He proved to be a disappointment to his father, who wanted him to be a soldier. Richard preferred the pen and tended to spend hours writing. Woefully, his stories were rampant with plagiarism and he was forced to flee the Empire.

When he arrived at the immigration office, he was asked his name and trade. "I'm Quinn, the writer", he replied. Unfortunately the clerk thought he said fighter, so Richard was sent to Oakland to capture and kill the coasts most notorious pirates, perilous Pete and his wife Mary Lou. They were widely feared and their sailing vessel, the Sea Jay, was known in all the seven seas.

It was known that their hideout was somewhere near Oakland, hidden in a peaceful estuary. More because he wished for more material for his stories than for his bravery, Richard led a small band of fighters to the pirates lair and dealt a final blow to the infamous cut-throats. Actually, the mighty Quinn, as he was known, had set perilous Pete and Mary Lou adrift in a dinghy, knowing that they would return and provide him with a wonderful conclusion to his story.

The authorities thought that it was strange that the mighty Quinn volunteered to be the only keeper for the lighthouse, built on the site of the pirates' den, yet he remained there for forty years. He kept an eternal watch, always waiting for the pirates to return, always waiting for that final episode. To this day, whenever a sailing boat approaches, all eyes turn to look, as if the ghost of Richard Turner Quinn makes everyone a part of his vigil.

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