At the turn of the 20th century, an infamous pirate known as Roaring Dan Seavey ruled the Great Lakes. Sailing aboard his ship The Wanderer, Seavey was known for stealing ships, selling illegal goods, holding brothels aboard his vessel, and fighting men to the death in saloons.
Perhaps his most famous crime involved the hijacking of the Nellie Johnson schooner in 1908. After docking his boat in Grand Haven, Michigan, Seavey and his crew boarded the Nellie Johnson with a keg of whiskey, and a plan.
For the next few hours, Seavey got the Nellie crew drunk beyond their wits, all while staying sober
himself. And then, when the moment was right, he threw the drunken of the Nellie Johnson overboard. Seavey
set the Nellie’s sails to Chicago, where he would sell all its valuable cargo for profit.
Three weeks later he was finally arrested, but to the surprise of historians, he walked free. Did he bribe the jury? Did he intimidate the witnesses? No one quite knows for sure.
For more pirate tales of Great Lakes’ past, tune in to the Michigistory podcast.
