bail.
l pleaded my own and soon as
could get hearing. was released, but In the
meantime the agent for the underwriters had
1ibeled 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 / was hungry for some new excite
ment-the very essence and sole enjoyment OF
my lfe While casting about for something to
satisfy my appetite the recollection OF the
Yarmouth outrage came over me and decided
to steal a ship and let the underwriters pay
for her, as partial compensation for the one
they had stolen from me.
After a survey Of the available supply, hit
on the Ferret 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
let her out general charter. which was
what / wanted so l concluded to charter her
for a year for cruise In the Medterra-
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 opton-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 | wanted the option-ofpurchase
clause inserted in the charter partly as 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 a 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, seriously Ill,
so ! took on as sailing-master a man named
Watkins. He was well recommended, but 1t
later developed that he had a strain OF negro
blood and a welldefned 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 "Al well" to the
observer for Lloyds'. AS soon as 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. | wanted TO make
Il appear that the Ferret had foundered and
we ran into a 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:
"Tasing advantage OF the optlon-of-purchase
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
che is chartered We are going a very diff
ferent trip from that for which you signed
it will be attended by some danger but, prob
ibly. by profits which will more than compen-
sate you for the risk you run. Those OF you
Eho wish TO 90 with will receive double
pay, a bonus OF fifty dollars for signing new
papers. and a share OF the profits from the
trip. Those who do not care to go may take
a boat and go ashore"
Every man agreed 10 stay with me. there
upon rechristened the ship the India-a name
legitimatey held by vessel on the other side
OF the world. as indicated by Lloyds
register-hred a gun and dipped the flag and
declared her in commission. At the same time
rechristened myself. a ceremony to which
II he arno
OF James Stuart Henderson. I presented the
ship with a new log and certificate Of registry
and other necessary papers from the counter