Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-12-27
For the Wisco,s; m
VI me Wisconsin Herald
Forty years ago...Kiad,s

rory years ago..-Kidd's Money.
You and your readers are aware tba, e..
are being made to raise the hulk ~ ., =,
ship in the Hudson river. supposed 10 b,,a
been Kids ship, in which was SINK b.
amount of the sPOils of the pirate. The com
pany thus employed have had reco,,.a ),
Mesnerism. clairvoyance, somnambulisn ga
/ don't know what I'll, to ascertain the wbs,,
abouts of the ship, and the amour, Of oold
silver, jewels. &C., buried 10 her upde, ,ha
waters Of that noble river.
How they know the pirate Kidd was eve,
on the Hudson, am not aware. The onI,
sketch of his life ever saw, gave no such
information. Bot do know tina, trad;t;o,
along the banks Of the Hudson and Long
Island Sound, points 10 hundreds of place.
where 1t is supposed he buried some of his
treasure. One Of these places was in gloomy
pine grove which. forty years ago, stood near
to where the Sing Sing State prison now
stands: On some accounts this grove, in my
ooyhood, was beautiful and pleasant place.
Ii bordered upon the beautiful Hsdson, the
land was smooth, and inclined towards the
river. Al the northwest. angle of i. was 10
Dc Seen souIe relics of the old silver min.
wrought by the British prior to the Revolution.
which was said 10 have extended some six,v
feet under the surface of the water. Attn
southwest angle vas TO be seen an old ditch
or breast-work, in which some troublesome
Wings of the Revolution lay concealed ope
night 10 lniercep! aud break off a communica.
'Ion between a gang of cowboys and the
British guard ship, then lying off that point;
and In which they succeeded, killing mum.
Der of seamen and some COWBOYS, and took
the whole drove Of stolen cattle, returning them
to their proper owners. But it was gloomy
because the trees, though no, large or very
thick. spread out their tops SO as TO form
canopy over head through which the rays OF
the sun could scarcely find way to the ground.
But it was more especially so from the fact
that tradition fixed upon this spot. somewhere
in the vicinity of ledge of rocks in the back
part Of 1t, as one of the sites of Kids depos.
its, at the burying of which, it was said be
always killed man and inferred him with il.
10 haunt the place and prevent the treasure
from being removed. A foo. path led through
this grove, bu. from the association of ideas.
murder and ghosts, money and devils, but few
would pass that way in dark and stormy
night, and many people avoided i, in the day
time unless they had company. Bot with all
The fearful apprehensions of Kidd's ghost,
hobgoblins or demons, some enterprising
spirits were ben, on finding the treasure and
removing the deposits. No doubt existed, a.
leas, with them, that the gold was there. be-
cause every body said so, and the tradition
bod dosoouded from tho gro. Europesn eottlers
of that country. But search for such treasure
must always be made at night, and with the
utmost secrecy; but whether this hour and hi.
caution was to avoid the ghost by no. rousing
him from his slumbsrs, or to avoid the neigh.
bors did not learn. One fortunate wight,
however, found, or thought hefound the ident.
cal spot where the money was hid, but he dare
not dig in the day time-he might be seen
nor alone, for the ghost might rise and attack
him when he would need help and possibly
the amount might be SO great as TO need help
to convey i, away. To obviaie all these diff.
culties he made known his discovery 10 friend,
who agreed to accompany and share with him
in the hazards and in the spoil. But this
friend proved treacherous. not being believer
in The traditions of tho country in this behalf,
and he informed his con6dents If what and
when il was 10 be done. The night came. It
proved to be favorable one, at least for se-
crecy, for it was dark and stormy. when no
traveller W ,uld be likely 10 pass that way
The only light The diggers had was from the
vivid lightning but as this could scarcely
penetrate the thick foliage of the grove, but
here and there streak of it could be seen near
the ground, and they assumed the fitting forms
Of inhabitants of another world; the only noise
that was heard before the spade began its OPP
Grafton was the bowling thunder and The moan
ing of the wind through the tops Of the pine
trees. Bu. the very fact Of a thunder gusts
rising at that moment was favorable omen, in
the eye of the discoserer. for the same tradi'
lion which told of the hid treasure. and the
ghost to watch il. also told tina, if any in'rud'
CT was like to discover the chest, storms,
ghosts and dreadful noises would be heari 10
and about the premises. They approached
the spot, with difficulty. owing to the DARK
ness. they found the mark previously made
Profound silence was to be observed, which, u