The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-09-02
A STORY OF CAPT. KIDD
Governor Rogers Cousin Tells q Very
Good Story.
WAS AN EXCEEDINGLY CLOSE CALL
The Price Of wheat and silver Com-
pared. The Figure wheat ~ now
Commanding Does Not Affect the

Captain John Rogers, the paternal
great. grandfather of Governor Rogers OF
Washington, was the hero of a singular
and sensational adventure. 1t was an
encounter he had, on the high seas. with
a famous old.time sea.robber, he who
autobiographically and POLITICALLY is made
to sing
"My name was Captain Kidd,
As l sailed, as sailed;
My name was Captain Kidd,
Gods law did forbid,
And so wickedly did,
As sailed, as | sailed"
How near the life OF young Capt. Rog-
ers came to being prematurely cut short,
thereby DISCRIMINATING that branch of the
family tree and, logically, changing the
personality of Washington's present chief
magistrate, is herewith told.
have the story from a first cousin of
Governor Rogers, Capt. Andrew Curtis,
of Bowdoinham, Me-, who is likewise a
great grandson OF the Capt Rogers afore-
said. This Capt. Curtis, who is 81 years
old, has been for upwards of forty years
shipmaster, sailing the wide world
over, and in war days was the executive
officer of a Federal gunboat; he is, more.
over, a highly intelligent, well-read and
thoroughly reliable man. He and the
governor came of a lineal line of conser-
vative shipmasters-all bearing the name
and title of capt. John Rogers"
"The story am about to TELL" said
Capt. Curtis, 81 had from my grandiath-
er's own lips when | was a child, and |
also heard my late mother, his daughter
repeat it time and again"
Capt. John Rogers, my grandfather,
was all his life seaman. His home vas
in Bowdoinham, Me. His father, Capt,
John Rogers, having the same name, was
in the naval service of the Colonies at the
time of the Revolutionary War, as master
of privateer, the Continental Congress
having issued to him letters OF marque
At the time to which | refer he was mas
ter of merchantmen, and was bound
with his vessel and valuable cargo from
the West Indies to Boston.
"He had been out at sea but day or
two when strange ship was seen ep-
preaching. Nearer and nearer it came,
and suddenly an explosion was heard,
and cannon shot struck the water just
across his vessels bows. This very
broad hint was Immediately followed by
the hosting of black flag, with its skull
and cross bones, revealing its startling
piratical character! Unprepared as he
was to cope with the superior craft with
its powerful crew and armament, it was
Hobsons choice for him to obey the i'm
perative signal to 'heave to- In short
space of time boat from the enemy ar.
rived alongside, and ferocious looking
set of men, fifteen to twenty OF them,
armed with pistols and cutl asses came,
one after the other, up over the ships
side and on to the deck. They were
headed by their commander, who proved
to be none other than the dread bucca.
neer, Capt. Kidd.
"My grandfather, as he faced the pr
rate chief, gave HIM the Masonic sign.
Kidd, however, made no tangible recog
milton Of it, but turning to his men ex-
claimed in an authoritative tone and
manner: Don't you trouble single
thing till see what this fellow has got. ;
"He then told grandfather to go down
into the cabin. The two went down
there together. What transpired between
them at that momentous interview my
grandfather would never tell, except that
Kidd revealed that he, too, was a Ma
son.
''In about ten minutes the two reap
peared on deck. Then the pirate again
addressed his fellows, saying: These
poor devils have nothing worth taking,
so you will let them and everything else
here entirely alone. Back to the boat,
men, at once, and we'll be Off
"The feelings OF my grandfather and
his terror stricken officers and crew over
their unexpected deliverance from death
may well be imagined.
Captain Kidd and his fellow pirates
soon regained their ship, and Grandfather
Rogers proceeded on his way without
further adventure. That he blessed his
lucky stsrs for having joined the Masonic
order goes without saying. Charles O.