The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-31

and Poetry That the Truth Is OBJ
scured-PossibIy Kidd Was Merely
Priyateer.
From the St. Louis Globe Democrat.
In all the poetry and romance OF htera-
ture about the pirates and buccaneers of
our coast and the Spanish main, that re-
lating to Capt. Kidd and his adventures
has most entertained and enamored the
general reader of truth and fiction, grad
uadly installing him in the mind as a rep
resentative type of a lawless freebooter.
The verdict of two generations has helped
to heap upon his head all the crime. cruel
ty and bloodthirstiness that could possibly
fail to the lot of one man; but in examin-
ing the historical records it is a little diff
cult to discover the reason for such univer-
sal prejudice and unjust condemnation.
While no one might care to assume the
position of apologist for Kidd, and accord
to him all the qualities of a saint and gem
tleman, there is some excuse for attempt
ing to modify the Judgment against him,
and even to raise the question in all Sc
robustness, Was Kidd a pirate or not?"
William Kidd was born at Greenock,
Scotland, in 1850, and early took to the sea,
for living. He was a respectable sailor
and sea-fghter doing gallant work in the
Kings service against the French. He APP
peared in New York about 1890, and on the
sixteenth day of the following May he
was married. In the Surrogates office we
have the following license recorded: Capt.
William Kidd, Cent, of the one part to
Sarah Oort, widow of a New York mer-
chant, John Oort" He was fairly sue
cessful and prosperous sea captain and
merchant at this time His packet-ship the
Antigua, had made many trips between
New York and the West Indies and Lon
don, coming money rapidly for it's owner
and captain. Although the seas were full
of rowing pirates, the Antigua had been
uniformly fortunate in escaping their no
tice. Mrs. Kidd brought some property to
her sea captain, a good house on Hanover
square, where she had lived; but Kidd
built new one for their future dwelling
place on Liberty street Chen Tienhoven),
near Nassau.
No one ever questioned the honesty or
uprightness of Capt. Kidd up to this time,
and there is good evidence to show that he
stood well among his townspeople. 1t was
not until Lord Bellomont came into his
life that any reflection on his good name
was made, and, considering the character
of this man, and the fact that he was Off
cially responsible for his conviction, it may
be well to study their relationship closely
throughout the whole of the three follow
ing years. Lord Bellomont became Royal
Governor of New York in 1898. He admin
istered the affairs of the infant metropolis
with fair success, but, while frowning up
on the piracy that fourished in the harbor
and bays and coves of Long Island, he was
secretly interested in the matter. Many
other upright and very respectable people
derived a substantial income from dealings
with the pirates. Piracy fiourished so gem
orally around the city that it was quite
unsafe for merchant vessels to arrive or
depart without an escort.
Lord Bellomont did not suppress piracy
here, as he promised to do when he left
England; but he became a shareholder in
company that derived most of its profits
from this unlawful trade, and inveigled
Capt Kidd into a scheme which ultimately
caused his downfall A syndicate was
formed to equip and send out armed
ship to put down the pirates, and further
more, The commission gave the captain the
power to apprehend, seize and take the
Ships vessels and goods belonging TO the
French King and his subjects. Stockhold-
| ers in this peculiar syndicate were to re-
| ceive a portion of the profits, according to
| King William TIT put in no money, but he
| gave the moral force of his name, and for
| this he was to receive large share of the
| profits.
! Such a rowing commission was tempta-
| ton for any man to commit piracy. In
| deed the company intended this, and they
| cared little where the money came from
| so long as their shares were large and re-
| munerativeh Kidd made the mistake of
| not turning in enough money to his titled
masters to protect him. When first Offer
| ed the position of captain of the Adven-
| ture Galley, the ship fitted out by the
| syndicate, he declined the Offer He was
recommended by Col. Robert Livingston
| for the position, who also later signed his
| bond for So 600; but he was still loath to
! go into the enterprise. 1t was only when
| he was threatened by Lord Bellomont that
| he yielded This threat, according to
| Kidd's testimony on the stand, was to the
effect that his vessel, the Antigua, would
be stopped in the river if he did not ac-
| cept the position of captain of the Adven-
ture Galley
The new pirate hunter. 2S7 tons, with a
| crew of fifty men and thirty guns, left
! Plymouth, England, in the latter part of
| April, 1868, with Capt. Kidd Is comman-
| der. On her way 90 New York the Ad-
venture Galley captured a small French
ship. which was taken to New York
| and sold for the beneht of the share
holders of the new company. The Provin-
cial Assembly of New York. to commemo-
rate this initial step to protect the COM
merce on the high seas. voted Capt. Kidd
| a gra tuity of ESQ Probably a few months
| later the members of the assembly regret
| ted this hasty action.
Before he left New York for his next
| cruise Kidd increased his crew to 1855 men.
| With this large number of men under his
| command, he set sail amid the loud plaud-
| it's and encomiums of his townspeople. Then
he disappeared so completely that the
| sea might have swallowed him up. Ru-
mors gradually began to reach New York
| that he was seen in this and that part of
| the globe. It was reported by seamen and
| captains that he had turned pirate but
| for a long time there was no positive evil
| dence that he had been doing anything
| wrong Lord Bellomont ana his titled as
| sociates In the syndicate grew impatient at
| his non-appearance. and, as time passed,
and he turned in no money, their anger
| Increased. The reports that he had cap
| tured many French, Moorish and Italian
vessels served to corroborate in the minds
! of the company the suspicion that their
| -f.,lt laf, s..