PIRACY TRIAL.

Grey River Argus, 10 July 1922, Page 5

PIRACY TRIAL.

A BLACK SEA EPISODE. [A. and N.Z. Cable Association.] PARIS, July 6. The trial is proceeding at Marseilles of seven long-haired ragged Georgians, who are charged with alleged piracy. The evidence given is that they were members of a band of thirty who disguised as passengers, boarded the French ship Souirah at Batum during a voyage in 1920. When two hours out from Batum they threatened Captain Sparks with revolvers, cut the wireless, robbed the passengers, stopped the ship and forced the crew to row them and their plunder ashore. They made a haul worth £20,000. It is alleged that the pirates conducted the affair with an air of gallantry. They kissed the women’s hands before removing the rings, ami left the passengers their small change, even giving some a few coins stolen from others.