1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of My Heart Radio. Hey Zarin, 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: you know it's ridiculous. Yeah, I do, Elizabeth. The fact 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: that chicken comes genetically from dinosaurs, which makes me wonder 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: did dinosaurs tastes like chicken? It's like those dino nuggets. Fine, exactly. 5 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: That is totally ridiculous. Another thing that's ridiculous booze cruises. 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: They are cruze cruises in general, but especially ones that 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: are actually a cover from mass kidnapping. Oh this kidnapping 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: and alcohol on a boat booz cruise kidnapping. This is 9 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: ridiculous crime. A podcast of absurd and outrageous capers, heists 10 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: and cons It is always murder free and one ridiculous. 11 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: I feel like booze cruises are generally a recipe for disaster. 12 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: I would have to agree, having been the disaster. But 13 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: you know, there's one booze cruise in history that is 14 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: by far the worst and most ridiculous of all time. 15 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: Laying on me, Okay, you need to understand that in 16 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: eight gold was found in the California foothills. I've heard that, Yeah, 17 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: I bet you have. For those of us from the 18 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: Golden State, we learned about that in fourth grade. Yeah, 19 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: we did learn about that the Donner Party. The missions. 20 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: It was major fourth grade. Did you have to make 21 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: a mission out of sugarcubes? We have that. We had 22 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: to do a mission out of sugarcube sugar. You had 23 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: to pick a mission, one of the missions in California, 24 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: and then you had to look at the actual architecture 25 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: of it and then build your replica with sugarcubes. And 26 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: you can always tell we parents built the models. Which one? 27 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: Do you remember which mission you selected? Yeah? I got 28 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: Mission Carmel. That's a beautiful I loved it and I 29 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: picked it. That's beautiful. Santa barbar is beautiful, Alexa. They're 30 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: horrible places when you think about them in context, but 31 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: the architecture beautiful. Like they're alicious centers of genocide, however, 32 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: but the that's a beautiful built those doors. So that's 33 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: California history for Californians. For everyone else. You're likely gonna 34 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: have the rough sketch of what happened with the gold Rush, 35 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna give you some really interesting details you 36 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: haven't heard. So I want you to close your eye. 37 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: Close your eyes. October one, eighteen fifty four, one hundred 38 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: drunken sailors crammed into the paddle wheel tug Goliath in 39 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: the San Francisco Bay. What would you do with those 40 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 1: drunk Oh, I'll tell you what we do. We got booze, 41 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: we got drugs, we got inger foods. I did not 42 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: see finger foods the third one on that list. That 43 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: was like, go on, go on, that's like, hello, you're 44 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: throwing a party, booze, drugs, finger foods. You know, parties 45 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: in full effect. This thing is popping. Just like I said, 46 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: hundred just inebriated sailors. Why why were they on this 47 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: booze cruise? I didn't know sailors like booze cruises. I 48 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: think they just did that professional. I think their life 49 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: is a booze. But in particular this one was just 50 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: like they're on this like steamer around the San Francisco Bay. 51 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: They're just tooling around the San Francisco Bay, drinking, carousing. 52 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: And I don't know why, because it was the birthday 53 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: of one James Kelly. James Kelly, a rough and tumble, 54 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: ginger headed irishman. Oh not Jim Kelly, the quarterback of 55 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: the Buffalo Bills. No, not time traveling Jim ca Okay, 56 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: James Kelly, he owned boarding houses, he owned saloons. Everybody 57 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: knew who James Kelly was. Um, and he all of 58 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: his stuff was on the Barbary Coast in San Francisco. 59 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: So yeah, the North Beach area what is now North 60 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: Beach Chinatown ish, but closer down to the water, like 61 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: what is now inland a little bit, was actually right 62 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: on the water. So he he just is the man there. He's, 63 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: you know, got all these businesses and stuff. Um. He says, 64 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: it's his birthday and he wants to celebrate, so he 65 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: spreads word. He gets a hundred sailors on this ship. Sailors. 66 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: Why does he want to celebrate his birthday with a 67 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: hundred sailors? Not He's who isn't he? He go, he 68 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: just spreads word around the saloons and the boarding houses, 69 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: and most of them are sailors that are in there. 70 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,359 Speaker 1: Like using that as a tactic to get invites for 71 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: your party, it just seems like you're not getting the 72 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: creme dela creme. I'm well, yes, but it was very 73 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: a very particular, very intentional move. He wanted to get well, 74 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: you'll see, so he says, we're just going to cruise 75 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: around the bay, maybe go down south to Alviso, which 76 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: is now Santose and well it's now it's sort of 77 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,679 Speaker 1: a neighborhood there, but it's like the closest to the bay. 78 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: And he says, we're just gonna cruise around, just gonna party. Man, 79 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: it's my birthday. Like, let's cut loose, let's let off 80 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: a little steam, loosen your ties, fellas. By the end 81 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: of the night, those one sailors are going to be 82 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: outside the bay, outside the Golden Gate, which didn't have 83 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: a bridge at that point but was still called the 84 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: Golden Gate, on different ships headed to ports unknown. This 85 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: was the greatest caper of the most famous crimper hold 86 00:05:53,720 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: on James Shanghai Kelly. So been ain't easy. Ain't easy. 87 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: So I'm going to take a really quick break and 88 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: then i just need to gather myself because I love 89 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: this story so much. It is running through my body 90 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: in an electrical manner. I'm just gonna be sitting here 91 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: thinking about crimping and finger foods, and then I'm going 92 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: to give you the ridiculous backstory on this ridiculous man 93 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: in his ridiculous crime. We'll be right back after a break. 