Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1852-04-16

BY WASHINGTON rEvrns.

New Netherlands had been wresled from tbe
Lands OF their High Mightiness The Lords Gen.
eral Of Holland, BY Charles the Second. and
while Il was a, YET 10 an u0quiel sisIe, The
province was laVorite resOil Of adVenluTeFs Of
all kinds. and particularly Of buecaneen.-
These piralcal rovers Of the deep. made sad
work in times Of peace among the Spanish
merchant ships. They took advantage Of The
easy access 10 the harbor Of ManhaItoes, and Of
The laxiIy Of The scarcely organized govern.
menI 10 make il kind Of rendezvous, where
they might dispose OF their ill.gouen spoils, and
conceu new depredaiions. Crews OF these des-
peradoes, the renegades OF every country and
cline. might be seen staggering, in open day.
about the streets OF the burgh; ebowing ils quiel
Mynheers; WafIieking away their rich oudand
ish plunder. aI half price 10 the wary Merchant.
and then squandering their gains in IayerHs
drinking. gambling, swearing, shouting; and as.
founding the neighboThood with sudden brawls
and rufiian revelry. Al length the indignation
Of government was aroused. and il was deter.
mined 10 ferret out this vermin brood from the
colonies. Great CONSERVATION took place
among The pirates on finding justice in pursuit
Of Them, and their old haunIs turned TO places
Of peril. They sccreled their money, and Jew
els in lonely out Of The way places; buried them
about the wild shores Of The rivers, and sea
coast. and dispersed themselves over the face
Of The country.
Among the agents employed to hunt them
by sea was the renowned Capt. Kidd. lie had
long been hardy adventurer, kind Of equiv.
ocal borderer, alfuader, half smOggler, with a
Iolerable dash OF the pickaroon. He had ira.
ded for some time among The pirates, lurking
about the seas n litIle rakish, musquile bullI
vessel, prying into all kinds OF odd places, as
busy as Mother Carey's chickens IN gale Of
wind. M .....
This nondescript parsonage was pitched up
on by the government as The very man TO COM.
maDd vessel flted out TO cruise against the
pirates, since he knew all their haunIS an6 lurk.
ing places acliog upon the shrewd old maxim
Of 'seuing a rogue to caIch rogue Kidd &C.
cordingly sailed from New York 10 the Adven.
Iure galley, gallanlly armed and duly commls'
stoned, and sIeered his course 10 the Maderas,
TO BOnavsIa, to Madagascar, and cruised al the
entrance Of the Red Sea. Instead, however, OF
making war upon The pirates, he turned pirate
himself captured friend or foe-enriched him.
self with the spos nf a wealthy Indiaman,
manned by Moors, though commanded BY En-.
gishmen; and having disposed OF his prize, had
the hardihood 10 return 10 Boston, adened with
his wealth, and a crew OF his comrades al his
heels.
His fame had proceeded him. The alarm
was given Of the re-apPearance of this cul.purse'
of The ocean. Measures were taken for his arr
rest but he had time, il is said, to bury The
greater part Of his treasures. He even attempt
ed 10 draw his sword and defend himself when
arrested; but was secured and thrown into pris.
on, with several of his followers. They were
carried 10 England in frgale, where they
were tried, condemned, and hanged at Execu.
lion Dock. Kidd died hard, for The rope with
which he was first tied up broke with his weight
and he Iumbled to the ground; he was lied up
second time, and effeclualIy; from whence
arose the story Of his being twice hanged.
Such is the main outline Of Kidd's history;
bur il has given birth to an innumeruble proge.
ny Of traditions. The circumstance of his hav.
ing buried great treasures of gold and jewels
alter returning from cruising set the brains oil
all the good people along the coast in lermen!.
There were rumors on rumors of great sums
found here and Ihore; sometimes 10 one par Of
the country, sometimes in another; Of trees and
rocks bearing mysterious marks, doubtless 10.
dicating Spots where treasures lay hidden; of
coins found with Moorish characters. the plum.
der Of Kidd's eastern prize bul which the com.
mon people took for diaboical or magic inscrip'
Iions. .'-
Some reported the spoils to have been buried
in solitary unsettled places, about Plymouth
and Cape Cod Many other parts Of the cas-
tern coast. also, and various places in Long
Island Sound, have been giIded by these ru.
mors, and have been ransacked by adventurous
money.diggers. .aa 81.