The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-03-31
A DREADED PIRATE.
BLACKBOARD LOOKED ENOUGH LIKE
SATAN TO eE A BROTHER,

The Ferocious Eobber of tho Seas Had =
Fashion of Getting Himself Up in a
Hideous and Rcpulsive 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 theater
OF TAR different scenes. IN the beginning
OF the last century its placent waters re.
fected a flag which struck terror to
thousands OF hearts and paralyzed the
m of the New World; the thick
ly clustering wives and luxuriant growths
ringing its shores concealed, Ike the
original Eden, IA hiding devil, the foe of
God and man-Blackbeard. the pirate.
from a strange tendency OF human ma
ture the life of the pirate possesses "a fas-
clnatlng interest, not only for the small
poy VINO o the pages of his half
Time yellow back novel, but also for the
reader Of stronger judgment and better
taste. Indeed some of the greatest
writer's have been unable to resist the
destinations of this wide and ~telnpting
field.
Sir Walter Scott, Marryatta and Cooper
thought it not unworthy their mighty
pens, and the genius Of Byron attained
one OF its highest flights in the d,scrip-
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 tranSfix him. Of all
this unholy brood Blackboard wa, facile
princeps, as Milton says of satan. BY
merit raised to that bad cminencc." II
was an Arabic tradition, relative to the
great unknown Atlantic that the
gnaried and bony hand of the devil rose
IRON out tho waves of the sea Of dark
ness to seize the prcSumptuous mariner,
II III his diabOlic career Blackboard
seemed to be the impersoration of thi,
mystic monster. Perhal, II greater de-
MOI never prOwl"l the scas or walked
the earth in human form.
Even III personal appearance he was
hldeous and rcpulsiv,. nature having
stamped hlm both - Il physical and
moral monster. The name bv which ha
was known throughout the world WAS
a. HillIltlbI circumstance,
winch illustrates his savag" ferocitv.
Ills naturally dark and f~orbidding face
was covered almost to his fierce. scnsu-
Gus eyes with II shaggy black heard,
reaching below the waist. inns hjrsutn
adornment, Of which he was very proud
and which he cultivated with sedulou,
care, he was accustomed 10 braid wifi
ribbons and to twist about his ears until
it stood forth like projecting horns.
Into the ends of these he stucl; small
slowly burning fuses. whose sulphurou,
fumes envelopcd him in II lurid hue and
rendered hl1n Il not uniting Representa-
non OF the satanic ideal, whose character
he SO successfully emulated. In tilneof
acton he slung around his neck "a scarf
INTO which We're thrust three braces az
pistols. Our readers, even those WHO
are not endowed with Dantesque powers
OF Imagination, and especially Il fclui-
l .riends, can readily fancy the i'm
preston such an aspect would create
when met upon the lonely ocean, with
the black flag tiuttcring above his head
anu ms mercileSs face Lighting I'm with
Il CLEAN Of dem"niacal joy as his hclp.
less victims walked the fatal blank.
The real milne Of this man WIS sd.
ward Teach. and he was Il native OF Bris.
lol, England. OF his early career moth
ing definite is known. He first emerged
from oGHcurlty rs a omlnO sailor ON
board u prlTajcer commanded by Cap
tam Benjamin HornigUld. sailing from
and preyiug upon French COM
In that humble capacity he dis
himself by his skill and cour-
age which attracted the attention o.
his no over scrupulous commanders. who
lntrustcd him with a prilc he Lad
,aptured. In III these two chuica
spirits spread their sails from Proyi-
'cnce (anspicious namc9 for America.
dpturlng en- voyage three vessels laden
wine. flour and miscellaneous car
goes winch they appropriated To their
u,e and turned the crews adrifr.
The speed Of their vessels being erin.
Iled by toul bottoms. they cleaned them
lpon the coast OF Virginia and went
n quest OF fresh booty. On this cruise
hey secured the most valuable priz.
captured, . large French G~uinrp-
nan, richly i""ighr"'i. bound for Mar
Unique. ~ this iurcturo H~o.ljynId,s
'Vdrlce r'"I!H t. t"To b...a satisfied. on
more likely H., hear; f..il,I him. r,r
akiDg tine tWo Y. nl, With us.c, Inv
.ri=inaI.E s.i. a.. jr! ..aru~. f., pr,,i. !
l"nce a:.i H|;l!,a himself If Il i.rirn
j., tnr king T., all rirnj vino
mould surrender in Il su-ciu,J L,nn