Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-16
CHINESE PIRATES
STILL OPERATING
Ordinary Acts Eclipsed Recently
by Plundering of Norwe-
gian Steamship.

Canton, China, May 16. - Ordinary
acts of piracy, which occur frequently
in the rivers and canals in this section
were completely eclipsed recently
when the Norwegian steamship Chill
dar was plundered on the high seas
| 1t was bold enough to recall to the
western world the days of Captain
Kidd, 200 years ago, and it was rare
case even for these waters.
The number of foreign warships
constantly cruising up and down the
( China coast and the fact that many
of the merchant ships carry rifles and
ammunition generally deter the Chin
| csc from such acts of boldness. for
/ they are given short shift when
| caught In the early days of the Brit
/ ish settlement at Hongkong scores of
pirate junks were captured and sunk;
there are records of forty and fifty be
| ing sent to the bottom in day.
The Childar was captured in very
simple way About fifty pirates went
aboard the ship at Hongkong as ordi-
nary Storage or deck" passengers,
bound for places up the coast. There
being altogether 200 Chinese making
them.
They were evidently little nervous
over the enterprise, and soon reused
the suspicious of the bona iide Chin
csc passengers by their restlessness
and earnest conversation in little
groups Seeing that they were being
watched they put their plans into exc
cuticn sooner, evidently, than they had
intended. but with complete success.
About forty miles out of Hongkong
they whipped out their revoivers and
rushed the officers. There were six
white officers and none of them were
armed or within the reach of weapons.
The second officer, who was on the
bridge, tried to give the alarm to the
others below and was promptly laid
senseless with the butt of pistol.
Otherwise no bodily injury was done.
On thei rarms, so that they should
On their arms. so that they should
white bands similar to those worn by
the Chinese revolutionists two years
ago. There were characters on the
bands, the translation OF which is said
to be Money Comes Easy"
Four of the officers were tightly
=
wheelhouse at the stern of the snip,
while the second and third engineers
were left free to work the engines I'M
der the direction of the pirates. Pi-
rate naviSators assumed control of the
bridge and gave the proper signals to
the engine room. A very careful course
through dangerous shoals were steer
ed until the ship put into a little bay
known as Bias Bay. There two junks
which had evidently been awaiting the
arrival of the Childar. received the col
lected money and valuables which had
been taken from the ship. the officers
and the passengers. Even the uni
clothes of the Chinese passengers
were taken, and almost all the brass
fittings of the ship In all, the snip
lest over $4,000 IN cargo, yaluables
and damages.
The pirates were. no doubt. much
for on two previous voy-
ages the Childar had carried about
$4,000 worth of treasures Of one sort
ana another. valuables that were ne
gotiable ashore without serious dan
ger of discovery. The pirates seemed
to be anee-ed by their failure to make
the big haul they expected, for, after
Iootiag the ship and passengers. they
went through the cabins and engine
rooms destroying wilfully doors. lit !
tings and furniture.
But the exploit was not without ite