The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-03-30
A Sailor $
Confession
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD

Willie the VeSSel was burning OF the
coast Of Korea. This happened many
years ago when / was young man.
am now a ninety year old hulk, laid
up at the Sailors snug harbor, ready
for the junkheap. The Julia Sturde-
want was set afire, and / applied the
torch that burned her. Before sailing
on my eternal voyage have to confess
this fact and tell how came to do it.
There is no sin on my conscience In
that burning, but there are others that
are a hundred times worse than burn
ing ship.
When / stepped on the Julia Sturde-
want ! was twenty-five years old. We
sailed from Boston to Japan, taking
out cargo such as the little yellow
men needed then, but don't need now,
for that wasn't long after Commodore
Perry sailed In among them and began
their civilizing. The Sturdevant was
one Of the early steamers, having pad
die wheels and sails, and her engine
was q primitive one. Any we'll rugged
ship In stir breeze could outsail her.
We were blowing along through the
China sea against a stiff noreaster,
when before the wind came Chinese
junk. Before she reached us she hoist
ed the skull and bones and fired shot
at us as an order to stop. We hadn't
so much as salute cannon aboard and
few small arms. There were ports
for four guns on each side OF the junk,
and her decks swarmed with men. We
saw it was all up with us, and our
captain surrendered with condition
that all our lives be spared.
AS soon as the pirates came aboard
they began to look the vessel over and
concluded to divide their force. run
ming her as well as their own ship.
Without regarding the condition they
had made, they forced all the crew ex-
cept five of us to walk the plank.
What they kept us FIVE for was to d.
rect the working Of the ship, since they
knew nothing about the use of steam.
Two of us were the engineer and his
assistant. The other three they kept
to post and help them In working the
ships sails that were entirely unlike
those on the junk.
Fifteen Of them stayed on the cap
tured ship, taking aboard two guns
and plenty Of small arms, while the
others sailed away on the junk. We
white men were obliged to obey their
orders or walk the plank like the others
And that's the crime have to confess
For weeks, when they were Overpow-
ering unarmed vessels, footing and
numbering, we were doing our part of
the work. What else could we do?
We could have refused and given up
our lives, and it's been troubling me
for more than half century that
didn't choose the better part.
I'm not going to name all the crimes
we committed because we had to. I'm
simply going to tell how we finally
made our escape. After awhile we
agreed that we would pretend that we
were contented with our lot, ask for
our share of the plumber and do every
thing else we could to put the yellow
devils off their guard. One thing we
were afraid of. There was one ship
that we tried to capture and failed.
We boarded her and were fighting
hand to hand with her crew when they
saw us white men fighting with the
yellow ones. We were about to join
our own color when, fred with hatred
against us for being part Of Chinese
pirate crew, they made desperate
dash and drove us back on to our own
ho hot xUA
escaped the pirates and were recogniz-
ed by any Of the men on that ship we
would dangle at a yardarm.
The next ship taken had a lot Of
liquor aboard. and every pirate got
drunk. We watched our opportunity,
pretending to drink and be drunk like
the others, till they were all laid out.
When eight Of them were either asleep
or stupid with liquor below and the
rest being in the same condition on
deck, we clapped down the matches on
those below. What we did to those on
deck don't mention, except that they
didn't trouble US any more.
We hadn't more than fixed them all
when looking ahead we saw a ship
coming and made out the stars and
stripes at her peak, for in those days
our flag was often seen on the ocean.
Some Of us thought that If she over
hauled US and we told our story we
would be believed. Others didn't think
we would. Some day some Of us
ship we had boarded. l made up my
mind what to do and without saying
anything got lot of tow and Oakum
together and. set fire to 1T. The wind
was high, and in fifteen minutes the
whole ship was ablaze. We lowered
one of the boats. got into her and pull
ed for the Yankee ship.
When we reached her we reported
that we had been afire for three days
and If we hadn't met the Yankee In
time we would have been lost. And
that's how the ship Julia Sturdevant
came to be reported burned at sea
with five Of the crew saved. Tt was
never made clear what became of the
rest Of the crew. managed that sto
ry by saying that when the fire finally.
got ahead of us the others were cut
OF from the boats. Some were burned
below and some were drowned. True
enough the pirates below were burned.
met one of the crew of the ship we
had boarded long afterward in Hong
kong. He didn't remember me, but
you'd better believe remembered him
and got ont Of his way as quickly ~
possible.