 |
|
|
|
 Bully
Hayes, Buccaneer
William Henry Hayes, or Bully, was easily the most
notorious of the many traders to wander Micronesia.
Hayes' nefarious business habits, which frequently involved
deception, piracy, and armed coercion, earned him the title of
the "Last Buccaneer." Bully Hayes was
born in Cleveland and quickly developed a reputation for a fiery
temper and somewhat sociopathic tendencies. He made his
entrance into the Pacific as a trader in the vicinity of New
Zealand where he ran weapons for the rebelling Maori. At
Manihiki, after being rescued from his damaged ship by the
islanders, Hayes promptly sailed to Samoa and sold his saviors
into slavery. Never one to pass up an opportunity, he
dabbled for a time in the growing copra trade, often
intimidating suppliers into handing over their product without
payment. Hayes
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 reverted
to black-birding when trading ceased to amuse him. He
soon acquired a new ship named Leonora with which
he prowled the area around Pohnpei and Kosrae. The Leonora
was finally wrecked in 1874 south of Kosrae. Hayes found himself
marooned for months, using his free time to convince the
gullible missionaries that he had miraculously found God.
Eventually Hayes made his way to San Francisco, where he conned
someone out of a small yacht, called Lotus, and
stocked it with supplies stolen from a lighthouse. Just as
he was beginning to rekindle his adventurous career, Bully Hayes
was murdered by shipmate, Henry Radeck, after a violent
disagreement. He was dumped overboard. Relieved that the menace
was finally gone, the authorities found no reason to investigate
the murder or prosecute anyone involved.
|
|
 |
