The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-12-09
A DREADED PIRATE.
BLACKBOARD LOOKED ENOUGH LIKE
SATAN TO BE A BROTHER.


SATAN TO BE A BROTHER.
Fashion of Getting Himself Up in a
Hideous and Repulsive Manner-Story
of His Successful Voyages.
Pamlico sound, now the haven of the
storm tossed mariner and the home OF
peaceful industry, was once the theateI
of far different scenes. In the beginning
of the last century its placent waters re.
Elected flag which struck terror to
thousands of hearts and paralyzed the
commerce of the New World; the thick
ly clustering wives and luxuriant growths
fringing its shores concealed, like the
original Eden, hiding devil, the foe of
God and man-Blackbe beard, the pirate.
From a strange tendency of human ma
ture the life of the pirate possesses fas-
cinating interest, not only for the small
boy who devours the pages of his half
dime yellow back novel, but also for the
reader of stronger judgment and better
odoOOs 4AuOOo SOIu0 VI IIl6 ST6dUSSl
writers have been unable to resist the
destinations of this wide and tempting
field.
Sir Walter Scott, Marryatt and Cooper
thought it not unworthy their mighty
pens, and the genius of Byron attained
one of its highest flights in the descrip-
ton of the prisoner Conrad in the lonely
turret, barring his bosom to the midnight
storm and defying the lightning of Of
Tended heaven to transfx him. Of all
this unholy brood Blackboard was facile
princeps, as Milton says of satan, ''By
merit raised to that bad eminence." 1t
was an Arabic tradition, relative to the
great unknown Atlantic that the
gnarled and bony hand of the devil rose
from out the waves of the sea of dark
ness to seize the presumptuous mariner,
and in his diabolic career Blackboard
seemed to be the impersonation of this
mystic monster. Perhaps greater de-
mon never prowled the seas or walked
the earth in human form.
Even in personal appearance he was
hideous and repulsive, nature having
stamped him both as a physical and
moral monster. The name by which he
was known throughout the world was
derived from a singular circumstance,
which illustrates his savage ferocity.
His naturally dark and forbidding face
was covered almost to his fierce, sensu-
Gus eyes with shaggy black beard,
reaching below the waist. This hirsute
adornment, of which he was very proud.
and which he cultivated with sedulous
care, he was accustomed to braid with
ribbons and to twist about his ears until
it stood forth like projecting horns.
Into the ends of these he stuck small,
slowly burning fuses, whose sulphurous
fumes enveloped him in lurid hue and
rendered him not uniting representa-.
ton of the satanic ideal, whose character
he so successfully emulated. In time of
action he slung around his neck scarf.
into which were thrust three braces of
pistols. Our readers, even those WHO
are not endowed with Dantesque powers
of imagination, and especially our femi-
nine friends, can readily fancy the i'm
preston such an aspect would create
when met upon the lonely ocean, with
the black flag futtering above his head
and his merciless face lighting up with
CLEAN of demoniacal joy as his help
less victims walked the fatal plank.
The real name of this man was Ed
ward Teach, and he was native of Bris-
tol, England. Of his early career moth
ing definite is known. He first emerged
from obscurity as common sailor on
board privateer commanded by Cap
tain Benjamin Hornigold, sailing from
Jamaica and preying upon French com.
merce. In that humble capacity he dis
tinguished himself by his skill and cour-
age, which attracted the attention o.
his not over scrupulous commander, who
soon intrusted him with prize he had
captured. In 1717 these two choice
spirits spread their. sails from Provi-
dence (auspicious nameD for America,
capturing en- voyage three vessels laden
with wine, flour and miscellaneous car
goes, which they appropriated to their
own use and turned the crews adrift.
The speed of their vessels being Grip
pied by foul bottoms, they cleaned them
upon the coast of Virginia and went
in quest of fresh booty. On this cruise
they secured the most valuable prize
yet captured, large French Guinea
man, richly freighted, bound for Mar
tinique. At this juncture Hornigold's
avarice seems to have been satisfied, or
more likely his heart failed him, for.
taking the two vessels with which they
originally sailed, he returned to Pro, i
dence and availed himself of pardon
offered by the king to all pirates who
should surrender in specified time.
Teach, however, only emboldened by
success, now assumed an independent
character and began that career of crime
which rendered his name so infamous
Richmond Times.