94 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: All right, So let's take it back a couple of years. 95 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: People came from all over the world to make their 96 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: fortunes and pull gold from the clear, sweet waters of 97 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: the foothills of the Seer and of out of the mountains. 98 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: You know, this stuff was everywhere, just laying there for 99 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: you to grab, tripping over big big boulder. The boulders 100 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: and nuggets now the main port of entry for these prospectors, 101 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: the forty Niners as we called them, because gold found 102 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: in eighteen eighteen forty nine is when people start arriving 103 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. That's why they called the team the 104 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: forty Niners minor forty nine. They set up in San Francisco. 105 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: But you know many who set up shop in San 106 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: Francisco didn't. They didn't run up to the hills in 107 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: search of gold. Right. They come out to gold country 108 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: and they're like, I'm not about the gold. Well, think 109 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: about it. Anytime you have some sort of boom, there's 110 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: associative businesses, Oh yeah, oh yeah. If you want to 111 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: get rich, cell shovels precisely. So you have these people 112 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: who show up in San Francisco. They're selling the goods 113 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: and the supplies to the prospectors, but they're also fulfilling 114 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: the needs of these associative businesses. There's food, there's laundry, banking, construction, 115 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: Trouse inventing jeans, leave Strouse yeah, no, legit, yeah, and 116 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: for and you have the like Wells, fargo and all 117 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff. You have um, seamstresses, you have 118 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: saddle makers, um, so all these people and at the 119 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: same time, it's a really permissive, wild boomtown and it's 120 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: the perfect place to offer any vice you can think of. 121 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: So you have alcohol, you have women, drugs, gambling, some 122 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: of my favorite vices go on. Yeah, just all the 123 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: good stuff. And the epicenter for all these illicit trades 124 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: was the Barbary Coast. So you have all these people 125 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: coming in and just a boomtown. More and more people 126 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: arriving every single day, and they're coming by boat. So 127 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: the San Francisco Harbor is absolutely just clogged, choked with ships. 128 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: Because what happens is that the ship's you know, arriveing port, 129 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,079 Speaker 1: the crew gets off the ship, they unload, and then 130 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 1: the crew just takes off there either like you know what, 131 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: I gotta go get some gold or this place is amazing. 132 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,319 Speaker 1: The weather is great. There's you know, as much opium 133 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: as I can smoke, and I can gamble and be 134 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: a crazy man, or you know what, I really just 135 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: want to like live a normal life and have a 136 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: job and start a dry goods business. Everybody basically saying, look, 137 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: I don't want to be involved in what is basically 138 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: the standards of the British Navy at sea when I 139 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: can be living in a libertine palace like San Francisco 140 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: where everybody's hanging out and doing whatever they want. Totally totally, Yeah, 141 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: you can have a sucky life on a boat, or 142 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: you can come to like this new as uh. They 143 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,719 Speaker 1: used to say. The Baghdad on the bay I was 144 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: running was like the Paris of the west. They that's 145 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,239 Speaker 1: funny they call a Baghdad in the twenties and Santisco 146 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: Baghdad in the forties. And we still make fun of 147 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: Baghdad from the standpoint because it was a really cosmopolitan, 148 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: incredible until anyway, Um, so all these people there, all 149 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: these ships and the captains. Sometimes the captains would bail 150 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: out too, and so they would just scuff for the ship. 151 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: They just like ditch it on the shore and they'd 152 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 1: take off, and a lot of those ships that were 153 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: abandoned were turned into landfill, which is why the waterfront 154 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: is further out into the bay today than it was 155 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: at the time. It just built on top of the ship. Yeah, 156 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: they just like smash it up and shoved it because 157 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: all marshy sandy. Oh, that's right. When they're digging that 158 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: bar train, they went through a ship or whatever. Like 159 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: the Montgomery Station I believe is the one that went 160 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 1: straight through a ship. And whenever they do those kind 161 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: of excavations for construction, they find you know, like I'm 162 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: sure the Salesforce tower is built on top of a ship. Probably. Yeah. 163 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 1: And the thing is, that's also why in the Loma 164 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 1: Priata earthquake, when all the buildings in the Marina District pancakes, 165 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: it's because the ground liquefied, because it's not really ground, 166 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: it's landfill and sandy. So totally. So some of those 167 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: ships are smashed in and like used his landfills. Some 168 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: were used as hotels, and yeah, they will just like 169 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: shove it onto the ground and then like cut a 170 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,439 Speaker 1: door and there's all hey, it sounds like Australian built. 