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with Sergeant Grimmitt pound- ng at the capatan. The ves- se: was abandoned, a light show- ing, just outside of British waters. Fegretfully she was left, sitting broken there and smouldering beneath the deepening arch of the night.
A call on Dr. Bell at the Government Civil Hospital on Wednesday, elicited the informa- tion that the men detained there under armed guard are still alive, and that the police this morning had been est mining them.
The captain of the Tai On, along with Mr. King, the District Superintendent of Police, visited the hospite when an indentificatory e
(xamization was made. As to the result of the examination there is Cetate- ment at the mcmant.
Commander Beckwith R. N. when inter viewed said that the Tai On was anchored Scuth of Tree leland in two and a half fathoms of water. On Wednesday the cwners had sent out two luga to bring her to the refuge Yaumati. The owners are being assisted by the police.
at
it is stated that the missing chief officer (Evans) is a married man and bis wife was shortly to come out from England to join him.
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Seen by the Telegraph," on the Wednesday, the captain of Tai On gave his version of what occurred. He did not succeed in indentifying
of the any men detained at the Goverь- ment Civil Hospital, nor any of those at the Water Police Station. He said that in the dark and the excitement it was dif- ficult to try to commit faces to memory. Referring to the grilles, the Captain said that had it not been for the double grille of hie vessel they would have been killed by the pirates. He was keeping the last watch from Wangmocn to Kwongmoon, and, after clear- ing the Harbour of Hongkong, he handed over the charge of the vessel to the mate. This would be about twenty minutes past seven.
He got into his sleeping clothes and commenced to smoke. While
on
lying still awake about ten minutes ast ten, as a matter of fact he was smoking at the time, le heard yells and shouts and shots being fired. He real- ired
had immediately what happened and switched his light. He reached out for his double barreled breach leading shot gun, No. 10 bore, and immediately made for deck by the after door. It was a good job too that he did use this dcor instead of the other door, as he would have been met with a volley of shots. On reaching the outside be found a man who saw the point of the ganbarrele turned towards him and dashed off into safety.
The captain then turned his attention to a pirate who was attacking the Chief Engineer, This man he let have the full shot in the stomach and he died on the spot. The engineer then told him that he was shot he took him to his cabin. The captain then brought into 1180 bis two revolvers and his Winchester and he used them alternately, the wounded engineer loading for the fighting skipper. The attack on the engineer was from the port side and when the skipper search- ed the dead aggressor afterwards for means of identification, all that he found on him was a packet of Mauser cartridges.
The deceased pirate be had reason to believe was the ring. leader of the gang. Going on to the starboard side the Captain saw the man who first cleared off through scare and he let him have the contents of a barrel. The effect of the shot was so great that is forced the receiver over the rail on to the other deck. The watchman Dias was at this time peppering
away at the bunk at the after side behind the grille. The other watchman da Silva was at this time pinned between the two grilles, but later they managed to free him from his perilous position. The pirates got on board at Hongkong, and when they made the attack they com- menced aft of the funnel. The
gang were twice repulsed, and then there was a period of quiet. During this period the Captain sent up distress signals, and afterwards the electric light was cutoff by the pirates. The skipper then got the engineer to light a lamp, and commerced to burn ue lights with the double purpose of calling for assistance, and for the purpose of providing light so that they would not be made the vic- time of a third attack in the dark. The engineer then took command of the rockets and commenced to send them up. Suddenly he saw flames bursting through the sky- lights, and he realised that the desperadoes bad determined to set the ship on fire. How the pirates got away, if they did get away, he bad no ides as there was not a sampan or a junk to be seen anywhere near the ship.
All the pirates were in Chinese clothes and appeared to belong to the common class. There were none in European clothes. The captain then realised that it was useless with the few men at his command to do anything, and the life bosts were practically on fire. He tried to get hold of the zinc rafte to slip them over the side, but it was no use. They then went on the next deck, and the order was given to lower the anchor.
Then he brought the ship round with head to the wind and tide. That permitted the flames to blow off the vessel and for a few mo- ments gave the Europeana s respite. About half an hour later they decided to all get over the side. The Captain shook hands with his gallant comrades and wiehed them good bye, and they each in turn took leave of the other.
After hanging on to the side for some time the Chief Officer decided to jump into the water and that
was the last that
skipper and the chief engineer Been of him. Then the
got on the guard and hung on to the anchor tumbler. Af:er a quarter of an hour in this posi- tion the chief engineer said the heat was unbearable and he
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would go out and do the best for himself.
