The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-12
The Pirr.ts Tardy.

Editors of the D{spdtch AS the recent
ncysnapcr notices Of the death OF the pi-
rate Hardy seem to have excited an inter-
est in the public mind, I may be excused
for correcting few errors in which the
writer's have inadvertently fallen in relat-
ing transaction that occurred more than
thirty years ago. The circumstances, as
noted IN the Norfolk Virginion, are In the
main true, and remarkably accurate, con-
sidering the time that has elapsed since
their occurrence. The facts were as fol-
lows:
About o'clock P. NJ. on day some
thirty years ago suspicious.looking craft
was observed under easy sail approaching
Fort Monroe, and anchored about fifty
Yards from the wharf in front Of the old
Hygeia Hotel.
Immediately after a man was seen to get
into boat that was being towed at the
stern of the vessel. A small man (Tardy)
rushed aft aud ordered him to return on
board. He apparently was about to obey,
but suddenly showed off the boat and
1 skulled ashore. This was the mate, and
| his story was that Tardy and his accom-,
| piices had taken passage aboard the vessel
| IN some West India port, think MataD-
| zas that they had risen OH the captain ana
/ crew and murdered them all except him.
| self, whom they spared to navigate the
vessel back to the West Indies; when of
| Cape Henry he persuaded Tardy to run
| into Hampton Roads to procure water and
| obtain assistance to navigate the vessel, as
he was exhausted by standing day and
night ut the helm, and could hold out no
longer. After good dea! of hesitation
Tardy consented, and hailed pilot, VINO
brought them in as described.
Whilst the mate was telling his story
three men from the vessel were seen to get
| into an oyster-boat that they had called
alongside and proceed to Mill creek, where
| they landed and took TO the woods. These
| were Tardy's three accompliccS. In the
meantime n barge was manned and q guard
| ordered to take charge of the craft. As they
| were about to push Off from the shore some
one from the vessel called out that Tardy
| had cut his throat fetch the Doctor" L
| Immediately jumped into the boat, anu 10
l few minutes we were on board. Ihere was
but one man on deck, who turned out to
/ he the pilot. We proceeded to the cabin !;
| it was deIuged in blood !; Spanish dollars
/ we're scattered profuseiy about the floor,
begrimed with gore, and Tardy was lying
on his back with his throat cut from ear to
ear. He had done the job effectually, and
was dead. He was a small man, about five
feet five or six inches high, and appeared
to be between fifty and sixty years of age.
A coroner's jury was summoned, the mo-
ney was gathered up and turned over to
Captain Robert Lively, the coroner, and
Tardy's body was pitched into hole dug
| id the sand beach.
The three men who escaped were pursued
and captured by the citizens and taken to
hichmond, where they were tried before
Chief Justice Marshall, condemned, and
! executed, rs stated in the Norfolk FIR.
| ginidn.
The head of Tardy was of too much value
to science to be neglected. l therefore
| made good preparation Of it, with view
| Of fixing my wavering doubts as to the truth
! or falsity of phrenology. [ was fully COM
| pensated. for nothing could have been more
| conclusive of the general truths of the sci
ence. The organs Of benevolence and VEN
Grafton were totally wanting, (the head was
as fat as that Of any of the Indian tribes OF
| Flatheads), whilst those Of combatiyeness
and destructiveness We're more fully devel-
oped than I had ever seen them. Here,
then, was full endorsement of the leading
features of phrenology. Frequently exhib-
tied this skull promiscuously with many
others, desiring the spectators to point 1t
out, and in no instance did they fail to do
so. / finally sent it to the chronological
society OF Baltimore, where l presume it
may still be seen.
The story of the soup is literally true,
with one slight eXcepton-the soldier who
/! made the luxurious repast, was made very
1 sick to be sure when be discovered his mis-
take, but he did not die. r. A.
/