The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-05
THE DREADED BLACKBOARD.
A Pirate Who Looked Enough Like Satan
To Re His RrothAr.

THE DREADED BLACKBOARD.
A Pirate Who Looked Enough Like Satan
to He His Brother.
Pamlico Sound, now the haven of the
storm-tossed mariner and the home of
peaceful industry. was once the theater
of far different scenes In the begin
ming of the last century its placent
waters reflected flag which struck
terror to thousands of hearts and par
alyzed the commerce of the new world;
the thickly clustering vines and luxuri-
ant growths fringing its shores coz
cealed, like the original Eden, hiding
devil, the foe of God and man-Black-
beard. the pirate. From strange ten
dency of human nature, the life of the
pirate possesses a fascinating interest,
not only for the small boy who devours
the pages of his half-dime yellow-back
novel, but also for the reader of strong
er Judgment and better taste. Indeed,
some of the greatest writer's have been
unable to resist the destinations of this
wiNe and tempting field Sir Waiter
Scott, Marryatt and Cooper thought it
not unworthy their mighty pens, and
the genius of Byron attained one of its
highest flights in the description of the
prisoner Conrad, in the lonely turret,
barring his bosom to the midnight storm
and defying the lightning of offended
Heaven to transfx him. OF all this un-
holy brood Black beard was facile prin-
ceps, as Milton says Of Satan: 'By merit
raised to that bad eminence." It 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
Darkness to seize the presumptuous
mariner, and in his diabolical career
Blackboard seemed to be the imperson-
alton of this mystic monster. Perhaps
a greater demon 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 singular circum-
stance, which illustrates his savage
ferocity. His naturally dark and for
bidding face was covered almost to his
fierce, sensuous 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 pro-
fonfinrr hnrpc Tnf ha nrIc of ithaca
he stuck small. slowly burning fuses,
whose sulphurous fumes enveloped him
in lurid hue and rendered him not
uniting representation of the satanic
ideal, whose characteristics he so sue
cessfully emulated In time of action
he slung around his neck scarf into
which he thrust three braces of pistols
Our readers, even those who are not en-
dowed with Dantesque powers of imag-
ination, and especially our feminine
friends, can readily fancy the impress
sion 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
a 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
Bristol, England. OF his early career
nothing definite is known. He first
emerged from obscurity as common
sailor on board a privateer commanded
by Capt. Benjamin Hornigold, sailing
from Jamaica and preying upon French
commerce. In that humble capacity he
distinguished himself by his skill and
courage, which attracted the attention
of his not over scrupulous commander,
who soon intrusted him with a prize he
had captured In 1717 these two choice
spirits spread their sails from Provi-
dence (auspicious namely for America,
en- voyage three vessels laden
with wine, -four and miscellaneous car
goes, which they appropriated to their
own use and turned the crews adrift.
The speed of their vessels being crippled
by foul bottoms, they cleaned upon the
coast of Virginia and sailed forth in
quest of fresh booty. On this cruise
they secured the most valuable prize
yet captured, a large French Guinea
man, richly freighted, bound for Mar
Unique. At this juncture Hornigolds
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 Provi-
dence and availed himself of a 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 in
famous Richmond Times.