Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-07-11
CAPTAIN KIDD.
TRUE HISTORY OF THE MOTOR.
IOUS PRIVATEER.
Employed by a Syndicate to Sail
Against the French and Pirates
His Treasure Chest Seized
His Acts and Trial.


w in Scotland and married
v v Sarah Wort, of New York.
Several men of London,
England, subscribed money, formed q
Joint stock company, bought the Ac-
venture Galley, fitted her with proper
armament, and provisioned her ut
cost of $4,000. They employed Mr..
Kidd as commander, and furnished him
with commission to act against the
French and pirates, or, in other words,
as n privateer. The king was to re-
ceive one-tenth of whatever the vessel
brought home.
On the way down from London his
yessel was boarded by an impressment
crew, his crew taken, and he had to
20 ashore and secure such seamen rs he
could who were well fitted to act as
privateersmen. He sailed, and after
being absent year it began to be
talked that his acts savored of Pirccy.
When his voyages in the Indian Ocean
we're finished he set sail :nd appeared
n the Sound OF Ney York and set
goods on shore at several places. He
established himself at Gardiner 81 Island,
near the Long Island shore, and sent
wcrd to Lord Belmont at Boston, by
man named Emmot, that he had with
him ten thousand dollars worth OF
goods, and had left the Quedah Mer-
chant at Hispaniola in creek there
with O valuable cargo; that he would
prove his innocence Of what he had
been charged with. The letters OF
Kidd and statements of Emmot and
two French passes were placed by Bel
mont before his Majesty's Council, who
at the same time describes Kidd's mes
senger as ga cunning Jacobite, fast
friend of F1etcher's, and my avowed
! enemy" With their consent, and in
their presence, he furnished Mr.. Kidd
'safe conduct" Captain Kidd re-
lied on this, and came to Boz ton with
his wife and took lodging at Duncan
Campbell's, the most luxurious house
of entertainment in Boston, where he
remained several days.
On July 3, 1899, he was summoned
| before his Excellency and Council to
give an account of his proceedings in
his late voyage to Madagascar. After
| Captain Kidd had given u summary ac-
! count of his doings, of the cargo on
the sloop now IL port and also on
board the vessels left at Hispaniola,
they required of him to give detailed
| account of his voyages, captures, etc.
| Captain Kidd found that the safe con-
duct which they issued was merely in
| t. nded to induce him to come to Bos-
ton, where he would be deprived of his
liberty. He did not make any further
statement, and the Council ordered his
arrest and imprisonment, seized his
treasure chest at Gardiner Island and
took everything that his wife had.
! The treasure chest contained quite q
variety of articles, and the following is
| e list of its contents:
| No. /, one bag OF gold dust. 632l ounces-
] No. 2, one bag Of coined gold, II ounces
one bag OF coined gold. 12i ounces.
| No. g. one bag of gold dust. 24s4 ounces.
No. L. one bag of silver rings. AZ ounces.
| No. S. one bag of precious stones, 12]I
| ounces.
No. 6, one bag OF unpublished precio,n
| stones.
No. 7, one bag Of pieces OF crystal car.
| aelian.
| No. 8, one bag of silver buttons and lamps.
No. 8, one bag of broken silver, 17a1s
| ounces.
No. 10, one bag of gold bars, 3531! ounces,
1 No. II, one bag of gold bars, 1881 ounces.
No. u, one bag of gold dust. 591s ounces.
No. 13, one bag of silver. 3O9 ounces.
The Earl Of Belmont wss evidently
anxious to get possession of the ship
and treasure, and preferred neSotia
ton to immediate hostile measures.
Mr. Kidd seemed to have been willing
to surrender ship and treasure, but
wished in doing SO to have an insur-
| nnce or guarantee of his own protec.
ton.
| Captain Kidd requested that h,
should be taken as a prisoner to His
PAMELA to bring back the Quedaf
Merchant. Belmont refused. To thi.
refusal of Belmont We are indebted tc
the fact that no man knows where tina,
treasure is to-day. 1t is the treasure
in search of which the whole coast o:
New England has been visited. The
law officers and those of the Council
who were known rs legal gentlemen
decided and argued that there was nc
authority to send him to England
Belmont and his Council had an ele
phant on their hands which they die
not care for. Opportunity was al
lowed for his escape, but he declined
the boon. In my possession IS 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 tc
England for trial Mrs. Kidd's Jewels,
silver tankard, silver mug, silver
porringer, spoons and forks were re-
turned to her, with other pieces OF
plate and two hundred and sixty pieces
of eight.
! In England he was confined closely
IN prison two years and permitted nc
counsel. The Government was repre-.
sented by four men. Kidd was tried
both for murder and for piracy. The
murder which he was supposed to have
committed was that of Moor, his gun
ner, whose death resulted from blow,
given by a water bucket in fight
without generalization. No sentence
but that of manslaughter 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 his seizing the Quedah Mer
II ,hant, for he said she was sailing undel
French pass when he took her. These
! passes and other papers were in the
, possession of Belmont, and Kidd coult
, not rroduce them. This case was tEiec
{ outside of the court by public hea rim
! The verdict rendered decided to let hi
, confederates, the joint stock compan.
. and the King, escape public censure
! The severest criticism made upon tn
affair was that Belmont, Somers, Hall
; fax, and others were guilty if he was
! Nearly oil the privateers fitted out a
l lcx 4 4