Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-05-19
CAPTAIN KIDD.
TRJrE HISTORY OF THE MOTOR
IOUS PRIVATEER.
Employed by Syndicate TO Sail
Against the French and Pirates
His Treasure Chest Seized
His Acts and Trial.

Sarah Wort, of New fork.
Several men of London,
England, subscribed money, formed
Joint stock company, bought the Ad-
venture Galley, fitted her with proper
armament, and provisioned her at
cost of $4,000 They employed Mr..
Kidd as commander, and furnished him
with a commission to act against the
French and pirates, or, in other words,
as a privateer. The king was to re-
ceive one-tenth of whatever the vessel
brought home.
On the way down from London his
vessel was boarded by an impressment
crew. his crew taken, and he had to
90 ashore and secure such seamen as ne
could who we're well fitted to act as
privateersmen. He sailed, and after
being absent year it began to be
talked that his acts savored of piracy.
When his voyages in the Indian Ocean
we're finished he set sail and appeared
in the Sound of New York and set
goods on shore at several places. He
established himself at Gardiner's Island,
near the Long Island shore, and sent
word to Lord Belmont at Boston, by
man named EmmOt, that he had with
him ten thousand dollars worth of
goods, and had left the Quedah Mer-
chant at Hispaniola in a creek there
with valuable cargo; that he would
prove his innocence of what he had
been charged with. The letters of
Kidd and statements of Emmot and
two French passes were placed by Bel
mont before his Majesty S Council, who
at the same time describes Kidd's mes
seneer as "a cunning Jacobite, a fast
friend of Fletcher's, and my ayowed
enemy" With their consent, and in
their presence, he furnished Mr.. Kidd
a "safe conduct" Captain Kidd re-
lied on this, and came to Boston with
his wife and took lodging at Duncan
Campbell's, the most luxurious house
of entertainment in Boston, where he
.-..e:..al oo,,oro1 dova
On July 3, 1899, he was summoned
before his Excellency and Council to
give on account of his proceedings in
his late voyage to Madagascar. After
Captain Kidd had given summary ac-
count of his doings, Of the cargo on
the sloop now in port and also ON
board the vessels left at Hispaniola,
they required of him to give detailed
account of his voyages, captures, etc.
Captain Kidd found that the safe con-
duct which they issued was merely IN
tended to induce him TO come to Bos-
ton. where he would be deprived of his
liberty. He did not make any further
statement, and the Council ordered his
arrest and Imprisonment, seized his
treasure chest at Gardeners Island and
took everything that his wife had.
The treasure chest contained quite a
variety of articles, and the following is
a list of its contents
No. /, one bag of gold dust, 6S9l ounces.
No. 2. one bag of coined gold, IL ounces
one bag Of coined gold, 124 ounces.
No. 3, one bag Of gold dust, 24sl ounces.
No. 4, one bag Of silver rings, AZ ounces.
No. 5, one bag Of precious stones, l2]9
ounces.
: No. 6, one bag OF unpublished precious
stones.
No. 7, one bag of pieces of crystal car
nelian.
No. 8, one bag of silver buttons and lamps.
No. 9, one bag OF broken silver, 17S19
ounces.
No. 10, one bag of gold bars, 953A ounces.
No. II, one bag of gold bars, 2SS19 ounces.
No. 70. one bag Of gold dust, 59lf ounces.
( No. 1S, one bag Of silver, 800 ounces.
! The Earl of Belmont was evidently
anxious to get possession of the ship
and treasure, and preferred negotia-
tion to immediate hostile measures.
Mr.. Kidd seemed to have been willing
TO surrender ship and treasure, but
wished in doing so to have on insur-
ance or guarantee of his own protec-
tion.
Captain Kidd requested that he
should be taken as a prisoner to His
PAMELA to bring back the Quedah
Merchant. Belmont refused. To this
refusal of Belmont we are indebted to
the fact that no man knows where that
treasure is to-day. 1t is the treasure
in search of which the whole coast of
New r Gland has been visited. The
law 0 ers and those of the Council
who were known as legal gentlemen
decided and argued that there was no
authority to send him to England.
Belmont and his Council had an ele
phant on their hands which they did
not care for. Opportunity was al-
lowed for his escape, but he declined
the boon. In my possession is a depo-
sition which is the evidence, and also
that money was ready for him. The
authorities here retained those papers
Ehich he acted under, and sent him to
England for trial Mrs. Kidd's jewels,
a silver tankard, silver mug, silver
porringer, spoons and forks we're re-
turned to her, with other pieces of