Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-13
UNDER A PIRATE CHIEF.
A MAN WHO SAILED WITH Ia
FlTTE AS CABIN BOY.
Charles cronoa, Who Recently Died, Made a
Cruise on Board Vessel Commanded BY
The Famous Bucoaneer.

" H'it Latae'N " NNtt one OF tue
PATRIOTS of the Texas revolution. who
died many years ago. once remarked I'M
the legislature. Galveston island. once
the stamping ground oil lahuc and his
lhfuucAl crew. is now the uUudp of the
loldipst set of d. scuuuirals L over
flashed my two blue owes upon" The
hrst part of the statement was only lhc
INWrauon OF % historical fact. and the
closlug Part probably owed .te cXi-tancc
TO The natural jealousy with which the
rural population regard Che dNcllcrs boz
towns, on cities as cypry place of
lew thousand Inhabitants WITS called
lhreC-L Legged WiNio'a' remark rs rn.
called for the reason tlut there recently
died near Galveston man who made
one cruise under lahttc when boy
ils name was Charles Croupn, and bee
ilved on n narrow neck uf land uu BoIi-
var peninsula. thirty mites frOm Calves.
ton. called the "Rol over" because in
tiue oi storms the waters OF thp gulf
often roll over the land aud minplc with
those of Galveston bay on the opposite
SIDE. About the only uthpr thugs the
peninsula is noted for are the vast NUNS
Der ol watCrueuus and the mYrOds OF
mosquitoes raised there. a correspou-
dent of the 81. Louis Republic had spt-
crnl interviews with trluol just before
his death and elected muuy interesting
incts from him regarding Dis history and
experiences with laiittp's buccaneers
Mr. Crnca was born iu the south of
France and has uiupty-two children
grandchildren and grc1tgrundchildrpu
Whom hc was / wears OF axe Doc was
cabin boy ON board q French lrirOtc and
made several cruises ulong the west
coast OF Africa lie then deserted and
mudc his way TO New York and thence
to Charleston
OFF FOR THE GULF or MENICO
At the latter port hc shipped ON vcs-
sci Ostcuqbly bound for Liverpool
There was % worry largo crew. and when
once outside of Charleston hlthor thc
vessel was hove 90 near % brig and
man calling himself Jones came aboard.
Gle wanted said Mr. Crouru. somc of
ms TO go with him, nu1 our captain APP
ppurpd perfectly willing I SUPPOSE it
was ull understood between thpm before
hand. Fifteen of us agreed TO 80 with
him. There was one CutBlouiuu iu the
pnrty The rest were French We went
with Jones and he sailed away for the
Gulf of Mexico. When he anchored of
Corpus Christi Dc landed mn on an &c.
land and left some food for uE After
awhile one of imhttes vessels com
mgnded boy James Campbell, arrived and
came to anchor Campbell talked 10 us
awhile, saying that Dee was serving un-
der LATTE aud lighting the power of
fNIUII NNNNN lfINNIH OF NININ|Nt NHNNfNI 10y
the CarihaginiIu government iu South
America. He offered us good wngcs and
plenty of prize money. and we Went
aboard and took service under him. !
was too young TO- ho seaman aud was
made cabin boy. ] made several cruises
mdpr Campbell and we captured 20 uutn-
Der of vessels oll OF which surrendered
without resistance, 'nmpgel WIS
good man and would not kill any Of the
prisoners He always took them 90 some
point near the goDst and put them in
small boNts. $50 they could Nuke thoIr
WAY ashore Our schooner was % Baltic
more clipper aud could make fourteen
knots am hour, close hauled Ga sin
breeze
"Inftte." continued Mr. Crouea. chad
his headquarters 200 Galveston island,
which was then called Campcnchy This
was DO 1915 lie had as many ns "a d0zon
vessels, and at one time there were
1000 men ON tho island. LATTE huilt
small dirt fort aud lived when ashore,
I'm q Nyo-st0ry franc house, which was
painted red Tie was one ~ the finest
looking men / ever met lie was q feet
. inches IN height and bis figure was one
Of remarkable ymctly. with feet and
hands so small compared with his large
stature, MS 10 attract attention, ln bis
department he WIS remarkably bland.
dignfed and social toward equals, though
reserved aud silent toward interiors or
those under his Command. lie received
visitors with IN easy air Of welcome and
was remarkably neat in bic personal ap-
uoarauce. ON board of his vessel 10
usually wore n loose cont with nNhmg
10 distinguish him FROM his suhordt ptcs
lie pOssVssod superior conversational
powers and entertained bis guests witch
the rehearsal OF many interesting and
anecdotes. Tie had the habit of
closing one csc whilo in conversation and
keeping 10 closed so much chat many
perfons Thought hr had only one eye
NEGROES AT 81 A POUND
ON the course Of his stay on the island
Iafitte executed two of his own men,
one of them "a fellow named Brown, n
fprncioug man, who bad pluuiCrpl nu
American vessel In the gulf near Sabiue
Pass. aud Che other O Freuchman uamcd
Fr9inruis. who had robbed nI American
'pho priyatprrs of lAlitte captured many
SPANISH vessels bound % Cuhn with
slaves. mud they were brought to Calves
ton and sold to Traders who smlgelcd
them into Louisiana and sold them 10
planters The average p1oe ~ a negro
on the island was 50 "a pound
"IaGitc. being ordered away from GHl-
weston. disbanded most 0f his forces,
harmed his town and sailed away IN the
schooner Pride on The Caribbean sea.
Nf9sr III hls men. myself among The uum-
tor dtifted 10 New Orleans from which
tlore iu the course OF fhc struggle for
igdepeudence. ! returned 10 Texas, and
hive been living here since lNib Camp
I'm tbe man under whom ! sailed, also
sritied in Texas. he Was an old United |
Siates man-0f. Warsmpn, and had fought |
en M Constitution BOZ the engagement |
sin ne GUERRERO Tie has children siiil !
iirinc iu Galveston, FOR he Ola not die |
mill 1859 Another u Lafitte's heuten |
onfs krew was John lambert lie |
settled In Galveston and became a butch !
er 10 had terrible temper and one |
lav 4 negro boy be- had working for
MN ana something 10 dsplease him and i
M uailaf him by the ear % fhe dcof ~ /
he slaugiterh0use aud kept Dim there 1
for some time lie weai 70 Mobile and /
8ied there Another WAS Ben 1pliFer. /
~ vas q down raster and bard fighter i
Iie was wounded in many places aud bad I
/ cutiaas slash across bis heal Wheu-
svcr be- eM drink 81 inside him crazy 1
IT, would Jump iuf0 The boy and swim 4
for miles Ike 4 FISH He lived on Bod
gar Point for years and was Wen known /
in Galveston. where everybody called II
Nm Crszy Ben. He has beeu dead q
nng Time. / am tie agl one ot them /
eff and It may be my time "a take 10
sal ang day
rhe Dundee fscothlndl Capiser tsls u
ahiis ieellefo heu iayiqs n egg S'4 iaehca