CHINESE METHODS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1930, Page 10

CHINESE METHODS

STAGING A PIRACY Staging a piracy on the China coast is not unlike the preliminaries of certain forms of company promoting. Capital is needed and is generally forthcoming. There is much bargaining and negotiating behind closed doors, and. though prospectuses and lists of directors and shareholders are not published, they exist. When the necessary capital has been found, a capable managing director is appointed. To recruit a reliable gang, select a likely victim, gather the essential information, carry through the enterprise itself, and plan a retreat with spoils and prisoners, requires no ordinary ability. Imagine the scene at sundown on board one of these coasters wallowing in the heavy swell of the southeast monsoon. The holds' forward and aft have been turned into whitewashed dormitories, where a huddled mass of humanity, women and children, bivouac on mats and bundles with the close economy of a Chinese crowd. Some are preparing chow, others are washing clothes, or squatting in groups are gambling. Under the boats and on the beams are sleeping figures, .half naked if the night is fine and warm. Amidships, on the raised promenade deck, there are a few saloon passengers, English and Chinese, the officers’ quarters, and the bridge. At dinner time, when the officers are seated unarmed at the saloon tables, a signal is given—once it was the lighting of a cigarette—a. sharp “Hands up!” is called, the startled diners find themselves staring down the muzzles of automatics held by coolies, merchants and seamen.

Weapons are demanded, every one is seized, searched, and locked up either in the cabins or in the saloons; armed piratical guards are set who make it clear that death is the penalty of resistance. On the bridge, in the guards’ quarters, in the wireless room, and on the engine room starting platform the same story is told; a sudden order, a pistol, and inevitable surrender. Then the polite instruction: “You will steer for Bias Bay, getting there at 7 a.m. No one will be hurt —- unless you attempt to re-take the ship.” Routine will go on as usual, watches being relieved as if nothing were wrong. Meanwhile the cargo is ransacked and every jewel or valuable garment stripped off the terrified passengers.

Navigation and cabin lights arc put out, and in Complete darkness the ship sets course for Bias Bay, a place of sinister significance on the China coasts It is a big sheet of shallow water land locked by the sandy scrubcovered hills of that part. There are a few Chinese villages, a few sampans ' fishing, a suggestion of peace, seclusion, and beauty. But, as the pirated ship drops anchor, swarms of sampans push off from the shore; their crews hail the pirates with grim impassiveness, and these weather-beaten tattered men of the coast set to with a will in the task of stripping the ship. Even chronometers, sextants, and brass fittings are often taken. There are piteous scenes when the families are divided, a father or mother being roughly urged at pistol point into a sampan to be carried off to the mountins, perhaps to be rescued, more probably to die of hunger and exposure, during the endless haggling between intermediaries over the ransom. The distressed ship steams painfully back to Hongkong, where the police take charge, inventories of the robbery are made, and public interest slowly fades.

AN AMAZING FIGHT

But it is not every piracy that works smoothly. Often the Indian guard on duty is shot dead by a treacherous volley, and when the Norwegian coaster* Solviken was captured the master, Captain Jastoff was murdered because he did not immediately open his cabin door. In another big piracy, that of the Anking, a volley at close range cleared the bridge, killing the chief officer and quartermaster and severely wounding the captain. The chief engineer was murdered from behind, while sitting in a deck chair, and the second officer was knocked on the head. The pirates were particularly careful of him, however, because they needed some one who could navigate the ship. The San Nam Hoi piracy is also memorable. About 30 pirates rushed the ship when it was only 15 minutes out of the little West River port of Pekhai. A volley accounted for the Indian guard, and his comrades off duty were at . once overpowered. The oflicer on watch, Mi'. Hugh Conway, dashed down the bridge deck, but fell mortally wounded. Mr. Houghton, the chief engineer, had in the meantime braved a shower of bullets in closing the stout grille, on the port side of the bridge deck. He had his revolver and was able to cover the starboard side of the deck until the master. Captain IV. H. Sparke, had joined him on the bridge. The starboard grille was open and desperate methods were taken to close it. With an automatic in each hand, Captain Sparke squarely faced the pirates, and under cover of his fird, Mr. Houghton ran quickly aft and slammed the grille in their faces. An amazing fight followed, Captain Sparke dodging from side to side to fire at the ugly faces aft, and between whiles he had to navigate the ship, for at the first sound of danger the pilot and quartermaster had bolted forward and hidden themselves with the crew. At this stage of the battle, ammunition being short, Mr. Houghton, a. less certain shot than the master, acted as loader and look-out.

The pirates were an amateur lot, several being members of a semi-Bolshe-vised crew sacked some weeks before for insubordination. A simple ruse finished theid ebbing spirits. Captain Sparke suddenly blew four blasts on his siren and altered course. The pirates, thinking that a gunbbat was sighted, jumped over by the stern. But their troubles had not ended. Captain Sparke put his ship about and with his gallant engineer opened fire on the swimming heads. The noise having attracted the militia of a near-by village, some 15 of the gang were captured and sent in chains to Canton, where they suffered the usual fate of pirates.