The Arkansas advocate., 1831-05-04

thls wretched being, now on the eoai- fines of eternity, to one of the Police ma gistrates, unNeil a career of long and desperate crimes; and they bring the varying torments of his partially ava Ekcned conscience into an existence that is almost visible upon his agitated brow while he recites the horrible catalogue. He has been familiar with scenes Of blood and carnage, even from his boy hood, and an active partieipator in the commission of crimes that are stamped with the most shocking barbarity. We have been unable 10 obtain the entire confession which he has made, but the following brief sketch of his life may be relied on as authentic, so far as it goes.
 When but about l5 years of age, he was a sailor on board the sloop of war Hornet, and was in the action when she captured the sloop of war Peacock, oil the coast of Pernambuce. Upon the return of the Hornet to the United States, he followed the gallant Captain LAWRENCE to the Chesapeake, and be- came prisoner of war, after the melan- eholy result of her encounter with the Shannon. He states that previous to the engagement, the crew of the Chesa- peakc were almost in a state of mutiny, growing out Of the non-payment of their prize money, and that the address of Capt. Lawrence was received by them with coldness and murmurs. After his exchange, he returned to Boston, where having determined to abandon the sea, he established himselfin the grocery bu- siness, with q capital of one thousand dollars, which he procured from his friends in Rhode Island. How long he continued in that business we know not, but in the end it proved unsuccessful, and he resolved again to try tic sea for a subsistence. With hundred dollars in his pocket, the remnant of his proper ty, he embarked in the ship John, for Buenos Ayres, and his means being ex- haasted soon after his arrival there, he entered on board a Buenos Ayrean pri- Vateer aud sailed on eruze. 4 quar- rel between the officers and crew in re- gard to the division of prize money, led eventually to q mutiny; and the muti- Ineers gaining the ascendency, took pos session of the vessel, landed the officers somewhere on the coast of Florida, and steered for the West Indies, with hearts resolved to make their fortunes at all
 hazards. The horrible atrocities which they committed will be fully developed when the Confessions of Gibbs are made public. We only know that he was a eo-opcrqtor in the capture of nearly twen- tY vessels, and in the murder of near3y four huadfed i1lnaaae beings.
 On one occasion they captured a Dutch ship bound from Curaccoa 10 Liverpool, with valuable cargo, and a company of thirty souls, including the crew. All were put to death with the exception of a young lady about IT, who, though spared, was compelled to witness the heart-rending spectacle of the butchery of her father and mother, before her eyes. They kept her on board for some time, and when it was determined to proceed to Havana, a consultation was held to decide whether it would be safe to give her liberty upon their arrival. The majority were ap- prehensive that she might betray them, and 1t was therefore resolved that she must die. Poison was administered 10 her, and she soon shared the fate of her parents. Gibbs declares that of all the murders in which he has participated, no one has narrowed his soul with so much remorse as the recollection Of the cold blooded destruction of this inter- esting and accomplished female. He ayers that he made vigorous effort to rescue her, but that he was overawed by the rest of his comrades, who would listen 10 no mercy.
 On another occasion, an American ship, the Caroline, was captured by two of the piratical vessels, and run ashore of Cape Antonio. They were busily engaged in landing the cargo, when the United States brig Enterprise hove in sight, and sent her barges toattack them. The pirates defended themselves for some time behind small gun battery, which they had erected, but in the end were forced to abandon their own yes sels and the prize, and fly for safety to the mountains. This account, as given by Gibbs, may be true, though we have no distinct recollection ofsueh-a circum-