The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen Read Free Page A

fifty-eight barrels of beef, and having hired three more hands, they set sail for Ostend, and there having sold more barrels of beef, they steered their course to Rotterdam, disposed of the rest of the cargo, and took in one Mr Annesley, who freighted the ship for England; but in their passage, in a stormy night, it being very dark, they took up Mr Annesley their passenger, and threw him into the sea, who swam about the ship a long while, calling out for life, and telling them they should have all his goods, if they would receive him again into the vessel; but in vain were his cries!
    After this, they were obliged to put into several ports, and hearing there was an enquiry made after the ship, Roche quitted her at Harve de Grace, and left the management to Cullen and the rest; who having shipped other men, sailed away to Scotland, and there quitted the vessel, which was afterwards seized and brought into the river Thames.
    Some time after this, Philip Roche came to London, and making some claim for money he had made insurance of, in the name of John Eustace; the office was apprised of the fraud, and he was arrested and flung into the Counter from whence directing a letter to his wife, she shewed it to a friend, who discovered by it, that he was the principal villain concerned in the destruction of Peter Tartoue, and the crew. Upon this an information was given to my Lord Carteret, that the person who went by the name of John Eustace was Philip Roche, as aforesaid; and being brought down by his Lordship’s warrant, he stiffly denied it for some time, notwithstanding a letter was found in his pocket, directed to him by the name of Roche; but being confronted by a Captain of a ship, who knew him well, he confessed it, but prevaricated in several particulars; whereupon he was committed to Newgate upon violent suspicion, and the next day was brought down again at his own request, confessed the whole, desired to be made an evidence, and promised to convict three men worse than himself. Two were discovered by him, who died miserably in the Marshalsea, and Roche himself was afterwards tried, (no more being taken,) found guilty of the piracy, and executed.

    The Manner Of Executing The Russian Pirates on The Volga
    The Volga is, or used to be, frequently infested with pirates, who go in gangs of thirty, forty, or sometimes eighty persons; they make use of row-boats, which carry from twenty to thirty hands, and furnish themselves with fire-arms: their general practice is to board immediately; but where they apprehend a brave resistance they seldom make an attack. Hence few of the Russian merchants transport any cargo of value down the river, without a convoy. These robbers appear mostly in the spring, when the Volga being overflowed, they can the more easily escape a pursuit. The soldiers, who are occasionally sent after them, are ordered to take them alive, from the apprehension that allowing them to kill might prove fatal to the innocent through the strong temptations to plunder with which the soldiers are actuated.

    The punishment of these wretches when taken is not less dreadful than the cruelties they commit. A float is built, whereon a gallows is erected, on which is fastened a number of iron hooks, and on these they are hung alive by the ribs. The float is then launched into the stream: and the orders are given to all the towns and villages on the borders of the river, that none, upon pain of death, shall afford relief to any of the wretches: but put off the float if it runs ashore. Sometimes they are met by their partners in wickedness, who, if they have any hopes of their recovery, take them down, otherwise they put an end to their misery by shooting them; but if they are caught in these illegal acts of mercy, they are themselves hung up without the ceremony of a trial. It is said that one of these miscreants had the good fortune to disengage himself from the hook, and though naked and trembling with pain and loss of blood,