The Portland daily press., 1895-04-19


dies There the ship was taken by pirates,
and she, being English, was asked to join
the fraternity known as the Brethren of
the Coast. She was quite ready and
willing She had become accustomed to
sea life. She loved adventure, and
though gentle hearted was not much trou-
bled with conscience.
So she shipped under Captain Rackham
as picaroon, and now a strange thing
happened Anne, the captains disguised
wife, fell in love with the good looking new
hand and sought 'his'' society so much
as to make Rackham furiously jealous.
Anne in confidence told Read that she
was woman, whereupon Mary had to
make similar confession. 1t was queer
position, but after an exchange Of expert
ences the two girls agreed to tell the cap
tain, as his jealousy was becoming too So
rious. Captain Rackham was the only
person on board who knew that two of his
"hands" were women.
1t is said that he was, even before he
knew her sex, somewhat puzzled that one
so quiet and gentle looking as Mary Read
should have voluntarily enlisted with pi-
rates. and one day asked her why she con-
tinued to run the risk of felons death.
oi1O ooIl ~ was OeibauSO ~ DlldGCS WOlo
brave, and that courageous men have to
starve on shore. ITO my choice; she is
reported to have said, 1.-THE penalty for a
pirates life should not be less than death,
for it is the fear of felon's death that
keeps dastardly men out of the service.
Those ashore who cheat widows and rob
orphans and are just bold enough to op-
press their neighbors because they are too
tO Spo1y xry011ld no rOhhinu at
sea. A crowd of rogues would be plum
dering if pillage had no dangers, mer
chants would be deferred from venturing
a valuable cargo afoat, freebooting would
be trade not worth following. The re-
wards of piracy are only for the brave!''
Such were the reputed sentiments of
this remarkable person, who clearly knew
what she was about when she elected to
sail under the Jolly Roger.
But even undec the black flag the little
god mag throw his darts, and it came to
pass that one day Captain Rackham's
company received an addition in The per
son of handsome young carpenter. He
was one of the crew of 'prize," and he
elected, like Mary. to throw in his lot
with the pirates who were truly glad to
have him, since carpenters were not very
III bl0 S0EflC01 duu ~ W oo
often difficult enough to effect repairs
Mary at once fell over head and ears in
love with him, and she did a desperate
thing in order to secure his attention.
One day there was quarrel among the
crew, which ended in one of them chal-
longing the carpenter to fight duel.
Mary knew that such encounters always
ended in the death of one of the combat
rtc Oh TO bor
beloved from fighting. So she deliberate
ly insulted his challenger before the whole
ships company, and on being challenged
in turn insisted that the last insult
should be wiped out before the first. AS
a cavalry soldier she had acquired re-
markable skill with the sword, and she
knew that she was superior to any ordi-
nary antagonist. She met her man, she
fought and after a few passes ran him
through and laid him dead at her feet.
This exploit naturally led to explana-
tions with the carpenter, with the result
that they became man and wife. Thus
were there two married couples on board
this strange pirate craft, and nobody knew
of the fact but the two couples themselves.
Not only that, but these two women
pirates were the most adventurous and
There was little of the woman about either
of them, but Mary Read was the more
womanly and sentimentally inclined of
the two. She was probably also the more
emotional, as she was also the more deep
in her affections.
They were both condemned along with
the rest of the pirate gang, but were re-
prieved on their sex being made known.
Mary Read died in her cell soon afterward.
For Anne Bonney intercession was made
by influential colonists who had known
her father, and who remembered her in
her innocent girlhood. She was released,
and her subsequent history is unrecorded.
1t is said that she showed no emotion at
the execution of her husband, whose body
was hung in chains on Rackham cay,
along with his two chief officers, as ter
TOR to all freebooters. After ornamenting
Rackham cay for couple of years the glib
bet was swept away in the great hurricane
Of 1922, and on portion of the wreck of
the scaffold negro, who had been washed
overheard from one of the vessels in the
harbor, fioated ashore.
Thus the last use of the notorious pirate
was to save life after his own DEATH
Sincc then all trace of Raokham and his
companions has disappeared and the
name is only known to navigators of ou1
time as Indicating one of the landmarks in
making Port Royal What became of the
children of these two remarkable couples
is not recorded. In 1922 the capture OF
the notorious Zargonaza, with her desper-
ate crew of ruffians commanded by Ara
gomez, marked the end of buccaneering
and picarooning in these waters. On that
occasion the gibbet on Gallows point was
extended to hold 16 freebooters in row.
st. Louis Republic.