Valdez daily prospector., 1918-03-08
DEATH ON GALLONS
Modern German Pirates Deserve
 Fate of Buccaneers of Old.
Callers Serving sn United states Merchant Marine Today Knew
 Man Whs Remembered Fate : sf epanlsh Frsebooters

|, sf spanlsh Frseboeters Stories sf piratical methods em- ployed by German submarine com manders in burning undefended mer- chant vessels and mistreating defense | less crews are no novelty to thousands of mariners on the Atlantic coast, such as. are now enrolling for service in the new merchant marine.
 Some sf these sailors, who are to man the emergency fleet of merchant ships being constructed for the United States shipping board to take supplies to our armies in France. actually knew men who suffered at the hands of the last pirates of the Spanish main, whose methods were similar to those 1 of the Germans.
 Among the men who reported for duty as mates recently at the recruit ing headquarters of the shipping board | were some from the Massachusetts coast who had known a survivor of the last ship taken by Spanish pirates or the Caribbean. This was Capt. Thomas Fuller of Salem, who died In 1908 at the age of ninety-four. Captain Fuller was able seaman in the crew of the brig Mexican of Salem in 1882 when, laden with saltpeter and tea, with $2O,OOO in silver slowed un- der the cabin floor, she sailed from her home port for Rio.
 1 On August %. near the coast of Cuba, the schooner was held up by vessel described as "a long, low, straight topsail schooner of about 15O tons, painted black" which hailed and requested the captain of the Mexican to send a boat alongside with his pa pers.
 1 The boat was sent, and came back 1 in charge of an Unlocking armed crew of pirates from the Spanish main, who drove the crew of the Mexican below 1 decks, fastened down the hatches, and began footing the vessel. Finding the silver, they sent 1t aboard their own ship.
 The pirates next cut the sails and rigging of the brig to pieces and start ed a fire in the galley on deck. which they expected would soon destroy the brig. They then departed for their own vessel, and sailed away in search i of other victims.
 But they had neglected to fasten down the cabin skylight. Through this the brig's captain crawled, and. getting i to the fire, splashed water on 1t until | L hr I lk l,~ a to smoke heavily until the enemy was out of sight.
 The crew rerigged their vessel. and favored by . gale made their escape from such a dangerous neighborhood.
 Salem sailors today recall with sat isfaction that the long arm of justice meted out retributiOn to the pirates.
 A few months later a Salem vessel was in the harbor of St. Thomas, when q low, black schooner anchored near her. The Salem captain was suspicious. and inventing an excuse i went aboard the schooner for a call. On her deck he saw two spars painted black which he recognized as belong ing to the Mexican.
 That night the stranger left the har- bor, but the Salem captain notified British man-of-war captain of her character.
 A few months later the British brig of-war Curlew caught the black stran- ger in the Nazareth river, slaving locality on the west coast of Africa. The pirate crew fied to the shore and found shelter with a native. They were hunted hard, and four were taken. Later II others were taken at Fernan- do Pc and St. Thomas.
 | The pirates were conveyed to Boston for trial. and found guilty of the at- tack on the Mexican. Their captain. Pedro Gilbert. assumed innocence and the air of an injured gentleman. He was found guilty. with four others. In sentencing the five to death. Judge Joseph Story used language that re- duced the court to tears, closing with these words to the condemned men: {: "And in bidding you. as far as 1 can presume to know. an eternal farewell. I offer up my earnest prayer that AL mighty God may in his infinite mercy and goodness have mercy on your souls"
 The i've men were hanged in Boston, and with their exit piracy ended in the western world.
 How They Became sammles.