Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1916-02-25
The Unarmed
Pirate
How She Piundered Was
a Mystery.

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Lieutenant Wickersham, In command
of the United States gunboat zac
Taylor. cruising in Tie Malay archi-
pelago. received wireless order from
the admiral to look out for pirate
vessel TINT had been doing lot Of
damage to shipping in the South China
sea. No well defined location for the
pirate was given. since 1t was not
known. Probably the order was sent
to every United States vessel cruising
In that region.
The second day after receipt of the
order the watch on the Taylor report
ed to the officer of the deck that ship
was to be seen on the starboard quar-
ter. She was changing Ter course
very frequently. She did not look at
all like pirate, but on account OF her
mysterious actions the watch thought
It his duty to report her.
The commander of the Taylor order
ed the ships course changed toward
the vessel In question. No sooner had
this been done than the other exhibit
ed clean pair of heels, evidently in
tight. When the gunboat came close
enough to the fugitive TO discern what
she was like Wickcrsham was sur
prised to see very ordinary looking
vessel. as unlike a pirate as possible.
There were no ports for guns or any
other evidence of capacity for fight
ing. About dusk the stranger run
close into shore. She was still too far
for those on the gunboat to see what
was doing on board of her, but since
the anchor chains could be heard rat
tling In the lawse pipes Wickershan
did not give himself any uneasiness as
to her getting away from him.
By the time the Taylor had come
near the vessel night had fallen, and
since the latter craft showed no light
the gunboat felt obliged to stand of
However, Wickersham, suspeeting tina;
she might escape him under cover OF
the darkness, sent boat in command
OF Ensign Throckmorton to recon
noiter. The party was gone an hour
When 1t returned Throckmorton made
a very singular report.
He had found the vessel deserted
On her were all sorts of plunder, show
ing that she was undoubtedly a pirate
There was no cargo unless about 6
thousand barrels of oil might be con
sidered such. but 1t seemed rather that
this might have been for fuel. And yet
the furnace was constructed for coal
of which there was n scant supply.
Wickersham was puzzled. Never had
he heard OF pirate unarmed. un-
manned. before Nevertheless there
was abundant evidence that the vessel
was the one he had been ordered %
look out for. The fact that she had
fed when he gave chase was alone suf
ficient to condemn her As for hei
crew, they had doubtless gone ashore
under cover of darkness
1t did not seem that there was any
need to take further action till morn
ing. The anchor of the pirate being on
the bottom. there being no crew aboard
to raise 1t and the shore to which they
must have gone being eight or ter
miles distant, the lieutenant decided ta
let the matter rest for the night and
the next day go aboard the craft him
self and make personal examination
So he turned in, leaving the executive
officer In charge.
When the first faint light appeared in
the east the commander was awak-
ened to be Informed that the pirate had
disappeared. Jumping out OF his bunk
he put on a dressing gown and slip
pcrs and hurried on deck. The vessel
certainly was not where she had been
the night before. but the day had
broken. and the man in the crows nest
reported her or n vessel very like hoi
on the horizon. Wlckershnm. after
bringing a glass to bear on her, pro
nounced her the pirate aud gave orders
to get up the anchor and make chase
Immediately.
The pirate was standing eastward
along the tenth parallel of latitude, ey-
identity making for the open sea. The
gunboat managed to keep her in sight
and make a small gain. During tho
lay the lieutenant made inquiries
among the crew to learn If any one had
heard any sound during the night. One
man said that he fancied he had heard
an anchor chain being carefully slip
ped through a hawse pipe. He had
called the attention of the officer of the
deck to il. but since the officer had
heard nothing himself he paid no at
tention to the mans report. Neverthe-
less wlekersham made up his mind
that the pirate had slipped her anchor
and sailed away without it.
The mystery worked ON the men
some Of whom were ignorant and su-
perstitious, and knots were constantly
gathering to discuss the strange craft
the opinion being occasionally express
ed that the ship was a phantom. But
this did not reach the ears of the com.
mander, who would have taken means
to quash 1t.
During the day a wireless message
was flashed by the admiral asking ii
the Taylor had seen anything of the
pirate. wickersham asked for infor-
nation as to the vessel that he was or
iered to capture. The answer was
that the admiral had no description Of
her. 1t had been reported that several
vessels due at Chinese ports had not
come In. The weather had been fine
therefore there was no suspicion that
they had been wrecked by storm. II