The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-18

escaped the clutches or Rogers
soon Joined their forces with Black
beard and coming to the coast Of North
Carolina, took up their headquarters in
the Cape Fear river, with other places
Of rendezvous in the Pamlico river and
sound. There were no people living on
the Cape Fear river at that time, for
Sir John Yeamans' colony that settled
there years before had removed to
South Carolina. The remains of their
settlement furnished shelter and tenn
pOrary homes for the pirates.
In their new quarters they seemed to
put on new life and to follow their ne
farious calling with more vindictive-
ness than ever. For some cause Cap
tain Rogers had not followed them, but
had hoisted sail and gon back to En-
gland leaving the pirates masters of
the sea. Soon thereafter, Governor
Robert Johnson, of South Carolina.
took matters into his own hands and
resolved to chastise the
Accordingly he sent out Captain Will
lam Rhett with two SlOOpS to watch
their movements and, if possible, to
bring them to justice. Rhett had hard
| ly crossed the Charleston bar when he
espied Bonnet's vessel, which he chased
into the cape Fear and captured after
q stout resistance. He took his prize
to Charleston with thirty prisoners,
who, with their commander, paid the
penalty on the gallOws. Governor
Johnson himself soon after went in
| pusuit if WOrley and after a desperate
engagement off the harbOr of Charles
ton captured him. The entire crew of
| the pirate vessel, with the exception of
Worley and one other We're killed in
the battle; and they were dangerously
| wounded. They were taken to the
South Carolina metropolis and mined
lately executed for fear that death
would cheat the gallOws. Vane was
run down and slain soon afterwards;
and the band once SO formidable was
materially reduced.
But piracy was not yet broken up,
though it had received a signal reverse.
Blackboard, the bOldest and most re-
doubtable Of the gang, with fifty or
! sixty followers . still lowered about
Ocracoke and the Pamlico sounds. He
defied capture and boosted that he was
a match for the kings aVy
In 171S, while cruising off the coast
i Of South Carolina, Teach CAPTURED a
vessel having on board Samuel Wragg,
a member of the executive council Of
South Carolina, and a man of means
and influence. Blackboard robbed Mr..
Wragg of 1850 in specie and held him
for ransom. The bold freebooter had
the effrontery to sen four of his men
to Charleston to demand Of Governor
Johnson a chest of medicine threaten
ing that, if the drugs were not sent at
once, Mr.. Wragg's head together with
the heads of all other prisoners would
be sent his majesty by early eakfas
the mex day. The energetic governor
! had no means at that time to resist the
bravo and pirate; therefore. to save
the lives of the unfortunate prisoners
the medicine was sent.
After reveling in blood for years and
amasSing a large fortune by his deeds
of violence, Teach went to EdentOn, N.
c., hen the capital of the province, and
applied for the kings pardon which
had been offered to all pirates who
would return to their duties of citizen
ship. Governor Eden granted Black
beard and his followers the certificate
of pardon, and they settled near Bath
in the same state to eniOv their ILL
gotten gains. About this time Black
beard married his thirteenth wife. She
was unquestionably a woman without
much feminine curiosity, or she would
have become somewhat inquisitive as TO
what had become of her twelve prede-
ceSSOrS.
Restless and rowing in his disposition
Blackboard could not long remain con-
tented upon land. Accordingly to the
sea he went with his followers who
were at all times under his guidance.
Not long afterwards he returnd to Bath
ostensibly as a trader bringing a
French ship loaded with sugar and CO.
Goa He claimed that he had found the
vessel abandoned at sea, but there were
no marks of violence by storm that
would occasion such a belief. No appa-
rent reason could be shown why a crew
voluntarily should abandon a vessel
at sea in the excellent condition in
which it was said to have been found.
Governor Eden ordered a court of adj
miralty with Tobias knight as judge
to sit at Bath to decide upon the merits
of the case. Eveidence was taken from
Blackboard himself and some of his
gang in support Of the falsehood about
finding the vessel adrift. The court, in
face of the notorious past record Of
Teach and the witnesses, decided that
the boat was a lawful prize and the
property of Edward Teach, the finder.
1t seems strange that such a verdict
could have been obtained from a court
composed of men who must have
known the real character of Black
beard. 1t is true that he had outward
ly reformed, had given up the preten-
sion to piracy, and was trading osten-
sibly as a law abiding citizen.
Williamson, in his history Of North
Carolina, published shortly after the
events here described, makes a state
ment, which, if true, will help to clear
up the mystery Of uch a verdict. He
says that twenty barrels of sugar n
two bags of cocoa of the French ship
were afterwards found in the larder
of Tobias Knight, the chief justice who
sat upon the case. He could give no
satisfactory reason for their presence
in his possession, and proceedings We're
instituted against him as being ''ac-
cessory to pirates" He was tried but
escaped conviction by the testimony of
one witness. Mr.. knight, however. was
shorn Of his influence and no one ever
afterward a anv confidence in his
integrity.
After the condemnation of the French
ship by the court Of admiralty at Bath.
Blackboard remained in Pamlico river
and vicinity to continue his nefarious
work. He again threw OFF the mask
n began the business of a freebooter
with desire to conceal his purpose only
so far as such concealment would con-
tribute to his success. He had his hid