Seacowboys
08-21-2005, 02:41 PM
Today at 03:00, I was awakened by a telephone call. As are most 03:00 phone calls, this one was bad too. There had been a shooting and one of my crew was in jail; no other details. This is bad enough news in the U.S. but in a third-world crap-hole like this, it is a real eye-opener.
I roused all my crew to do a head-count. That only left the crew aboard the Ellsbeth lll, in the Port at San Pedro de Marcoris unaccounted for. I immediately drove to the port and was greeted by the local Policia and the first-mate aboard the Ellsbeth. Billy Ray and Jacob went ashore for dinner last night and were accosted by armed bandits on their way back to the vessel. Shots were fired and Jacob went down. Billy Ray escaped but the bandits emptied a 92 Berretta into Jacobs back and head and stole all of 200 pesos; about $8.00 and a very promising young man is dead. A fine captain was shot down like a dog.
Billy Ray was interrogated all night by the local policia without an interpretor and not a one of them spoke English. I called the U.S. Embassy just short of the rubber hoses and it is amazing how much cooperation I am now getting with this matter. Suspects have been arrested and a confession is imminant, though absolute culpability is questionable given the means local authorities use to obtain confessions.
Captain Jacob Henry Riehm was my friend and a damned fine captain of salvage tugs. He leaves behind a young wife and two darling children. He was to turn 29 years old tomorrow. I’ll see you across the ditch, my friend.
I roused all my crew to do a head-count. That only left the crew aboard the Ellsbeth lll, in the Port at San Pedro de Marcoris unaccounted for. I immediately drove to the port and was greeted by the local Policia and the first-mate aboard the Ellsbeth. Billy Ray and Jacob went ashore for dinner last night and were accosted by armed bandits on their way back to the vessel. Shots were fired and Jacob went down. Billy Ray escaped but the bandits emptied a 92 Berretta into Jacobs back and head and stole all of 200 pesos; about $8.00 and a very promising young man is dead. A fine captain was shot down like a dog.
Billy Ray was interrogated all night by the local policia without an interpretor and not a one of them spoke English. I called the U.S. Embassy just short of the rubber hoses and it is amazing how much cooperation I am now getting with this matter. Suspects have been arrested and a confession is imminant, though absolute culpability is questionable given the means local authorities use to obtain confessions.
Captain Jacob Henry Riehm was my friend and a damned fine captain of salvage tugs. He leaves behind a young wife and two darling children. He was to turn 29 years old tomorrow. I’ll see you across the ditch, my friend.