St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-07-15

AN i i ANxOXx9 Ahs9
been charged with. The letters At Kidd
and statements of Emmot and two
French passes were placed by.Belmont
before his majesty's council. who 1t the
same time describes Kidd's messenger
Is "a cunning Jacobite, fast friend Of
Fletcher's, and my avowed enemy"
,, With their consent and in their pres
ence, he furnished Mr.. Kidd ''safe
conduct" Capt. Kidd relied on this
and came to Boston with his wife and
took lodgings at Duncan Campbell's,
the most luxurious house of entertain
ment in Boston, where he remained
several days.
On July 3, 1899, he was summoned be-
fore his excellency and couocil to give
an account of his proceedings in his
late voyage to Madagascar. After Capt
Kidd had given a summary account Of
his dOings, of the cargo on the slOOp
now in port and also on board the ves-
sells left at Hispaniola, they required Of
him to give adetailed account of his voy.
age, captures.e etc. Capt. Kidd found that
the safe conduct which they issued was
merely intended to induce him to CONS
to Boston, where he would be deprived
of his liberty. lie did not make any
further statement, and the council or
dered his arrest and imprisonment,
seized his treasure chest at Gardeners 5
island and took everything that his
wife had. The treasure chest contained
quite'a variety of articles, and the fol-
lowing is list of its contents:
No }, one b,g OF gold dust. 3s;s onscs
No : one e OF coined gold, II ounces: one
bag Of coine gold Ia ounces.
No 3, one bag Of gold dust, si1 ouncca
No 4. one bag OF silver rings. ~ ounces
No. s. one bag OF precious stones, I: ounces
No 8, one bag Of unpol she precious stOncs.
No. :. one ba, of pieces OF crystal carne'tan
No q. ore bsg OF siiv r buttons and lamps.
No .. one bag OF broken silver. " Z ounces
No. 10 one bag Of gold bars, 3i3H ouaceS
No II, one bay o: gold bars, 2ss,s ounces.
No. ~ one bag Of gold dust, .o,s ounces
No. i3 one bag OF silver. Do ounces
The earl of belmont was evidently
anxious to get possession of the ship
and treasure and preferred negotiation
to immediate hostile measures. Mr..
Kidd seemcl to have been willing to
surrender ships and treasure. but wished
in doing so to have an assurance Or
guarantee of his own protection.
Capt. Kidd requested that he should
be taken as a prisoner to Hispaniola to
bring back the Quedan Merchant Bel
mont refused. To this refusal of Bel
mont we are indebted to the fact that
no man knows where the treasure is to-
day. 1t is the treasure in search OF
which the whole coast of New England
has been visited. The law officers and
those of the council who were known
as legal gentlemen decided and argued
that there was no authority to sc nd him
to England. Belmont and his council
had an elephant on their hands which
they did not care for. Opportunity was
allowed 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
which he acted under, and sent him to
England for trial Mrs. Kidd's jewels,
. silver tankard. a silver mug, silver
porringer, spoons and forks were re-
turned to her. with other pieces OF
plate and ,so pieces of eight.
In England he was confined closely in
prison two years and permitted no cOun-
sci. The government was represented by
four men. Kidd was tried both for MUIR
der and for piracy. The murder which
he was supposed to have committed was
that of Moor, his gunner. whose death
resulted from blow given by q water
bucket in q fight without premedita-
tion. No sentence but that of man
slaughter was justified by the evidence.
He was found guilty of murder. In the
trial for piracy he was treated with the
same injustice. He claimed that his
commission justified him in seizing the
Quedah Merchant. for he said she was
sailing under a French pass when he
took her. These passes and other pa
pers were in the possession Of Belmont,
and Kidd could not produce them. This
case was tried outside of the court by
public hearing. The verdict rendered
decided to let his confedcrates, the joint
stock company and the king, escape
public censure. The severest criticisms
made upon the affair was that Belmont,
Somers. Halifax and others were guilty
If he was. Nearly all the privateers
fitted outat that time pursued the same
course. It SO happened that it was for
the interest of all parties except Capt.
Kidd that he should be the victim and
that his name and his memory should
be blackened with crimes of the dark
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