171 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: I don't even know what that means, but it's funny. Um, 172 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: so they have all these ships, but then they have 173 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: the ones that still are seaworthy, and you do have 174 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: stuff that needs to come back out. You have people 175 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: who need to go places male raw goods, some of 176 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: the gold needs to be then you know, talking other places. Uh. 177 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: So there's a need for the crew, and there are 178 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: no crews most of the time. I mean that's like 179 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: a huge overstatement, but it's really really hard to to 180 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: staff a ship in those especially with qualified sailors. I'm 181 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: not sure it's not hard to get a thirteen year 182 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: old boy, but like totally yeah, but you need you 183 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: need someone who knows what they're doing. You know, it's 184 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: got their sea legs. Um, So they have to go 185 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 1: and find all these people. Um, they have to get 186 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: a crew. What do you do? You gotta get these 187 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: empty ships out of harbor too, so that more ships 188 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 1: can come in. It's like when you're on an elevator 189 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: and it's crowded, or like when you're on a subway 190 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 1: car and you're trying to get off and everyone's trying 191 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: to get on. You're like, look, man, if you let 192 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: me out of this elevator, you let me out of 193 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 1: this subway car, then there's room for you. So that's 194 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: kind of how it was in the bay. Let let 195 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: me get these ships out and then you can get 196 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: more ships in evan flow. Don't block the flow. Don't 197 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: block the flow. So what happens is that they have 198 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:42,439 Speaker 1: these deserted ships. Someone's going to fill a need. Enter Shanghai. Kelly, 199 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: Oh you got a nickname? Got a nickname. That's James Kelly. 200 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: He's an innkeeper, Republican and a crimper pub owner. He's 201 00:12:55,400 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: a saloon gay, a wiggly tas wiggly. He's a crimper. 202 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: You wanted to know what a crimper. I'm on the 203 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: edge of my wheelchair crimping. You're legitimately sitting in a wheelchair. 204 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: Oh that yeah, I should say that I am not 205 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: habitually in a wheelchair, but I choose to be in 206 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: a wheelchair for my desk chair because it's the most 207 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: comfortable chair and I'm on the edge of it right now. Yeah, 208 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: you literally are crimping. Crimping is Shanghai, and which we 209 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: what we call Shanghai. I don't know why I didn't 210 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: put that. It was like sort of the press gang thing. 211 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: Didn't think is he the one who gives us. He's 212 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,079 Speaker 1: the one who gives us. The term to Shanghai is 213 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: Shanghai Kelly. So, but he was a crimper. He participated 214 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: in crimping, and there was like a three stage system 215 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: to crimping. In order to get there. You've got the 216 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: captain of a ship who's saying like, hey, hey, I 217 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: need warm bodies. Hey, Shanghai, you have for me. I 218 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: need I need about a dozen guys. And he's like, 219 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: no problem guy. So he has his saloons, he has 220 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: has some guys who are living in the boarding houses. 221 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: He makes it really appealing to come drink in the saloon. 222 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: Stage one was the Miss Piggot Special. She was another 223 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: crimper at the time and she developed this cocktail, the 224 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: Miss Picket Special, and it was schnops beer and lauding them. 225 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: Oh wow. So like the Consciousness Remover, the Widow Maker. 226 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: If you go, you're like, you know, but they don't 227 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: order it that way. They're not like, get me of 228 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: the piggots, I'll take a double. I don't want to 229 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: think about tomorrow, you know. They're just like, you know, 230 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: bar keep, get me your finest grog. I don't know. 231 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: And so there are the bar attenders like the mixologist. 232 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: It's like early mixologists where they have the handlebar mustache 233 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: and they're like, might I interest, I'm going to set 234 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: fire to this orange peel and burn the brandy from 235 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: the marnier. I say this as someone who's tipple of 236 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: choice is like crystal light. But I like that you 237 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: say tipple of choice because I'm also like an eighty 238 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: five year old woman. So the miss pig It Special. 239 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: They give one to the to the guy. Sometimes the 240 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: wayward sailor drinks it off, he goes. You just collapses. 241 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: Now that's one. That's phase one. That's great if that works. 242 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: If that doesn't work, if he if he nails the drink, 243 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: and it's like what else you got crap? Okay, they 244 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: give him a Shanghai smoke Shanghai specially rolled cigars from 245 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: a supplier in Chinatown who would lace them with opium. 