The Worthington advance., 1901-03-15
PIRATES WERE IN CLOVER.


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son Of the year the citizens Of New York
were scandalized by the rumored cor.
ruption OF the men in high places.
From the Whitehall guns to the Wall
and beyond, even to the Kings farm,
which was above Maiden lane, men and
women doubtless gossiped about little
else than how their neighbors came by
their jewelry. At the town, pump in
Broadway and at the cage and the
stocks in the. slip they wondered what
percentage the authorities had re-
ceived for the protection of pirates
In King street'and Petticoat lane, at
the Postern gate and the Jews syna-
gogue, near the fort, and the slaugh-
ter-house they talked Of the probable
fate of Capt. Kidd, who was then LAM
gushing in Jail, to the distress of his
wife and little daughter-and the ex-
element of the whole colony. No man
OF wealth and distinction was free
from suspicion Of completely with the
host Of pirates who had notoriously.
made this city their place of refuge,
says the New York Post. ... -.
Dominic Selyns had solemnly. de-
clared (before Trinity church had been
chart~red) that the condition of pub
lic morals was ceplorable and had elo-
quently urged reform. Morals" he
said, shave much degenerated and evil
practices have been introduced by
strangers and privateersmen. Our ca
lamities spring from the bottomless
pool OF heaven-high sins. foreign, but.
nevertheless, without suspicion of for
eigners. Money increases, high houses
are built and land is made in water"
AS a matter of course the city was
deeply stirred, for it is to be presumed
that the ''pious and excellent man"
was as free with the expression of his
opinions in the pulpit as in his let
ters to the classis of Amsterdam.
Where the money came from to s'build
high houses" and to "make land in
water" was what the reformers want
ed to know, and they were quick to
charge (for the evidences were plain)
that the pirates were in league with
the men in power. They had seen Gov.
Fletcher drive in his six-in-hand, so
they charged him even with completely
with the evil deeds of Tew and Kidd
and others. But this the governor had
denied, saying that he had befriended
the notorious Tew to convert him from
profanity-''the vile habit of swear
ing"
Fletcher, however, had been suc-
ceeded by Bellomont. who, himself,
was not free from suspicion Of granting
protection" for consideration. The
council was split in contention. In
formation came to the governor that
various members were affecting piracy
and profiting thereby. He set about
purifying a corrupt government" by
removing the suspected persons. In
one day five were turned out of office;
on the next a sixth resigned. Those
who had been dismissed were at once
believed to have been guilty of the
darkest crimes. It was said that a
diamond ring, worn by the wife of one
disc1edited member, had been. taken
from the finger Of an Arabian princess
that it had been the price of the pi-
rates protection. Men said that an
other had a box of eastern gold pieces
hidden in the ground. It was said that
a third was in the habit of entertain
ing freebooters at his home on Long
Island. So it came about that wher-
ever display of wealth was made sus-
picion was directed, and with some ex-
cuse. for it was notorious that the
chief citizens had profited enormously
by their "scandaious dealings" with
pirates.
Under Fletcher's administration
Tew had thrived. The governor
said at one time to the house:
"While stay in the government will
take care that neither heresy, sedition,
schism nor rebellion be preached
among you, nor vice nor profanity en-
couraged. It is my endeavor to live
virtuous and pious life and to set a
good example. I wish you all to do
the same" Nevertheless, he was an
intimate of the pirate Tew. When he
was accused of conspiracy with him
he denied it.. saying that Tew was
companionable. fellow and worthy of
conversion. Then it was charged that
the governors wife had received gifts
Of jewels from the pirate and that
the governor had accepted curious
watch. What was said of the gov
ernor's conduct was said of that of ali
the officers of less power, and it was
this scandalous condition of the ad-
ministration's morals that led to the
appointment of Bellomont, with in
structions to proceed against pirates
and reform the government.
Capt. Kidd became the most notori-
ous of all offenders. He came to New
York almost with impunity to visit his
wife and little daughter, who lived in
one Of the best houses in town. Bello-
mont proceeded against him diligent-
ly and against all the others, but the
practice of piracy was not at once
stamped out. Kidd was caught in
Boston a few months more than 200
years ago. He was brought to New
York and at last sent to England.
where he was executed in May, 1901.
From his capture and the upheaval of
public opinion piracy declined. But
for a long time the suspicion directed
against all the public men Of the period
was maintained.
=, Sources Of SILK supply. ,
The worlds product of silk is ss,-
sss, ,s2s pounds, annually. OF this
enormou output western Europe
produces S,829,O75 pounds, the Levant