The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-04

There ATe TCTTOTS Who Prey Upon
The Coast.
an Old Timer Tells of the Career OF
Gibbs, Who was known as the
Scourge OF the Ocean. and Lived Up
To His Title

. al OA1 inner @E-4E "a A-AF - a. CO ~
/ Gibbs, Who was known as the
Scourge OF the Ocean. and Lived Up
To His Title.
From tho Ci-ci1nau Enquirer
/ Washington. FEB. I5.--The pirates are
/ not oil dead yet, said al old timer Of the
/ United States navy last night as he
looked up from his newspaper He had
/ been reading the Geographic reports Of
( the Long Island Sound pirates who have
been rob5inE il true piraJ.cal fashion the
coast towns not lar from the nation IS
metropolis True, they have not done
any killing or ship DESTROYING, but the
/ prime motive Of a pirate anyhow is not so
much to kill as TO rob
Murder is only az unpleasant adjunct of
piracy. made necessary il Interpretation
Of the old adase, Dead men tell no
tales" The Long Island pirates Of to-day
seem TO have terrorized the localities
which they infested, for desperate thieves
do not hesitate to murder if 1t helps their
mercenary schemes. This old timer of
the navy, who has retired from active
service, quite naturally referred to a
| noted pirate of sixty years ago, who was
likewise a terror to all chimes, and who
met his death at the end Of rope at
Flatbush, Long Island. Unlike the
pirates captured this week, Gibbs was a
red handed murderer " no, like Byron's
hero,
u eft a corsa.rs name in other times
Linked to one virtue and thousand crimes
Indeed, it is doubtful if Gibbs left the
| recollection OF
AsISGLE VIRTUE
Worth writing about. Among naval Off
GERS and those who sail the sea the career
Of Gibbs has been discussed more than
the romantic aud tragic adventures of the
renowned Capt. Kidd.
In fact. Gibbs has always been referred
to as The SCourge of the Ocean and
lived up to the title
Like SO many other pirates of romance
his early life was peaceful enough. and he
gave no indications of his future mean
ness His right name was James LETTERS,
ana The old town OF Providence, Il. l., was
his birthplace.
He was worthless enough not to work,
and went to sea in 1913.
The first voyage gave him a rowing dis
position, but on coming home he found an
unCie's legacy of s. 900 awaiting him.
This was put into a Boston grocery store,
and in a few months the store failed and
most OF the money had been spent for
liquor. When he was fiat broke. Jeffers
changed his name TO Gibbs and shipped
as sailor on a merchant vessel
firing of this, he changed TO a pri-
vatcer called the Maria. This boat was
cruising around the Gulf of Mexico, when
mutiny Of the crew, instigated by Gibbs,
resulted in landing the officers on the
coast Of Florida. AT first the new owners
did not want To be actual pirates, but
lit. . 4
finally the black flag YVES hOsJed and his
career IN crime was commenced.
CAPTAIN or THE BLACK MARIA
There was a man in Havana who kept
fence for the sale of piratical seizures,
and one of the ships crew knew him A
contract was made and Gibbs was chosen
captain Of the Black Maria, a name
winch afterwards became a synonym for
terror.
UThe first ship which fell into Gibbs
clutches was an English ship with con
siderable merchandise on board Gibbs
had crew OF bLoodthirsby Spaniards and
they did the killing without any ehcour-
agcment 1t was butChery from the time
the pirate crew got on deck.
If d victim showed fight he was hacked
to pieces at once. If he submitted he was
kindly allowed the privilege of standing
near the vessels rail 20 be shot at and his
body thrown into the ocean
Gibbs always absolyed himself from
actual blame in these shameful scenes by
claiming that they were done without his
orders; that his Spaniards were cut
Threats at heart and delighted in the
sight and smell of human blood History
does not record, however, that Gibbs ever
gave an order on the side of humanity.
Several other ships were captured, the
crews killed and ships scuttled after the
plUCder was removed. Then hOiStiDp a