246 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: So you've had the miss pig It's Special. You've got 247 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: schnop which schnops? Are you kidding me? But then imagine 248 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: it's like the schnops of today. So it's like root 249 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: beer schnaps and a beer and then a vic in. 250 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: The Piggy Special piggy special. So the Shanghai smoke. They 251 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: give him a cigar laced with opium. They're puffing away 252 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: on that. No, no funny smoke, no wacky tobaccy, no 253 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: actual pot, just lauding um. I guess opium rather opium. Yeah, No, 254 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: I don't know if they were growing a lot of 255 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: well California, I figured like the Mexican definitely that was 256 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: a plant of choice at the time, but just you know, 257 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: maybe they weren't sharing it with Yeah, that's very possible. 258 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: Maybe they hadn't found the joys of the miracle regia 259 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: of the jazz cabbage. So the guys are hitting these 260 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: Shanghai smokes. Now some of them after that they've got 261 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: the drink the Shanghai smoke and then keel over. Great. 262 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: Then you have some of these hard boiled chaps, white people, 263 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: so they they've got all this stuff in them and 264 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: they've got a high tolerance, and they're just like, oh, 265 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: I'll have another. They don't have time for that. So 266 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: Shanghai Kelly has some guys his employee who then would 267 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: use a blackjack and hit him over the head. But 268 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: now we're guaranteed hit off switch right and so one 269 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: of his his pubs is one of his saloons is 270 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: the Old Ship Saloon, which is still exists in San Francisco, 271 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,880 Speaker 1: and uh, it's located now a couple of blocks from 272 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: the water, but it used to be right on the water, 273 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: and Shanghai Kelly had these guys and little rowboats who 274 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: would come up under because it was sort of up 275 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,680 Speaker 1: on stilts, I guess on the water front. Yea. And 276 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 1: Shanghai Kelly had trapdoors in the saloon. So he knocks 277 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: them out and they're on the trap door and then zoinks, 278 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: they spring them and they drop into the waiting rowboat, 279 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: and then his minions row the sailor out hoist him 280 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 1: up onto the ship. And when the captain has enough guys, 281 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 1: then off they go and they're all set. He's got it. 282 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: They get like twelve guys in a night. Oh, easily, easily. 283 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: So the captain comes to Shanghai Kelly and says how 284 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: many he needs, and then he just keeps fulfills the 285 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: order and then off they go. So they're out cold 286 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: by the time they come to in these ships, they're 287 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: out in the open Pacific Ocean and on their way 288 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: many times to Shanghai, and they people called it Shanghai 289 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: because if you got sent to Shanghai, it was probably 290 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: about a year before you'd be able to get back. 291 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 1: It was such a long journey because when you get there, 292 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: then you have to bounce around to all these other ports. 293 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: Can you imagine being angry for a full year, just pissed? 294 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: I totally could. Look, I've done it. But yeah, so 295 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: you're stuck and you know, maybe this isn't what you did, 296 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: and hopefully you're not a greenhorn sailor what if you 297 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: what if you're just like a guy who decided to 298 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: come to get his fortune and didn't head up to 299 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: the hills. Oh yeah, you're some like wastral third son 300 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: of an east with family. You can't even tie his 301 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: own shoes, and now you've got to do ropes and 302 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: then you deserve it our classes. It totally is. So 303 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: these guys are screwed. They're out on the ocean. But 304 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: this is how Shanghai Kelly is really making his money, 305 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: because you know, you've got some money coming in from 306 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: the boarding house with a saloon, but the real money 307 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: isn't getting paid in human cargo. Of course, this is 308 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,360 Speaker 1: a common occurrence. One day, captains of three ships come 309 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: to Shanghai Kelly and they say, look, we are in 310 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: a serious buying here. Kel's we got big trouble. We 311 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: need men, big trouble, a little China, little China town. James, 312 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: Shanghai Kelly's like, all right, friends, how many do you needs? 313 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: Don't call me Shanghai for a reason. And they say, 314 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: caw cow, we need we need between us a hundred 315 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: men hundred. He's like, oh, dude, I don't think I can. 316 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: I can't knock out a hundred guys on one night. 317 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: There are other crimpers, right, and he could work with him, 318 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: but he doesn't want to. But also, that's a that's 319 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: a tall order. And as we have noted earlier, crimping's crimpin, 320 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: you know it's just not um it's hard out there 321 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: for a crimping it. So here's this huge order and 322 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: he's thinking, like what do I do? But you know what, 323 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: you know what I like about Shanghai Kelly. It's always 324 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: got a plan, optimistic man with a plan. He's a 325 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: clever little fellow. Yeah, you don't earn a nickname without 326 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: that kind of gumption exactly. So I'm going to tell 327 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 1: you all about the plan, but first we need to 328 00:20:38,160 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: take a break back after this. So back to Shanghai. Kelly. 329 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: He's this fixture on the Barbary coast. He's got saloons, 330 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: he's got boarding houses and goddamn it, he loves the party. 