The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-25

cruiser in the east; after that he was
strong ally of certain republican states of
South America. He was about forty years
old, tall and commanding in figure, with a
fine black mustache to set off dark but
handsome face, and just the fellow to find
life's fruition in the exciting game played
at Barrataria. Tosignslize his official po-
sition he wore a full naval uniform sur
mounted with arakish, turban shaped cap
OF otter skin. He never took to the sea,
however, but remained at home, managing
his lawless crews ana marketing their
plumber.
Doubtless Jean was worth to the cause
he served dozen heroes of the deck, for it
was desperate game the outlaws played
under the eyes of the law, and it needed a
diplomat at headquarters to ward off a
wholesale hanging scrape
AT one time the matter got into the
United States court, and Lafitte bought
up the district attorney, John r. Grymes,
who resigned his Office to defend him. Ed
ward Livingston, who was then practicing
in New Orleans, joined with Grymes, and
for fees of SO, 900 each they got cessation
proceedings. Yet the reputation of their
clients was such that they hesitated about
going to Barrataria to get their heavy
fees. Finally Livingston offered Grymes
large slice of his $4,000 for collecting it.
When Grymes returned successful, with
the aftertaste of Lafitte's wines and cigars
on his palate and his Golfers heavy with
gold, he exclaimed, "What cruel mis-
homer it is to call the most honest and
polished gentlemen that the world ever
produced pirates and banditsw
All the world, however, did not take the
kindly view of the impossible Grymes,
and Commodore Patterson's little fleet
swooped down on the island under pretext
of attacking the British, and the Barra-
tarians, surprised at all points, made no
fight and scattered into the bayous, aban-
doning vessels, cannon, houses and booty
tothe marines and regulars. So fell Bar
rataria.
But that was not the end of the polished
adventurer Lafitte. He escaped capture
and remained in hiding not far away, his
followers ready to answer his signal. Soon
afterward Old Hickory Jackson came to
town and issued his soul stirring procIa-
nation, and in contempt of the British
offer to suborn the outlaws, and also in
contempt of Grymes' certificate of charac-
ter for the same polished gentleman, de-
neither pirates or robbers to join him."
jean Lafitte only smiled and bided his
time. After jackson had looked the ground
over and mustered the "ragtag and bob
tail" OF the levees, the fugitive pirate gave
his elegant mustache an extra twirl and
bearded the princely hero from the noun
tains Of Tennessee in the midst Of his
camp.
Jackson succumbed to the blandish-
ments of the irresistible Frenchman, and
the whole band of Barratarians were as
signed to duty in the lines, with Jean and
his outlawed brothers, Pierre and Domi-
mic, in positions of command. So faith
fully did these men serve the guns in the
bloody battle of the 9Th of January that,
on the 21st of that month, in his congratu-
latory orders, Jackson spoke of the gall
lantry of the "privateers at Barrataria"
and "those gentlemen" the very men he
had denounced four months earlier as
"hellish banditti."
President Madison soon afterward grant
ed full pardon for all smuggling and pri-
watering acts prior to Jan. s, 1916.
The subsequent career of the Lafittes Is
involved in doubt. Some accounts state
that Jean appeared in Washington society
after the war and squandered a princely
fortune in making good fellow of him.
self. The most authentic account places
him afloat in West India waters preying
upon Spanish commerce. In 1917, with
about 1000 followers, outlaws of the gulf
and adventurous refugees from Europe, he
usurped the vacant governorship of Gal
weston island and set up republic on the
ruins of a defunct movement
that had attempted to wrest Texas from
the Spanish yoke. There he fiourished
four years, built the town of Campeachy,
treated with South American republics,
and generally made his flag terror to the
Spanish cause in America.
But the old story of the Pitcher and the
Well has to be repeated ever 30 often.
Freebooting is demoralizing occupation,
and one unlucky day his followers, Just to
keep their hands in when no Spanish gal-
Icons hove in sight to occupy their atten-
ton, plundered and sunk an American
vessel. The brig Enterprise, under Lieut..
Kearney, was promptly dispatched to Gal
weston bay to wipe out the bustling gov
eminent of Galveston, Campeachy and all.
True to his nature, however, Governor
Lafitte. in his vessel of state, met the
Enterprise at sea, rendered the hospi-
talities of his weatherboarded palace
to the warlike feet commander, and over
the inevitable ancient Spanish vintage and
dutyless choice Havanas asked whether
the kinks couldn't be taken out of the
knotty relations between Galveston and
the United States in some more agreeable
way than real war. The lieutenant slipped
the rare old stock and shifted the fragrant
odor of the cooling weed, smiling the while
in the Frenchman's face. but pointed to his
orders all the same, and Lafitte slowly and
sadly, but with royal mien withal, scut-
tied his own ship, so to speak, and walked
the plank himself.
He paid off all his officers and men in
full, and distributed bountiful largess on
all sides, then loaded his personal effects
on board his vessel, fired the town and all
his establishments, and the same breeze
that bore the Enterprise from the harbor
waited Lafitte from the northern shores of
the gulf forever. After brief career in
Yucatan he died while still in harness, war
ring on the tempting commerce of old
Spain. GEORGE l.. KILMER.
AUX Remains on tho Funk Islands.
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