The captain had previously given the order that they were to do the best they could for themselves when he wished them good bye. Then it came the aki rore turn to do a dash for safely and he jumped into the He was in the water water. about half an hour when he was picked up by the Wo Kwai. He asked the skipper of that ship to put him on board the nearest ship that was going to Hongkong, and he was handed over to the Hoi- Bang. The chief engineer had been picked up by the Wo Kwai and handed over to the Sui An. "The mate, poor fellow, I have not seen him since, but I still have hope. I hope to get a shore job no matter how small the salary. I would sooner sell papers in the streets than go up that river again," concluded the hero of the
moment.
The captain his lost everything he possessed except a signet ring. He has no clothes except the pyjamas he was found in and his present rig out with which be has been accommodated.
Dias the gallant Portuguese who helped to defend the 8.8. Tai On, was brought to Hongkong by the .8. Shun Lee. He is reported to have said that he saw Chief Officer Evans wounded by the pirates before they jumped from the ship. Dias claims to have ac- counted for no fewer than twelve of the marauders. lle is a man of full stature and regular the sollierly bearing; when alarm was raisąd on board the Tai On he armed himself with revolvers, one in each hand and assisted the Captain and the other officers to keep the bridge. The first man that he killed was one who scaling the railings of the bridge, and holding on with one hand, was attempting to kill the captain with a revolver which he held in the other. Dias put one of bis revolvers close to the man's forehead and fired, the man fall- ing dead to the deck below.
Immediately afterwards several
of the pirates rushed for the bridge and Dias in a quick sue- cassion of shots emptied both revolvers into the charge, and accounted for no less than twelve
men.
Fortunately, he says, the arms happened to be handy or ruch an effective resistance have been put up.
would not
A simple but impressive cere- mony took place on Thursday in the drawing room of Government House, when H.E, the Governor inet the defenders of the Tai On, Capt. Weatherell, Mr. McCartney and the Portuguese watchman Dias.
The Colonial Secretary, the Hon. Mr. Claud Severn and Mr. Mcl. Messer, Capt. Superintend ent of Pol ce, were also present.
The three men were presented to His Excellency in turn by the Captain Superintendent of Pulice and after a short chat with each His Excellency referred to the piracy in the following terms:-
His Excellency :-Well, gentle men I just wanted to say to you at the earliest possible moment how much I and the Hongkong Government appreciate your services on the occasion of the piratical attack on the Tai On. This is not, of course, the only way in which your services will be recognised. We will do more for you within reason than what am going to do to day. This is merely an informal expression of admiration of your my own conduct and of the thanke of the Government for protecting th British flig and
the pas- were entrusted sengers who
I have Reen to your cire,
stated that resistance to these piracies is more or less humbug, that the best thing officers and crew can do when attacked by pirates is simply to throw up their han ls and let the miscreants work their will upon the ship. Well, that is not my idea of the duty of Englishmen who have the honour of command- ing what are British ships accord- ing to register abipa that although they may be owned by
it
Chinese, who are probably not British subjects, are still ships The that fly the British flag. Government on the last ocession of the piracy of the Tai On took certain measures to give the officera a chance they have never had before of holding their own, an I am proud that upon the first occasion upon which British officers got a chance of holding their own, they should do so to such good effect that they repelled a strenuɔue attack, although they were greatly outnumbered.
It is terrible thing that theso devils-they are no better than devils should set fire to the ship to make good their escape. I hope and pray that every single one of them has met his death or will meet it, and I hope that in the next world they will get due and proper retribution for their brutal conduct which has led to a terr- ible loss of life. I can tell you that the Government will do ita utmost to prevent the occurrence
of such an act as was enacted upon
the Tai Oo.
You know as well as I do that
the number of Chinese boarding these vessels as passengers and the facilities there are for smuggling of arms makes it not an esay thing to do, but still it has to be done and will be done, no matter what money it costs, because I am not going to have the British flag ią- lot of Chinese sulted by a pirates, or pirates of any other nationality, and I thank you most heartily for backing
up the efforts of the Government in this direction and I can assure you that have my admiration, and,
you I may say, the admiration of the Chinese and British communities.
Although the Chinese do not agree a'together with the method of dealing with pirates, they can admire brave men. They think it the best thing to thep hands and let the pirates and that it is bad jiss it you lose your money, bit, as I gave said before yo
aai laud all Englishmen worth twopence do not take this view and are not going to take it,
Captain Wetherall, I will read
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