331 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: What a combo. So don't forget he needs a hundred men. 332 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: So he goes around and he tells everyone like, hey, 333 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: hated Lee, hated Lee. It's my breath. It's my birthday. 334 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,919 Speaker 1: And people are like, that's great. He's like, no, come on, 335 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: way to not die last year. Congrats. Uh it's no 336 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: One knows if it really was near even near as 337 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't. I don't think he knew what his body was. 338 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: It was very common, you know. He's like had a 339 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: ballpark figure of when his birthday would be. He he 340 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: goes around, he tells everyone, it's my birthday and I 341 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: am so successful and I love my life and I'm 342 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: so I want to share my joy. This is a 343 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: transcript that I found. He's so excited about this and 344 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: his his enthusiasm is infectious. He says, you guys, I 345 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 1: have so much and it's all thanks to you all. 346 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,159 Speaker 1: Use sailors who stay in my boarding houses and drinking 347 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: my saloons. I mean, because it's not as if every 348 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: single time one of these dudes went in the saloon 349 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: they got knocked out, you know. And I'm imagining they're 350 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: picking some of these people, like nobody's gonna miss Ball exactly. 351 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: They're like, and they're glad to see him go through 352 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: the trapdoor. I would not stop reciting his own poetry. 353 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 1: So like he gets everyone all riled up. He's like, 354 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 1: you know what, I I want a party, and I'm 355 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:41,679 Speaker 1: gonna party my way. I've got this boat that I 356 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: have access to. It's a paddle wheel steamer. It's called 357 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 1: the Goliath, and everyone's like the Goliath. Yeah, the Goliath. 358 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: I am going to stock it so full of alcohol 359 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: and drugs and food and we're just gonna have a 360 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,439 Speaker 1: Buchan all on a bay. And is he bringing out 361 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 1: like sex workers too, I would imagine. So although you know, 362 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,200 Speaker 1: like from the accounts that I've read, it just sounds 363 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:13,160 Speaker 1: like it's a dude booze cruise sausage party were different. 364 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: Let's just say you probably had a couple of ladies 365 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: on there because you gotta otherwise. Some of these guys 366 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 1: are gonna be like, no, hold on a second, like 367 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: what are we gonna do? Just brow down on the water. 368 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,919 Speaker 1: That's nothing. You know that there's there's a reason why 369 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: fight clubs were popular for a while well, and they 370 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: actually it's interesting you bring up fight clubs because James 371 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: Shanghai Kelly. There was another guy who was a sort 372 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: of underling of his who um went by the name 373 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: of Shanghai Chicken, Sang Chicken. What's your street name? Son 374 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: Chang Chicken. And then he had a he had a 375 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 1: partner named Orange Chicken. And I was kidding, come on now, 376 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: and his buddy General sald and they rode the Panda Express. 377 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: Now they Shanghai Chicken. He was another Irish bloke, another fella, 378 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 1: and but they all they did fight clubs, I figured 379 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: knuckle brawling, and and what was kind of cool about 380 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: it is that they would they would put up these 381 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: little flyers that they were going to have these brawls, 382 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,919 Speaker 1: but they were legal, and so they would put up 383 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 1: flyers with the wrong location and people would know that 384 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: if one location was stated that it was actually a 385 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: different one. Shanghai Kelly was involved in it. And then 386 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: all these other all these other crimpers Um and then 387 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: just general roustabouts in the Barbary Coast. They had bare 388 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: knuckle boxing. One time they were going to have they 389 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 1: said it was going to be in Saceleto, which is 390 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: a tony you know Marin County name, and the you know, 391 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 1: I don't know who would who would be enforcing this 392 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: kind of thing, but the fuzz of the day took 393 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: a boat and rowed themselves out to sauce Leto. No fight. 394 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: They had gone over to Point Isabel the dog park, 395 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: the dog park fun fact, largest dog park in the 396 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 1: United States today. Um, but Point is About the time 397 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: was just you know, like a marshy area over in 398 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: the East Bay. They had their brawl there and then 399 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: the papers would report on it in the sort of 400 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,919 Speaker 1: breathless accounts of how exciting it was that they you know, 401 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: beat the snot out of each other. But this happened 402 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,119 Speaker 1: all the time, so I'm sure that there were you know, 403 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: enticements of bare knuckle fights on the boat and you 404 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: know it's just just gonna be a free for all, 405 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 1: complete free for all, and everyone's getting really excited. They're 406 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: so excited for this birthday. Booze cruise, the word is 407 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: spreading all over and he says, all right, I'm gonna 408 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: take I can feel like a hundred people on this boat, 409 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: So come on down, piles everybody on the ship. They 410 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:49,239 Speaker 1: kind of paddle around, they you know, cruise around a 411 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: little bit. Everyone's just trashed, completely wasted. And then when 412 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: