PIRATES’ ROUT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16200, 25 November 1926, Page 7

PIRATES’ ROUT

EPIC OF BRITISH PLUCK SUNNING TOWED TO PORT HONGKONG, Nov. AS. A graphic story of the hold-up of the China Navigation Co.’s steamer, Sunning, on the voyage from Shanghai to Hongkong, was obtained on the arrival of the vessel to-day. It appears that 40 pirates boarded the ship at Amoy and seized control on Monday afternoon, locking six officers in the mate’s room and leaving the t hief officer on the bridge. The chief engineer was kept in the engine-room, at revolver point. Later the six imprisoned officers decided to make an effort to regain control of the ship. The little party mustered two revolvers, broke out of the room, and rushed the bridge, killing several pirates and gaining possession of tha ship. \'

Then commenced an all-night vigil,' during which the gallant six shot dead II pirates. The pirates below compelled the engineer to v proeeed to the bridge in the darkness, and the defenders on the bridge shot him in the chest and legs before they discovered he was not a pirate. Though wounded, he assisted the others on the bridge to carry on the fight. The pirates then set fire to the saloon. In the morning the fire was still raging.

When HALS. Bluebell arrived the fire had been mastered, though the Sunning, amidships, was gutted. Over 20 pirates were handed over to the police, as well as eight wounded Chinese passengers.