The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25


| Bordeaux. JIM CAMPBELL, who was one OF
LArrrTE's principal lieutenants In Texas.
| insisted that his chieftain was Bordelais.
and, although CAMPBELL's statements re-
| specting LAFIrrEs early life are by no
means conclusive, the weight Of probability
assigns to Bordeaux the honor OF being the
birthplace Of this lllustrious pirate. By an
other account. LAF1TTE was not sailor In
early life. but Captain in NAPoLEoN's
| army, where he acquired proficiency in
the art OF workmanship which enabled
him to support himself for time in New
Orleans as a fencing master Another wit
ness wrote to the Philadelphia Bulletin in
1862. that to his personal knowledge La
F1TrE had been q French sailor. who was
captured by q British man-of-war and inn
prisoned for many years In an English port.
When he was at last released. his savage
thirst for vengeance against the hated ma
tion led him to turn pirate. His family and
friends tried in vain by theological argu-
ment to dissuade him from his wicked
project. III 1 do go to HE'LL" wrote La
FrrTE in reply, 81 will drag plenty OF Eng
lishmen with me-" This same witness de-
clared that after the battle Of New Orleans
LAFrTTE returned to France, with wife.
whom he had married In America that the
ex-Pirate OF the Gulf had died peacefully in
bed. not many years previous to 1852: and
that Mrs. LAFITTE was then. or until quite
recently. living in France. Still another
version. apparently accepted after investl-
cation by Mr.. YoAKUM. the historian OF
Texas, whose book was published in 1856.
makes LAFITTE q runaway from France and
sailor on the British frigate Fox. He de-
serted lived for a time with French fam
lily in Deptford. took passage to South
America. lived at Carthagena and afterward
at Santa Martha. became privateer when
the struggle for independence began in New
Granada. visited several ports of the United
States, including Charleston. where he
killed a rival in love affair. and finally
found his way to Barataria and New Or
leans. According to Mr.. YoAKUM. after
participating in the Texas revolution and
figuring as Governor OF Galveston. LA
PITTE was driven out OF Texas by Lieut..
KEARNEY Of tho United States brig Enter
prise. in 1921, and died in 1926 at Silan. a
town OF Yucatan about fifteen miles from
Merida. Most extraordinary of all was the
belief, positively entertained In some quar-
tiers. that LAFITTE was still alive toward the
middle OF the present century. and. under
another name. the commander OF passen-
ger vessel plying between the Gulf OF Next
20 and Northern port
We shall now proceed to indicate the es-
tablished facts in LAFIrTE's career. II the
showing Is meagre in comparison with the
mass Of romance already presented. 1t Is
because care is taken to exclude every
doubtful statement that has been elm
mated by the researches OF Mr.. WALKER OF
the Nec Orleans Dei'n. Mr. CHARLES GAY
ARRE, the historian OF Louisiana. and other
dispassionate investigators.
The first thing positively known Of JEAN
LAFITTE is that he. with his brother
PIERRE. owned and operated ablacksmith's
shop. about the year 1909 or 1910. on the
north side OF st. Philip street. New Orleans.
They lived in a house near by. at the north
west corner OF St. Philip street and Bourbon
etreet. The blacksmiths were prosperous
and owned slaves. whom they employed in
the shop. Probably. but not certainly. the
brothers LAFIrrE had come to New Or
leans from France by way OF Carthagena.
as alleged by jim CAMPBELL.
The connection OF JEAN LAFITTE with the
Barataria establishment grew out of his
usefulness on shore as commercial agent,
not out OF any previous piratical exploits
at sea. He was not sailor. He was a
shrewd. intelligent. plausible trader and
manager Of affairs. The several wars in
cident to Bolivia's long struggle against
Span's rule in South America. filed the
Gulf and the West Indian waters with
privateers. in many instances fitted out by
capitalists in New Orleans and Northern
cities. Their prizes were brought TO Grande
Terre Island, and the settlement known as
Barataria became the principal port OF H.
legal entry for the cargoes OF merchandise
or OF slaves taken from Spanish ships
There is strong probability that the Gulf
privateers occasionally mistook other flags
for the Spanish colors: but. 30 far as LAFITrE
Is concerned. there Is no positive evidence
convicting him Of technical piracy. He
was at first the town agent. and afterward
the organizer and manager OF a system de-
vised to get around the revenue laws OF the
United States. to tho profit not only OF the
privatecrs selling the goods and the SNUG
glers bringing them in. but also OF the
otherwise good citizens and respectable
merchants in New Orleans and other Ameri-
can markets. He was never a sea rover.
He was first m!ddleman between the sea
rovers and the city merchants. a lobbyist
working to prevent uncomfortable vigil
lance on the part of the authorities; and
then. as his personal influence extended
and his gains from the lucrative traffic ac-
cumulated. he became proprietor of YES
sells and an employer OF captains and
crews; in short. the central and most pow
erful figure in great system Of illegiti-
mate commerce.
In the Territorial days OF Louisiana proper.
the social and political influence OF La
FITTEs clients was enough to protect a
traffic so profitable to New Orleans. When
Louisiana became State in 1912. Governor
CLAIBORNE issued several proclamations
against the smugglers. including one OF
March IA, naming JOHN LAFITrE as the
leader OF the smugglers and Offering
reward for his arrest. At different times,
In half-hearted way the State authorities
,4t 10 thn hue l,,