The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-31
WERE THE LAFITTES
PIRATES?
Unearthed Records Of 1914.
Grand Isle Sixty Years Ago.

never been correctly written, one reason,
perhaps, being that those who knew them
best were implicated with them in their
ventures.
His headquarters were at Grand Isle, now q
popular place of resort, and it was through
Bayou Barataria that he brought his prize
goods to the city. It has often been denied
that he was more than smuggler, but we
leave to the reader the right of judging from
the evidence we publish below. The circum.
stances of its taking were these: The Grand
Jury of the United States, composed as fol-
lows
Paul Lanusse, Foreman, Saml. Packwood,
JAS. H. Shepherd, James johnson,
Benjamin Morgan, Stephen Henderson,
David Urquhart, James Sterrett,
Richard Relf Joseph Mcneil
George M. Ogden, Charles Patton,
William Mott, Rowland Craig,
f. Duplessis, ST., Zenon Cavelier,
W. Montgomery, Henry Mccall,
BENJAMIN Story, Judah Touro,
were assembled and in the July term
brought in the following indictment:
United States of America, District Court,
Louisiana District. July Term.
The grand jurors for the United States i'm
panelled and sworn for the Louisiana District
upon oath present that a certain Johannes of
the city of New Orleans, mariner, on the =
day of - month, in the year of our Lord,
1912, with force of arms upon the high seas,
in certain place distant about ten leagues
from the Island of Trinidad, in the West In
dies, and within the jurisdiction of this hon.
orable Court, did practically and feloniously
set upon, board, break and enter a certain
merchant ship belonging to persons unknown
to the jurors aforesaid, and did then and there
take upon the high seas, in the place aforesaid,
and within the Jurisdiction aforesaid, the said
merchant ship and the tackle and apparel
thereof of the value OF five thousand dollars
money of the United States and seventy
seven negro slaves, being the cargo of said
vessel of a value Of thirty thousand dollars
money of the United S .ates, the whole being
the goods and chattels of q certain person un-
known, and did rob- steal, take and carry
away against the form of the statute in such
case made and provided, and against the
peace and dignity of the United States Of
America.
And the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath
further present and say that a GER
tain Pierre Laftte, of the city of New Or
leans, mariner, on the - day of - month in
the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and
-, in the city of New Orleans, and within
the Louisiana District of the United States,
before the robbery, piracy and felony by
the said Johannes, in manner and form afOre-
said done and perpetrate6, did upon the land,
to wit: the city of New Orleans, knowingly
assist, procure, command, counsel and advise
the said Johannes, the said robbery, piracy
and felony, to do and commit, contrary to the
form OF the statutes in such case made and
provided, and against the peace and dignity
Of the United States of America.
PAUL LANUssE, Foreman.
Then follows another Indictment charging
Lafitte as being principal in the capture of
the schooner Saita, commanded by Julien
Harra, at point in northwest course from
Grand Isle. The same foreman signs it.
Process was accordingly issued to the Mar
shall, and Commodore Patterson with Lieut..
Ross advanced with their forces down Bayou
Barataria and captured Pierre, the younger
Laffitte, and all the men and vessels. breaking
up the depot at Grand Isle. A motion was
made by the attorneys for the Lafi ties,
and the following testimony was taken to
show that they ought not to be admitted to
bail
Andrew Whiteman, being duly sworn, de-
poseth and sayeth, that about twelve months
ago he was employed in New Orleans by an
Italian to go on French privateer; that he
was taken to the house of this Italian by a
person called Antonio, and the name
Of the Italian was Johannes; that depo-
nent received ten dollars from the Italian
and agreed to go on board the privateer, and
with several other Italians and French went
some distance up the river, and from thence
down to Grand Isle where he went on board
a small privateer mounting two guns and
having about forty men on board, commanded
by Capt Johannes, belonging, as deponent
believes, to the Lafittes, who arrived there
about the time the privateer sailed; deponent
states that on the first cruize they went to Trim
dad, where they captured an termsphrodlts
Spanish brig off the town of Trinidad with n
slaves, which they brought to Grand Isle and
sold to Mr.. Sauvinet at $40 each, who was
there and brought said slaves away; that he
has seen two of them lately in this city, one
at house on Orleans street, and that the
whole of the slaves were sold in this State by
the said Sauvinet. That the privateer re-
NAMED some time at Grand Isle after her
first cruize, when she went out on second,
along the coast towards Vera Cruz,
where she captured Spanish schoon-
or; that said schooner was brought to
Cat Island, where her cargo. consisting of dry
goods, wines, etc, were sold out to different
persons who came there to purchase; that q
Mr.. NORM was there, and he thinks purchased
. barge load of said goods; that when the
goods taken in this way are sold out, Pierre
LATTE takes half of the profits. The depo-
aent further states that the brig that was Ia
zen on the first cruize was afterwards used
IS privateer, and the first vessel burnt; that
he crew consisted of Spaniards, Americans
md French. That after the third cruise, de-
oonent was taken by Jean LATTE to assist in
bringing off goods; that they brought them
BY way of the lakes until they came some
short distance above Lafourche, near the Mis-
sissippi River; that they were met by young
man of the name of NORM, portly and about
Is years of age, who resides at Lafourche;
hat NORM conducted them to the river,
which they descended to Lafourche, where the
goods were concealed on the bank on the OPP
posite side from the town; that they from
hence came down the river on the boat, and
The next night a small boat they had with
hem was attacked and taken, by whom he
does not know; that they then landed the