Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-27

CHINESE WOMAN PIRATE
Female Freebooter Had 10000 Fol-
lowers.

Writers have made quite to-do re-
Gently about the feminist movement II
the republic Of China. Chinese women
in the last few years, it is inferred
have "emancipated" themselves. The!
wear No. shoes, tight skirts instead
Of pajamas, attend teas, have culture
clubs, want the vote and every now ant
then smash a window just like theil
sisters in more civilized, II not so po'
lite, nations; and all this quite recent
ly.
| But that Is all wrong-that Is the
recently" part. The militant feminist
movement in China began when Mrs
Pankhurst's great grandmother was 9
baby and DR.. Mary Walker still believ-
ed in Santa Claus. To be exact, the
first Chinese campaign to verify Mr
Kpling's much quoted philosophy be-
came noticeable in 1906 and one Mis-
tress Ching, a piratess Of gentle mein
and some repute, was its most active
champion.
In the beginning Mistress Ching was
an uncommonly good-looking daughter
Of man in Hupeh province, who oper-
| ated something akin to the modern
spindle game. She attracted the fancy
one day Of business friend Of her
fathers, one Ching-yih, a promising
and ambitious pirate Of the south coast.
Ching -yih paid the father the equiva-
lent Of $40, the value Of Chinese girls
in those days, and the daughter already
in love with the handsome young pi-
rate, went gladly to his piratical ship.
And they lived long and prospered,
and were happy and two little pirates
came to bless them. Ching-yih even
declared himself Emperor Of the South.
And his chief wife no doubt added En-
press to her title Of Presidentess Of the
Ladies' Piratical Auxiliary.
But, alas for the best laid plots of
men and mice, as Bob Burns has it,
Ching-yih fell, was showed overheard
one night, and some 10000 pirates
awoke the next morning chieftainless.
Each captain Immediately offered
himself as a successor for the high ad-
miral, and each one cleared his decks
and prepared to fight for the honor. 1t
looked as If the pirates would start a
bloody family quarrel when Mistress
Ching-yih, with the political experience
Of the Ladies' Auxiliary behind her
calmly took command. She appointed
one Paou, an orphan boy her husband
had reared, as chief lieutenant and
prime minister. Then she summoned
all the captains and called upon them
for loyal support. Like the Hungarian
mobiles did when Marie Theresa appeal
ed to them, the Chinese piratical mobiles
yanked out their swords and swore to
murder for her, and her only, as long
as she lived.
Thus was the first feminist move
ment-of a militant character-in Chi
ma launched. ---.-.-. -
Mistres Ching (she dropped the yin
part) had wonderful success. Her force
rapidly grew to 10000. the Pirates
Book" says and there wasn't sea coast
city in China but what could boast OF
a visit or two from her. AS one Chinese
writer paradoxically puts 1t: 1.-The
| blackened ruins Of burned cities sprang
up like loathsome flowers in her wake. v
In many ways Mistress-or, rather
Admiraless now-Ching was quite an
| improvement on the piratical chiefs OF
that day. AS Napoleon was doing
about the same time in Europe, she as
sembled a few piratical sages and be-
gan q codification Of the pira tic laws
Even yet the Ching code is reputed to
be the best collection Of piratic laws
extant.
For instance, she made it a crime for
| any pirate to leave the territory under
pirate control-a sort Of nullo Japanese
exclusion act, one might say. The pun
ishment for the first offense was hay
ing ones ears split for the amusement
Of the law-abiding citizens; for the
| second offense, death. The same sim
plicity in punishments was noticeable
in all the code There was no hagglinG
| about the chair VS.. the gallows.
Theft from other pirates was unlaw-
full. All plundered goods must be
turned into the general pot and redis-
| tributed in kind or cash. Each pirate
was entitled to life. liberty and the pur-
suit Of happiness. And all public SER
vices were to be owned by the state.
Feminine law was strict, as might be
expected. Thus, no pirate could retain
for his own, any woman captive. He
couldn't even kiss her without obtain
ing first the supercargo's and next the
| lady's consent. All women captives
| were turned over to the general fund
just as other goods captured. Then, on
Saturday half-holiday, the pirates were
allowed to buy which ones took their
| fancy.
The usual plan was to parade all the
women. AS one pleased a pirate he in
dicated her to the supercargo, who
then credited that pirates account with
one woman and debited it the prevail
ing price AS soon as all the women
were chosen each pirate led his bride
or brides, as the case may be, to the
chaplain's office, where they were duly
and truly married according to both
Chinese and pirate law. There were nc
affinities in Mistress Ching's piratical
kingdom.
| So piratical life hummed merrily on
ward
Now and then the imperial govern
ment would send out fleet to fight the
pirates. That always afforded the pi-
rates a few new guns and several fan
cy uniforms. Ever and anon the pirate
fleet would sack city, and oftentimes
it cruised the seas and raided peaceful
merchant ships Of all nations. Some
times, just for diversion, few captives
were retained. Among these there hap
pened to be a Mr.. Glasspoole, an En-
| glishman, to whose careful diary most
Of the interesting facts about the La
drone pirates are due. He was retain
ed several months, but finally Mistress
| Ching traded him for a bale Of cotton
| cloth q Gun or two and several thOus-