he gets to the point where all the sailors on 413 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 1: the ship are incapacitated, they had outside at the bay 414 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 1: out to the marine headlands, just outside the bay where 415 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: there are three ships waiting the captains who had come 416 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: to him earlier. Give me some dude, and so they 417 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 1: start loading dudes are unconscious, unconscious, so they're just basically 418 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,360 Speaker 1: throwing bags of men onto boat, right, And a lot 419 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: of times they would strip them nude and wrap them 420 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: in a blanket. And I don't know why that is. 421 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: It's just more fun, right, I guess it's more humiliating 422 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: for them, like who's the boss? Like you wake up 423 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: and you're you're stripped naked and you're in like a 424 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: scratchy blanket and you're like, oh, you know what you 425 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 1: showed me, captain. And they didn't have like driver's license 426 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: and papers they kept on them that identified them, right, 427 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: I mean so it wasn't like you needed to separate 428 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: them from their wallet. No. I mean, I'm sure they 429 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,359 Speaker 1: did have a build folder whatever they had, or I'm 430 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: sure they had some documents, and yeah, they probably wanted 431 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: to separate them from anything. And then maybe they wouldn't 432 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 1: put it past old Shanghai to turn around and sell 433 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,439 Speaker 1: the clothes. Oh, of course he probably actually rented the 434 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: club rented him out. So yeah, So he's stumping all 435 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: these guys on the boats outside of the San Francisco 436 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 1: Bay and if captains pay him off, and he's got 437 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: all his money, and he's just like, you know what 438 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: I am. I am a genius. I love it when 439 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: a plan comes together. This was great. And he's high 440 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,159 Speaker 1: five and all the other like you know, assistance of 441 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: his and they're just like, he's high five in Shanghai, Chicken, 442 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: we did it. We did a chicken and so and 443 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: then they fight it out a little bit and it's 444 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: just the testosterone on that boat. So they have a 445 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:45,160 Speaker 1: moment though, where he's like, hold on a second. Everybody 446 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: in San Francisco knows about this booze cruise and I'm 447 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: about to return to the harbor with an empty boat. 448 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: That's not a good luck. That raised his eyebrows. And yeah, 449 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: so they're like chewing on their hangnails and looking. Everybody 450 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: got off at Tiberon. I took him across and I 451 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,400 Speaker 1: was just running a giant ferry service. They loved Alviso 452 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: down south, so like, what do we do? Well? Then 453 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: a boat comes up, you know, heading into the bay, 454 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: and I'm not you know, I'm not sure how this 455 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: kind of stuff would work if they like, you know, 456 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: pull up alongside and exchange pleasantries. It's basically it's like, hey, hey, 457 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: what's up, dude? Boat? This passing boat comes and they're like, hey, 458 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: did you hear? And and Shanghai is like, oh what 459 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: did I hear? What I said? A boat ran aground 460 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: a little further down the coast a bit and it's 461 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: taken on water as a ton of people. Oh my god, 462 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,479 Speaker 1: his prayers are answered. This was a common occurrence up 463 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: and now. Of course it may happen. It's a rocky coast. 464 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: It can happen. So he's like, full speed ahead, brothers. 465 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: And they go down the coast and there's a ship, 466 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: the Yankee Blade run aground, taken on water. Now, but 467 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: he's in a paddle wheel steamship like you would have 468 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: on the Mississippi River, and he's taking it out into 469 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 1: some of the roughest water in the Pacific and then 470 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: making a left turn. I love that form. Well, if 471 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: you're Shanghai Kelly, nature works by your rules. Oh yeah, 472 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: you got a pair of brassls totally too. So he 473 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: goes down there, he's like, hey, I'm here to save 474 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: the day. Get on board, and he's you know, and 475 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 1: people whose clapping and the water logged clapping and um. Now, 476 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: there are some people who dispute this account. Those people 477 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: are not fund sticklers for details. My grandmother always told 478 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: me never let the truth get in the way of 479 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: a good story. Grand and I would say that the 480 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 1: fact that this story persisted in so many avenues, and 481 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: then you had like buzz kills later who wanted to 482 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: point out that maybe maybe the actual shipwreck was further 483 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: down the coast than was possible for him to reach. Whatever, 484 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: Thanks Twitter, I just I'm gonna go with the conventional 485 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: knowledge legend in San Francisco. So he goes down He's like, 486 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 1: everybody quick on the boat, I'm here to rescue you. 487 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 1: I'm SKA Kelly I'm hello, hey, everybody, I'm Shanghai Kelly. 