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

rived In London April g. and was imme-
diately taken to Newgate prison, where ne
was keDt for one year before his trlal
commenced The delay in the trial was
partly to protect the ministers by letting
public opinion cool down little Inc
case opened March 49, 1701, and the papers
were laid before the House and read. fl
was evident from the first thai, IN oroer
to clear the King and his ministers from
all completely in piracy, Capt. Kidd would
have to be sacrificed. This was more thah
confirmed when a motion was mace III
Parliament TO declare the grant TO Loro
Bellomont illegal, and all booty accumu-
lated under it stolen goods. When thls
motion was defeated by only eleven votes
the King and his ministers pracucally
yielded to public pressure, ana no iohssA
attempted to defend KIDD.
Was he a pirate or merely privateer,
actinp under the authority of the great
seal? That was really the question to de-
teruine in the trial. but 1t was douptIul
If he could be found guilty and convicted
of the former So, to prevent any posi-
bility of escape, he was brought up IN the
OLD BAILEY on the charge of murder and
piracy. The bill charged him with the
murder of his gunner, William moore, on
the Adventure Galley, near the coast OF
Malabar. Oct. 80, 1897. The trial was an
UNFAIR one lTOIl INC OS6 AiAAt+o'
was denied him at first; but subsequently,
DIR. Oldish and MIR. Lennon were assign
ed to his case. With the exception or a
few words at the beginning OF the trlal,
these two learned members of the bar op-
served stolid silence during the proceed
ings. DR., Oldish asked that the trial be
postponed, and Mr.. Lennon concurred
The charge Of murder was proved, but
that it was done with malice aforethought
taI N
words at the end of the trial had no eff
feet on the jury. although they indicated
sincerity on the part of the speaker. Il
had all the provocation in the world given
me-" he said. II had no design to kill
him. 1t was designedly done, but in my
passion, for which 1 am heartily sorry"
After his conviction of murder the I'M
fortunate man was made to answer for pi-
racy and robbery on four indictments.
The same unfairness was exhibited in all
of these trials as in the first for murder.
The testimony against him came from
his former sailors, who Kidd stoutly
maintained had risen up against him at
sea and mutinied.
The whole affair was closed May u, 1701,
three days after sentence, when Kidd was
hanged in chains at Execution Dock His
last words to the court, when his doom
was pronounced, were: ''My Lord, it is a
very hard sentence. For my part, 1 am
the innocentest person of them all, only
have been sworn against by perjured
persons
Summing up the defense and prosecu-
ton, as recorded in the Old Bailey, no
fair-minded judge or jury of the present
day could convict the man of either MUIR
der or piracy. His trial throughout was
VIGOROUSLY unfair, and 1t was evident that
the witnesses were promised immunity
from punishment If they swore away the
life of their former captain. 1t was In the
interest of the King and his ministers that
the man should be executed. Even the
passes taken from the French ships he
captured were held by Lord Belomont in
America, so that Kidd could not produce
them in court to prove his claims.
The luridness of the stories of crime con.
nected with Capt. Kids adventures must
be modified little, in view of the real
facts. Even his worst enemies on the
stand never accused him of any horrible
crime 1t is very certain that he was not
a blood-thirsty wretch, such as some of
his predecessors and successors in that
line. 1t remains even doubtful in the
minds of some whether he was really a
pirate. He was certainly a privateers-
man, with remarkable power, and as a
rough seafaring man. he probably per-
formed acts that would hardly be called
legal; but in this his own King had set
him an example.