A Britisher Sold by Pirates.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 190, 10 August 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

A Britisher Sold by Pirates.

Captain G. Erichson, of Stew lorfev was in this city yesterday. He has just <feoi_a* pleted his fourth tour of the globe, baVfeg left Shields, England, for Hongkong* thence to Sydney, Australia, and home via Cape Horn to New York. While da iha steamer Carmelioa, bound from Arnoy to Hongkong, Captain Erichson was chased by pirates, bub succeeded in getting clear by dinb of hard steaming. Tho English barque Eliza, Captain Ralford, from London, which followed Boon affcer, waa nob so fortunate. She was becalmed, Captain Erichson said yesterday, and was boarded by about 200 pirates, headed by a Mexican named Alvarez. The crew of the Eliza, after a stubborn resistance, were disarmed and confined in bbc chain locker, wibh bhe except bion of the capbain, carpenber and an apprenbice lad. Alvarez shob the captain three times, firsb in the head, bub the bullet glanced around the skull, then in tbe arm and side. The carpenter and apprentice took refuge in tbe foretop. Tha piratea left the captain for dead, looted the cabin, and, after making a hole in the bottom of bhe vessel, deparbod, taking Mrs Kalford wibh bhem. Meanwhile the carpenter and boy came down tbe rigging* and, releasing the rest of the crew, managed bb geb a boat oub before bbc ship sank. The capbain was only stunned, and waS taken into tho boab. After experiencing some suffering for wanb of food and water* bhey were picked up by the etoamer Vetiitzia and taken to Hongkong. As soon as Captain Ralford recovered from his wounds, ho disguised himself as a China* man, and, as he spoke the language fluently, this was nob difficult. His objecb was to find his wife. For three woeks he travelled aboub, ab last found tbab she had been sort aa a slave by the Mexican to a rich Mandarin. With the aid of two English detectives he bought ber back for $200. Alvarez wbb afterward arrested by the British ab Hongkong and tried and condemned as a pirabe. Oub of consideration for bhe fact that he i had been an officer in bhe army he was shot ; instead of being hanged. Mrs Ralford vrai i so embittered against Alvarez that she shot him three times while on his way to the place of execution, and thus saved tbe marines some powder and balk Alvarez ia believed to have led the attack on the British steamship Victoria aboub three years ago.—' Philadelphia Times.'