Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-01-08

shore and arrested Joseph and Thomas
Bunnell, storekeeper and farmer. Ailer
this, their visit was TO no less n person
than William Plat, Esq. (the identical
magistrate before whom the captain OF
the Henry Franklin had entered his pro-
test, in order to arrest him and his son
as parliceps criminis, but the birds had
| flown. In this house of this conservator
Of the peace, Huntington found a guam
ity of the property which had been plum
| dered from vessel called the General
! Putnam, wrecked on Barnegat Shoal in
the year 1888, at which time goods to
the value Of $780, 900 were stolen by the
wreekers. Although The great devil Of
the band and his son had escaped, they
contrived 10 apprehend another pirate
name /ephaniah Johnson, a resident in
| PIa,t's house. Mr.. Huntington states
that nearly two thirds Of The inhabitants
Of that district to the extent Of four or
five miles are implicated in these villain
Gus transactions, to which they were in
stigatcd by the magistrate. Tho work
Of piracy has been going on for years
past, and many Of those concerned have
grown rich by their iniquity. Farmers,
siore-heepers, sailors, and heads Of fam
lies have absconded and left their pro-
pcrty from the dread of the retrIbuiion
which surely awaits them. The names
OF nearly one hundred are known to the
authorities, and no effort will be left un-
tried to bring to punishment one OF the
most extensive banditti that this or any
other country has ever known. Unwil-
ling to excite public prejudice against
those beings, bad as they are, we reirain
from detailing the fend-like arts and con-
tIivances which it is said they resoned
TO, to secure the destruction Of vessels
and the plunder Of property. Many of
them are too horrible for detail and per-
haps arc untrue.
The following additional particulars
are from the New York Transcript:
AT least two-thirds Of the inhabitants
Of that district, for an extent of four or
five miles, are implicated in this demo-
niacal business, to which they were led
on by a magistrate. They have carried
on the work Of piracy there for years
past; it has been the main stay ol the
ma jori,y: many ofthem have grown rich,
and bought farms with the proceeds OIL
their plundcr. Heads Of families, farm
ers, store-keepers, &c. have, for fear of
abscondcd and left their
families and property behind them; but
me asures have been taken by which they
will doubtless all be arrested; for their
names and persons are all well known, 4
o the number Of above a hundred. In
act, so numerous have they been, that
although the authorities (and few 9TH
cis not Imrlicatcd) in the ncig ghborhood,
knew Of their piratical proceedings, they
were absolutely afraid TO give inlorma- =
ton or to modest them, for fear Of being
murdered or burnt in their dwellings at
night; and when Huntington started to
arrest them, the general impression was
hat he would not return alive; and such /
was The dread which they had inspired, /
hat they could get scarcely any one to
assist him. lie spent three nights on t
he coast trying to catch the Justice, who {
5 still at large.
These infamous wrctchcs used to lay
n wait for coastlng vessels, hoist dccoy &
lights at night on the shore, to ensnare ;
'essels passing and repassing; and it is
relieved that numbers o! vessels have u
'een wrecked in this way, their cargocs
tolen, and their crews murdered. The
raies would rise in the morning, and
With their spy glasses Iook out for wrecks. =
IS soon as they saw one, they would no. /
ly the squire; he would come down to
I'll the captain Of the stranded ship that
he wanted TO make his protest, there VI
'as justice Of the peace close at hand o
n this way the latter would learn what ct
argo the vessel had, and tell his gang I'll
the same, and IN the night they would in
C sure to pIundcr the vessel. They ut
ave even been known TO take the budg- in
IS of clothes away, by force, from the fl,
lssengers, that were saved from the h,
rcck; and lailcrly they have become g,
} numerous and bold, that they would :.
under n vessel openly in the day time. "
Too much praise cannot be given to VI
huntington for his activity and intrepid ot
b, and we rejoice that the State will
1w be rid of such set OF lawless and ra
ear,Iess rascals. Before the officer "a
II, an offer was made to him from the Ina
lnaways Chroush n mcdla,or) to pay of
hatever Ibc.lnsurance Company claim ~
J, and to restore all the pIundcred; but .,
IS, oi course, was rejected. =
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the arrival at B,l,morc, Of a.