The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-26
THE LAIR OF BLACK BEARD
TIGERISH LORD OF THE DEEP
The Bood-Stained and Secret Corridored Castle OH
the Pasquotank Around Which Cluster
Wierd and Horrible Legends.


region of Eastern Virginia and Carolina,
who made himself master of the high
seas and forced the world to acknowledge
his naval supremacy, as no other man
has ever done. The name of Edward
Teach" of England, is scarcely known,
save by few who have troubled them
selves TO study the real history oil the Sea
King OF the early eighteenth century. Yet
1t was Edward Teach who builded or &C.
cupied a building erected for another of
great means-a house OH the banks of the
Pasquotank River, In Pasquotank county,
North Carolina.
The same locality was for over hun
dred years after the death of Teach a
rendezvous for pirates of the world, and
the wife of Governor Pickney, daughter
OF Aaron Burr, walked the plank, off
Dare county, within twenty miles of where
the seat OF the eighteenth century pirates
existed.
The Governor of Virginia wanted Teach
and offered big reward for his capture
This reward amounted to one hundred
pounds, English money, a sum amounting
TO less than five hundred dollars, though
III colonial days it was considered such
large sum that men risled lives to Sc
cure 1T. The reward was an item of
insignificant value, as compared with the
tax which Edward Teach levied on the
world annually.
PIRATE BLACKBOARD.
When the pirate Blackboard left Bris-
tel, England, on his first cruise, he was
a mere sailor, and though he travelled in
this capacity for years, he attracted at
tention only about five years prior to his
death. Morgan, the famous buccaneer
and privateer, had already introduced
piracy as a "gentleman's' vocation, and
until his sovereign gave him command Of
the island of Jamaica as its Governor, be
had created widespread CONSERVATION.
Morgan had been classed as the pioneer
OF buccaneers, but Morgan was but the
mere instlgator of the deviltry of his most
apt scholar and arch friend, Edward
Teach.
At the death of the King. Charles H.,
OF England the successor to the throne
sought to seize the former pirate who
had been knighted by Charles. The death
of Morgan Is a matter of some dispute,
though an interesting account disposes of
him after a second cruise at sea, during
which he became the patron of young
Teach. Morgan is alleged to have killed
the emissaries of the successor to the
throne and to have returned to his buc-
caneerIng. 1t was on this trip that Teach,
who was living the island of Jamaica,
first became an acknowledged pirate,
though as bold and fearless gambler
he led in the dives of iniquity which the
West Indian island harbored. Teach was
IL r. 1
had embarked on his first pirate cruise
with the Ex-Governor.
After the death of Morgan Teach re-
turned to England, where he squandered
his gains, and with the support of one
Kornigold, an old mariner of Morgan's
fleet, Teach was enabled to fit out a
vessel and go into piracy for himself.
With an excellent training in the cruelty
Of the profession under Morgan, Teach
commenced a career which is without a
precedent or a more noteworthy after
math. Buccaneering or privateering was
not the worst form of piracy, and was
even licensed under governments which
were at war with one another Bucca-
neers fitted vessels at their own expense,
took out papers under hostile govern
ments and pillaged the merchant vessels
TO SO appropriate, confiscate and destroy.
But it was left for Teach to adopt
Monaghan methods, numbering women
and children with relentless cruelty.
When Teach first decided to buccaneer
under his own skull and bones, his first
step on leaving the English coast was
to follow the ocean. current, known as
the Gulf stream, straight to the shores of
W ha 1aIa fo, ba dc
which afforded defense and an excellent
harbor. The government today contem-
plates deepening these waters for a
waterway for the worlds commerce and
as a defensive harbor, in the event of hos
tilities with other nations. Teach first
realized this advantage On the upper
banks of the Pasquotanf he planted
colony, his abode being accessible from
the sound by vessels of lighter draw than
his fleet
STORIES HANDED DOWN.
In and around Elizabeth City there are
those who remember stories handed down
by grandparents, telling of the black flag
fleet once harbored here.
TO this day the grim home of the old
pirate still stands as the only monument,
other than the historical mention of his
name in the text books of our insttu-
tions. Within two miles of Elizabeth
City N. c., and about twenty-five miles
from the Virginia line, is the former
capitol of piracy The old house is of
excellent workmanship, the materials for
its construction having been conveyed
hither, across the Atlantic Ocean from the
shores of England. Today the old home is
occupied by a quiet, well to do farmer. a
Mr.. Frank Temple, who has surrounded
the place with a well cultivated farm, and,
within doors, in the dwelling which, once
lent its spacious rooms and halls to a
ribald mob, there dwells today timid
woman, and three small children, the
family of Mr.. Temple.
Visitors are numerous at the old house,
and the family resident therein, have
been forced for the sake OF privacy. to
refuse admittance to the majority OF call
ers. However, your correspondent was
treated with utmost courtesy, and the
camera used to good effect, as the ac-