488 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: Didn't that sound like him? Um, so he gets all 489 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: the people on. Apparently there was also a bunch of 490 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: gold bars on the ship, on the ship of the 491 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 1: Yankee Blade, and um, he lightened that load and it 492 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: was never seen again. But the insurance company was told 493 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: that it it went down with the ship and then 494 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: split it with the captain of the Yankee Blade. He 495 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: doesn't split anything. I think he was just he sent 496 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: his little dudes, he sent to chicken down and was 497 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 1: like loaded up man. And uh like fifty years later, 498 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: there's an article in one of the papers saying, you know, 499 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: we my my father was on that boat and there 500 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: was gold and I'd like to know what became of it. 501 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: No one cared. They've moved on. They've moved on. So 502 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: they lowered everybody up, head back into the bay, you know, 503 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: pulls into port. People are excited. Now he kind of 504 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: does this two ways. Um, he's hailed as a hero 505 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: for saving all these people. So you have the people 506 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: flooding off the ship. Oh my god, this guy, Mr Kelly, 507 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: this little, tiny, tiny, red headed little sprite. He saved us. 508 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: And you know, the people of San Francisco. Oh, he's wonderful. 509 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: And then they're also the people who kind of noticed, Oh, 510 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: the full boat came back and there you know, how 511 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: how is your birthday, James? And he say it's great, 512 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 1: great cruise. So people weren't saying to hold on a second, 513 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: you saved all these people from a from a shipwreck. 514 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,479 Speaker 1: What happened to all of your booze cruise? Or there 515 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 1: were no women and children when you left, You come 516 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: back and now there are women and children on the boat, 517 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: babies on there. I think that it would probably be 518 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: more logical that perhaps he had a hundred sailors and 519 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: he came back with two d he's acting a part 520 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: of the crowd. Yeah. Yeah, so he's this hero and um, 521 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:24,239 Speaker 1: everyone's happy except the one hundred groggy sailors who are 522 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 1: on the choppy waters of the Pacific headed to Shanghai 523 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 1: clutching their heads and cursing the name of James Shanghai. Kelly, 524 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: can you imagine, like Europe, father a brother, you leave 525 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: home to go get a drink for the night, and 526 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: like you've got you know, kids, work a whole life, 527 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,479 Speaker 1: You got to get a drink. You wake up on 528 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 1: the way to the Pacific. You're like a single dad, 529 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: I would be in a panic. If you are even 530 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 1: a married father who has like kids in the family, 531 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: You're like, oh God, what am I gonna do? I'm 532 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: gonna come back. He's gonna be married to my neighbor. 533 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,080 Speaker 1: I mean, like, I can't imagine how a person do 534 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: you tell yourself that, Like, Okay, a year from now 535 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: when I get back, hopefully. I don't think you had 536 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: a lot of married guys. You don't think poking around 537 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: down there, there were so many single men and a 538 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: lot of the married, right, and they were coming over 539 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: the people who were families who were living there. We're 540 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: coming from foreign lands. Oh that's what I was kind 541 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 1: of thinking of the ones who maybe didn't know what 542 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:30,239 Speaker 1: they're getting into, and they are married, and they're not 543 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: the types necessarily to gather in these types of bars, 544 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: but they just picked the wrong place. Yeah, I'm sure 545 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 1: that happened, but I don't think it that often. I'd 546 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: be like the one guy in the movie, Well, and 547 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: the families, like like my people came over at that 548 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: time into the Santraist Harbor eight fifty two at that time, 549 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: and they were part of the ones who were um 550 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: paid by the French government to get the hell out 551 00:33:56,040 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: of France. Oh yes, so they had three kinds of 552 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: three classes of people that they would that the French 553 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: sent over. And then you know, they had ads in 554 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:07,959 Speaker 1: the paper all the time about how wonderful it was 555 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: this life in California, that you know, gold nuggets fell 556 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: from the sky into your pockets and that kind of stuff. Um, 557 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 1: but it was an expensive trip, and so the French 558 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 1: government wanted to get rid of a bunch of people. 559 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,800 Speaker 1: So like, the first phase was like political dissidence and 560 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 1: like rogue military people, and then the second phase were 561 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: criminals and drunks, and then the third were just like 562 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: really poor rural peasants. And my people were the peasants, 563 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: although I think some of them fell into category two. 564 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: You know that a little later on, the French they 565 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: also sent over sex workers and they wanted to basically 566 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:50,400 Speaker 1: clean up Paris. And this guy came up with a 567 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 1: plan to clean up the slums of Paris by taking 568 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: a bum and a sex worker, handcuffing them together, saying 569 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:58,640 Speaker 1: that they were married, putting them on a ship, sending 570 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,879 Speaker 1: them to America. Oh so they really liked this plan 571 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: of like let's just you know, send ours, let's and 572 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 1: and not only that, but let's let's make a good 573 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: impression the new country. So the French in you know, 574 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 1: in San Francisco, uh, we're you know not. Other other 575 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:22,439 Speaker 1: countries weren't paying their people to to leave. But when 576 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: you had families that were immigrating over, they kept very 577 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 1: much to themselves in these little pockets. Yeah, so the 578 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: families would stick together, and you know, then you know, 579 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 1: the drunkards or the dissidents or whatever would kind of 580 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: do their own thing, and they'd wind up in the 581 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: Barbary Coast. With the Barbary Coast was very much a 582 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 1: no go zone for most people in San frances the 583 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,720 Speaker 1: decent people, but I'm imagining some of the like edges. 