Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-06-13
Death On The Gallows.

chant vessels and mistreating crews
are no novelty to thousands Of mar
liners on the Atlantic coast, such as
are now enrolling for service in the
new merchant marine.
Some OF these sailors, who are TO
man the emergency fleet OF merchant
ships being constructed for the United
States shipping board TO take sup |
plies 10 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 |
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 the Spanish pirates
of the Caribbean. This was Capt.
Thomas Fuller, of Salem who died in
1906 at the age Of ninety-four.
Captain Fuller was an able seaman
in the crew of the brig Mexican OF Sa-
lem in 1882, when, laden with salt
peter and tea, with $4,000 in silver
slowed under the cabin floor, she sailed
from her home port for Rio.
On August %, near the coast OF Gu
ba, the schooner was held up by ves-
sci described as a "long, low, straight
topsail schooner of about $50 tons, and
painted black" which hailed and re-
quested the captain Of the Mexican
to send a boat along side with his pa
pers.
The boat was sent, and came back
in charge of an ill-looking crew of pi-
rates from the Spanish main, who
drove the crew of the Mexican below
decks, fastened down the matches, and
began looting the vessel. Finding the
silver, they sent aboard their own ves-
sci.
The pirates next cut the sails and
rigging Of the brig to pieces and start
ed a fire in the galley on deck, which
thew expected would soon destroy the
vessel. They then departed for thels
own ship, and sailed away in search OF
other victims.
But they had neglected to fasten
down the cabin skylight. Through
this the briggs captain crawled, and,
getting to the fire, splashed water on
il until he had it under control. He
then caused it to smoke heavily until
the enemy was out of sight.
The crew rerigged their vessel, and
favored by a gale, made thir escape
from such a dangerous neighborhood'
Salem sailors today recall with sat
isfaction that the long arm OF JUS
tice meted out retribution to the pi-
rates.
A few months later a Salem vessel
was in the harbor of St. Thomas, when
low. black schooner anchored near
her. The Salem captain was suspi-
cious, and inventing an excuse went
aboard the schooner for call. On her
deck he saw two spars painted black
which he recognized as belonging to the
Mexican.
That night the stranger left the har-
Dor, but the Salem captain notified a
British man-of-war captain of her char
acter
A few months later the British brig
of-war Curlew caught the black stran-
ger in the Nazareth river, a shaving
locality on the west coast OF Africa
The pirate crew fed to the shore and
found shelter with native. They were
hunted hard, and four were taken.
Later / others were taken at Fernando
Pc and St. Thomas.
The pirates we're 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 | can
presume to know, an eternal farewell
offer UP my earnest prayer that Al
mighty God may in his infinite mercy
and goodness have mercy on your
souls"
The five men were hanged in Boston,
and with their exit piracy ended in the
western world.