The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-15
BOLD ACT OF
PIRACY IN CHINA

Canton, China. May 1~5.-Ordinary
acts of piracy, which occur frequently
in The rivers and canals in this sec
ton, were completely eclipsed recently
when the Norwegian steamship Childar
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 1t was a 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 ana
ammunition generally deter the Chinese
from such acts of boldness, for they are
given short shrift when caught. In
| the early days Of the British settle
ment at Hongkong scores of pirates
iunks were captured and sunk; there
are records of forty and fifty being
sent to the bottom in a day.
The Childar was captured in a very
| simple way. About fifty pirates went
aboard the ship at Hongkong as ordtn-
airy Storage or deck passengers,
bound for places up the coast. There
being altogether 200 Chinese making
the journey, no notice was taken or
them.
They were evidently a little nervous
over the enterprise, and soon reused
| the suspicious Of the bonafide Chinese
passengers by their reStlessness n
earnest conversations in little groups.
Seeing that they were being watched
they put their plans into execution
sooner, evidently, than they had in
tended, but with complete success
About forty miles out Of Hongkong
they whipped out their revolvers and
rushed the officers. There were six
white officers, and none of them was
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 a pistol,
lOtherwise no bodily injury was done.
On their arms, so that they should
know one another, the pirates wore
white bands similar to those worn by
the Chinese revolutionists two years
Iago. There we're characters on the
bands, the translation Of which is said
to be Money easy"
Four of the officers were tightly
bound and placed in the auxiliary
wheelhouse at the stern of the ship
while the second and third engineers
were left free to work the engines I'M
der the direction Of the pirates. Pr
} rate navigators assumed control OF the
bridge and gave the proper signals to
the engine room. A very careful course
L IlIOuSL NdlsSI iiScLlC was SS
, 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
< collected money and v~aluables which
I had been taken from the ship, the of
t ~ficers, and the passengers. Even, the
uniforms Of the officers and the good
E clothes Of the Chimes passengers were
taken, and almost all the brass fitting:
, Of the ship. In all, the ship lost owe,
$4,000, in cargo, valuables and dam
3 ages. .
r The pirates were, no doubt, mucl
: disappointed, for on two previous
voyages the Childar had carried abou
, $50, 900 worth Of treasures Of n sor
: and another, v%aluables that were ne
! gotiable ashore without serious dan
= ger Of discovery. The pirates seemed
!. to be angered by their failure to max
? the big haul they expected, for, afte
y footing the ship and passengers, the,
: went through the cabinsg and engin
I rooms wilfully destroying doors, fit
= tings and furniture.
= But the exploit was not without it
humorous side. An English speakin
buccanneer, for instance, ~sylnpathizin
with the thirsty engineer whom he wa
controlling revolver in hand, asked tn
I engineer if he would like a whisky an
e soda, and, leaving a fellow pirate /
e charge of the engine room, went to tn
= pantry and brought back a whisky bot