Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-01-03
A Visit from Captain Kidd.

In an illustrated article on GardlnerS TSlan n thc Docorh"r Centpru, George Parsons LdLrop writes a. follows, re- gard;nc an unevrc ted visit from the notorious pirate: Lord John Gardiner ono June evening observed a mysterious sloop with six guns r;ding at anchor off the island. IL was Kidd's last vessel, the Antonio. Thi Lord John was a large hearty man, who lv.d generously, was clever to the Indians and squaws, and bad 90 much ability in affairs that, al- though he married four times and spent groat deal of money. he portioned off his daughters handsomely and left a large estate at his death. He was not rcI~on to be scared by a mysterious armed sloop; so, after she had lain in sight two days without making any sign. he put off in a boat, to board her and inquire what she was. As he came up over the side, Captain Kidd--till then un,. n,.nown to him--received him with the traditional politeness of thriving des- perado, and asked after the health of himself and family. Then, in answer to Lord Johns inquiries, he said that he was on his way to Lord Bellomont at Boston: would Gardiner do him the favor to carry two negro boys and one grl ashore. to be kept there until he re- turned or sent an order for themp Gar diner consented, and went back to the island. The next morning Kidd re- stunned intercourse by sending ashore request that Gardiner should come on board at once and bring six sheep with h,m. This was rather forcing the ac- Qua;ntance, Gardiner may have thought; but he complied. Thereupon Kidd promptly ripened acquaintance into in- timacy, and asked him if he could spare a barrel of cider. Lord John once more proved neighborly, and found that he could spare the cider, sending two of his men ashore to fetch it. While waiting for their return, Kidd got out from his cargo, two pieces of damaged Bengal muslin,-a rare and valued fabr'c in its pristine state-which he put into a bag and requested Gardiner to fake as present to his wife. It is likely enough that the captain, seeing in hearty Lord John capacity for such th h.ngs, produced some of his fifty-shil- linz rum, or three-hundred-pound Ma dera to be tasted. Something, at any rate.warmed him up to increased gener- osity for in about quarter of an hour he presen ted he Lord of the Isle with some muslin for his own use. When the men came back with the barrel of cider. he gave them four pieces of gold for their trouble. Furthermore, after getting ready to sail, he offered to pay for the cider; but Gardiner protested that hc was sufficiently rewarded by the present to his wife, They parted at last; and Kidd, gallantly firing salute of four guns, stood for Block Island.
 His purpose in lingering in these waters was to get rid of his suspicious !-eight before going to Boston. During the stay near the. island two New York sloops took of part of his cargo; and three days later he returned from Block Island in company with another nefar- ious sloop, which relieved him.of chests containing plate and gold and other goods. This time Kidd again sent for Ga. diner and committed to his charge a chest, a box of gold,a bundle of quilts, and four bales of goods. The box of god, as Gardiner afterwards solemnly d,soosed, was destined by Kidd for Lord B,i.omont. All the treasure and mer- cl.;,pdisc was buried in some swampy land near Cherry Harbor, beside Home Pond, within mile of the manor-house, to be kept for Kidd or his order.
 "'It call for it and it is gone,' Kidd declared to Lord John, I will take your hcad or your son's" 1ff