The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-11

down piracy, Kidd had turned pirate himself The Red Sea, the Straits of Malacca, and the coasts of India were his cruising ground, and Madagascar | was his headquarters. That island was | we'll known as an emporium for pir- ates and there Kidd exchanged his | booty-the gold jewels, silks, and spices ! of the east-for provisions stores, and | sent out by his fellow coun- trymen in the west So lucrative was this Madagascar trade that one venture from New York is said to have brought | in profit of GS0,000 To Madagascar, | therefore, Kidd took his prizes, barter ing their cargoes and selling, burning, or sinking the ships. His own craft, the Adventure, soon turned out to be leaky and unseaworthy so he aban- doned her and hoisted his flag on one of his prizes, the Quetta (Quidah) Mer- chant, richly loaded vessel of about 800 tons.
 Bellamont had been advised of Kidd'S arrival on the coast, and laid his plans to secure him. Having been mainly in- strumental in sending to sea what had turned out to be piratical expedition, he felt that his honor was at stake that LNiQd pIOul0 OC cSS0lCN. IAlQSt Hdd written to Bellamont letter protesting his innocence, stating that his crew had
 mutinied upon him, locked him up in
 his cabin, and committed the piracies
 against his will and asking whether, if he came ashore, he would be unmo- tested. Bellamont returned an equivo- cal answer, intended to quiet Kidds fears and to induce him to land. AL though Bellamont was careful to give no promise of pardon or assurance of safety, the impression left. after read ing the letters, is that Kidd was en- trapped into landing, and that, either his crew refused to go further, or that he had hopes of "squaring'' Bellamont
 To that end he despatched to Bella mont's wife an emissary with a present of jewels contained in an enamel box. The jewels reached her. but before an lngot of gold, which had been despatch- ed the same quarter arrived, Kidd found himself in Boston gaol heavily ironed. Bellamont writes to the home
 government giving full particulars of the arrest, not forgetting to remind the secretary of state that, as vice admiral, he may be entitled to a share of the pirates effects, and asking that in any case his expenses may be paid out of the same fund. The sloop, and all
 Kidd's goods on board her, the secured and he showed a commendable zeal in endeavoring to lay hands upon the Quetta Merchant.
 | Having got Kidd securely lodged in 1 goal Bellamont's next move was to collect evidence of his guilt. Before ar resting him Bellamont had him brought before the council of the colony for ex- animation. Kidd protested his inno- cence, telling the same story he had l told in his letter to the governor
 namely that the piratical acts commit I ted by the Adventure were entirely l against his will and without his con- l sent. Bellamont, however. reports that I Kidd's demanor under examination was I unsatisfactory, that he prevaricated, l and that his story was very suspicious l The statements of several witnesses as l to Kidd's doing before he landed at Bos- l ton were taken; also those of some of ] his crew, directly discriminating him of I piracy. These were all sent, home to l England. By the law of Massa chu- 1 setts at this date a pirate could not be l put to death. Bellamont, therefore, writes home for instructions, and he l received orders to send Kidd home for l trial, and to send his booty with him. l This is done. Kidd sails in charge of I Captain Daniel Hunt in the Active, then
 under the orders of Admiral Benbow. l The goods and treasure seized in the l sloop are duty inventoried together l with Lady Bellamont's present of jew els, and the Active, with Kidd and his booty on board, arrives in due time s in England.
 Tn 17o1 Kidd was put upon his trial
 for the murder of Moore, one of his own
 crew, whom in a fit of passion he had l killed with a bucket. He was also ar | raigned, together with nine of his crew, upon a. charge of piracy. Kidd was l convicted upon both charges, and his :! nine companions upon the charge of l piracy, and all were sentenced to death. Five of the crew were subsequently I pardoned, but Kidd and the other four
 were on May 23, 1707, hanged at Execu-
 ton Dock. To the last Kidd protested
 his innocence. Although he admitted
 having killed Moore, he alleged that it 2 was by accident and not premeditated.
 The accounts of the ssial of which there
 are several extant, show that the pro-
 ceedings were, according to modern
 ideas, not fair. He had no counsel upon
 the charge of murder; and time was
 not allowed him to produce very ma
 terial document-the French pass of the
 Quetta Merchant, which was detained
 by Bellamont. Although it's existence
 was denied by the prosecution, and
 doubted by the court, fac-simile of it is amongst the admiralty court rec
 ords. It is popu1arly supposed that the
 pirates death was more terrible than
 hanging; that he was tied to 8 stake
 during the rising tide and there left
 until the water flowed over his head
 There is no evidence amongst the rec
 ords of the admiralty court that this
 abominable practice was ever in use in
 England. On the contrary there arg
 documents of the sixteenth century
 showing that pirates were hanged; and
 it is certain that Kidd and his com
 panions suffered that death
 The most curious document amongst
 the admiralty court records is the sale
 catalogue of Kidd's treasure. The cata. logue itself is printed, but the names
 of the buyers, and the sums bid, arc
 written in the left and right hand mar. | gins, The total sllyn ynalised after dc