The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-12-11
ITHEN Capt. Ned Low, one of the
Wv most formidable pirate leaders in

N ! HEN OlDl. -Ntu LOW. liz VI III
wv most formidable pirate leaders in
colonial days, committed his depreda-
tons along the Atlantic coast from
Newfoundland to Panama. he took sPe-
cialdelight in wreaking vengeance upon
the crews and captains CT New England
vessels.
The reason for this is found in the
accounts of his exploits by an old his
torian. The sturdy c~olonists would not
permit him to perform his outrages
without some sort of retaliation. So
formidable a foe did they send after the
noted pirate chief that more than once
be was corEercd and nearly captured.
In June. 1923. Capt. Low formed a
partnership with a successful pirate of
lesser note, known as Charles Harris.
The two united forces and directed their
energies toward the New England coast.
They soOn aroused such Indignation in
the New England coast towns that the
warship Greyhound was sent out after
the pirate. and. disguised as 4 merchant
man. she soon fell in with the enemy.
The war ship was manned with 20 guns
and 12O men. When she sighted the
pirates her captain pretended to be in
great CONSERVATION. and the vessel
stood away for two hours, with the
pirates close at her heels.
When Low and Harris were in gun
shot the war ship suddenly turned
around and delivered several broadsides
into the chasing vessels. During the
conflict which followed, Capt. Low
escaped on his fleet vessel; but Harris
and his crew were captured and hanged
near Newport on July 10. 1923.
This incident created a feeling of re-
lief and rejoicing throughout New Eng
land, but ii was of short duration. In
stead of being frightened away by the
fate of his partner and his crew, Capt.
Low increased his activity. and secured
the seas after New England vessels.
At that time New England was send
ing out large fleets of whaling boats, and
the sturdy. innocent seamen of these
were bothered by the pirates probably
mere than any other class. They cor
ried very little merchandise that was of
any value to the pirates, but out of a
sense of reyenge. Capt. Low took special
delight in destroying the whaling YES
sells and in setting their crews adrift in
small boats or killing them.
Matters went on this way for n few
months. when the noted pirate chief
either became frightened at the number
of war ships searching for him. or he
felt that he had been sufficiently re-
venged for the hanging of his partner.
for after the winter of 1928 there is no
record to show that he ever again Wis
tied the American coast. His operations
thereafter were confined chiefly to the
African coast and among the Canaries
and Cape Verde islands.
But one incident of his career among
the New England whalers before he left
for southern waters will illustrate the
pluck and ingenuity of the sturdy sea-
men of that day.
The Carrie Bald, of Boston, sailed
from that city, manned with a crew of
Is sailors, and after ten weeks of sue
,cessful whaling, she turned her prov
toward home, loaded down with blub-
Der and whale oil. Her crew were in the
best of spirits. anticipating large profits
from their cargo, and a hearty welcome
home by their wives, children and sweet
hearts.
On July 10 she sighted land. which
proved to be a rocky headland on the
Maine coast. With this guide post tell
ing the captain and crew that they
would be in Boston harbor in a few
days everybody began to make prepara-
lions for landing. Everything about the
vessel was put ship-shape. and the old
sailors even got their belongings to-
gether and packed them in bags and
old sailcloth.
But before Mount Desert island
was sighted, a sail was seen heading
toward the coast, standing up from the
sea like a great, white cloud. Capt.
Bald, of the Carrie. grew anxious as
the sail approached nearer and dis
played a flag at the mizzen masthead
which he could not make out. One rea- !
son for his running so far inshore had
been to escape the notice of any plrat-
zeal craft that might he cruising up
and down the coast. Most OF the trad
ing vessels stood well out from the
rocky Maine shore.
Half an hour later Capt. Bald felt rea-
sonably sure that the approaching sal |