584 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 1: There are people who don't know these things, or either 585 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: they're young or foreign, they don't well. And then on 586 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 1: the on the other part of my family, there was 587 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:57,359 Speaker 1: the cricket Irish cop, so he was down there all 588 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: the time. It was his business, but that was his business. 589 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: So you have mostly these just single guys who are 590 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 1: you know, sailors wanting some adventure, getting a little bit 591 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:12,960 Speaker 1: more than they bargained for now. Do any of them 592 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 1: come back a year later and they're just like whoa, yeah, 593 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:18,640 Speaker 1: oh yeah, And then they want to get Shanghai Kelly. 594 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,240 Speaker 1: I bet, I bet they want to get all the Shanghai. 595 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: Do you know how you know what happened to Shanghai Kelly. Um? No, 596 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:36,359 Speaker 1: he was Shanghai serious, dramatic, and his pal got shanghaied 597 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,880 Speaker 1: and wound up in like Peru or something Shanghai Shanghai 598 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:43,439 Speaker 1: Kelly because that dude should take his name too. Yeah, 599 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, Like, you're no longer Shanghai Kelly. You 600 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: got Shanghai. You got jim Kelly again. Sorry, sorry, sorry Jimmy. 601 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: And then he wound up getting shot and killed down 602 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,760 Speaker 1: in Peru. So that was how he ended his illustrious career. 603 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 1: He died in Peru from lead poisoning. I think it 604 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 1: was well, you know, I mean poisoning. Yeah, so he 605 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:09,480 Speaker 1: uh he he himself was Shanghai in the end. Um. 606 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,840 Speaker 1: What I like about the Shanghai Kelly story is that 607 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: it's like a good example that, as you know, with 608 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 1: anything that's ridiculous, if you go to the wild the 609 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 1: wildest lengths possible, you can get stuff over on people. 610 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: That is true. He kind of goes big. I mean 611 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 1: like he's like, look, I'm going to tell you a story, 612 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 1: but it's so big you can't question it. Right. Well, 613 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,919 Speaker 1: here's something else I was thinking about, is that we're 614 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: sort of in this new gold rush in the Bay 615 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: Area with we have been with tech and everything and 616 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: so and our post truth. So you have like this 617 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: tech moon. You have millionaires overnight, just like you had 618 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 1: in the gold Rush. People come from all over the world, 619 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: just like in the gold Rush. So who's our Shanghai 620 00:37:56,239 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 1: Kelly today, salesforce Zucker? Is it strongly suck? Yeah? I 621 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,800 Speaker 1: just somehim to think about, who's our Shanghai Kelly. Who's 622 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:10,840 Speaker 1: the one who's taking care of the back end, the 623 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: dirty underbelly of this all. No, I feel like I'm 624 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: getting closer. I don't think. I don't have an answer, 625 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 1: but I just don't want the answer. I don't know. 626 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 1: It's it's not cool enough to get a nickname, So 627 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 1: I don't know if he qualifies for the whole Shanghai Kelly. No, No, 628 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 1: Muskox No, He's like, no, he doesn't get anything cool. No. 629 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: I just did something to ponder really are who is 630 00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:38,879 Speaker 1: our Shanghai Kelly. Also, it's interesting about how historically when 631 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 1: there is a boom, there's always a dark side of 632 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 1: the boom. Yeah, you can't have it otherwise, and and 633 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:47,959 Speaker 1: people are going to take advantage. There's how that money 634 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: floating around and like all the optimism and the dreamers 635 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,920 Speaker 1: and the people coming in constantly, you have this high overturned. 636 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: It's a lot like Hollywood. Yeah, exactly. So that's the 637 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:02,360 Speaker 1: story of Shanghai Kelly and ridiculous Um. Thank you for 638 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:04,840 Speaker 1: listening to me tell you that story. Thank you for 639 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 1: telling so welcome for more ridiculous nous. You can find 640 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:14,440 Speaker 1: us online at ridiculous Crime on both Twitter and Instagram. 641 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:18,160 Speaker 1: That's at ridiculous Crime is the handle. Um. If you 642 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 1: have a tip for us on some ridiculous crime, if 643 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 1: you heard something that is just wild and you think 644 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:29,040 Speaker 1: we need to tell each other about it, you can 645 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 1: email us at ridiculous Crime at gmail dot com. And uh, 646 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: that's that's how you want to get in touch. Please 647 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:39,719 Speaker 1: do reach out and get ridiculous for us. It's right. 648 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is hosted by Elizabeth Dutton and Szaren Burnett, 649 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: produced and edited by crimp walker Dave Kusten. Research is 650 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: by the unsinkable Marissa Brown. The theme song is by 651 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:59,240 Speaker 1: wacky cigar roller Thomas Lee and suspicious bar keep Travis Dutton. 652 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: Executive producers are Captain Ben Boland and first mate Noel Brown. 653 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of I Heart Radio. For 654 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,520 Speaker 1: more podcasts to my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 655 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.