South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-07
CHINESE SEAS ARE
PIRATE INFESTED
Captain of Steamship Tells
How Brigands Attack and
Garry Away Loot.
By EDNA LEE BOOKER,
IL \. \. Stam Correspondent

II -. - STAN WI ANEni fNfAAAAAA AAsf
ABOARD THE s. S. SOOCHOW,
OFF FOOCHOW, Aug Hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars worth OF
treasure Is captured yearly by the
pirates operating along the China
coast from FoochOw to Canton in
raids made upon the coast and river
steamers. according &c Capt. NJ. s.
1Ionkman. OF the S. S. Soochow
The days of the pirates bold with
their "heave no and bottle Of
rum" are not all past, for pirates as
daring and murderous as Robert
Louis StevensOn's favOrite variety
are carrying on a hourishing busi-
ness in South China.
The pirates are organized in
bands. and live in picturesque tunks
Boosting great patched sails, huge
eyes and gaily painted bodies. They
fear neither man nor evil spirtts and
viii attack any boat whether large
or small if they have reason TO be-
lieve the loot Is worth the effort.
We we're sitting out on deck ad-
miring the islands covered with
grass and trees, the fishing boats
being rowed by husky Chinese men
and women. and the little villages
NESTING an the hills which we were
passing when the captain began 70
spin tales Of the Chinese pirates.
Pirates Hard To Capture
s'Thero are so many pirates and
so many ways I'm which they can
escaue along the coast from Foo
chow to Canton that 81 is almost
90 va
C,aut NTonkman The rivers empty
ing into the China sea are filled
with small islands, which are Ravens
for the pirates
eyV-hv. only six months ago a
hard of pirates. disguised as second
class passengers. boarded large
coast steamer at Foochow. a day
or so out of Hongkong these men
suddenly took charge of the ship.
The pirate chief a great burly fell
low and an assistant entered the
CAPTAINS cabin ordered him 20 hold
ND his hands and they searched the
room
-Other mem r-ars of the gang were
az work an over the ship. A group
~ confedera-es in a junk came up
loot was handed down 90 them. Al
together they made a haul or more
than 500 600 worth of silver
"The pirates disabled the ma
chluerv ana escaped J believe that
one Chinese passenger was killed IN
the ashuns'
care we carrying and treasure -
asked q girl from Georgia EN- route
from. Shanghai 90 Hongkons, for
LARGE Quantities or silver are carried
back and forth on thc coast steam
ers from the various banks and also
for wealthy Chinese.
"Ch. yes answered the captain
ncuchaIautIv eve have about mill
lion dollars m silver on board
PaSScnecrs WATCH Boats.
After thar every Chinese fishing
boat sunk or launch we saw spelled
pirates SGD big letters incidentally
30 explained the unusually heavy po-
lice guard on the boat. The Indian
men lu the-r brown uniforms paced
hack and forth SHIT and day on the
decks. ready Cor any emergency.
Tia. captain told of the tavorite
method ~ -he river pirates In at
torkluE river boat Two junks
wiz go uu the river on either side
OF the boat a heavy rope connects
the tive fuuks and when the prov
of The boat hits Che rome 10 draws
the tvso 1urks toward the boat and
So is "a simple matter for the men
TO- spring on board.
Tho pirates are very agile and can
board q boat simply tv hooking a
long bamboo pole ora the side and
climbing up hand over hand Many
OF the most successful pirates come
from n Ions line OF pirates. They
grow up on the pirate junks and
know no other Ufe Others are
farming people and after a good
haul win retire 20 their little farms
FOX maybe weeks before they again
attack a boat
The pirates spare nothing and at
tack any boat from the house boat
carrying q small load OF rice 20 the
coast and rlve- steamers.
when captured they are shot a,
once ana their junk b. stripped, par
italy buried ln the sand and an in
scriptlon which is warning 20
other pirates. painted on the portion
~ the boat .eit exposed.