New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-01-04
IN DAYS OF CAPTAIN KIDD
ESCAPED FROM HIS CREW
Tradition an Regard TO First Ozcner
Of Conklin Estate on Long Island

t-sasssn Robert Kidd the pirate who scattered
buried treasure frorn the eastern end Of the
Long Island coast TO the southern end OF the
Jersey shore nne-according 10 the traditions OF
the natives-had way OF keeping before the public
For more than a century he rested On his larrels.
sc unexoeiled reputation as bloodthirsty pirate
Then q short time ago. worthy writers got out
their rhitewashing brushes and gave his repu-
.s+to- q coat They would make him out q wronged
sns -~tstudEed man whose trial and conviction
The rirscv charge without justice Now his
name Is dragged into interesting lawsuit which
has inst been brought in the Supreme Court Of
Kings County
The s,,;t involves the ownership Of than
thousand acres Of the widest land OF Long Island.
the cid Conklin homestead, in the Half
way Hollow Hills. in Huntington and Baby
Ion townships of Suffolk County. The suit
viii delay the destruction OF one Of the
Oldest houses on Long Island II was erected
loag before the Revolution. it is said, by Captain
Jacob Conklin.
The property was sold at auction short
time ago by the Colonial Mineral Springs
Company TO the Right Rev. Charles Edward Nc
Donneu. Bishop OF the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Brooklyn which includes Long Island 1t is SAID
that the church authorities intend TO erect do
cesar seminary in the sale is declared valid
The sale is contested BY Mrs L. n. Barnett,
Brooklyn physician. OF the stockholders in the
springs company, who forced the original sale by
foreclcsiag a mortgage for 5000.
K is needless TO say that Captain KIDD had moth
he came OF the stage at a time when the land
was held By Indians, and then the only author
f1 for his presence IS the family tradition Of the
house Of Conklin.
as related by enc who has searched out TIE early
history OF the property. Captain Conklin was in
command of q British vessel which was captured
At sea by Captain Kidd In justice TO the most
famous sea rover sailed out Of the shadow
or Manhattan Island, enc must admit that the ii
rate who captured Conklin may not have been Kidd
AZ all He IS invariably blamed il traditional pi-
racv stories Anyway. as the Long Islanders tell
the story Kidd made all Of Conklin's crew walk
the ipIsrk who would not join them Conklir was
among those who became pirate rather than take
the short stroll into the deep There is nothing TO
show that he did not his full duty, bloody as il
must have been until the pirate ran short Of
water and fuel and into Cold Spring AarooT on
she north side Of Long Island TO replenish stores
ConkIin was one Of q party of sailors sent
ashore 20 chop wood and 10 tote II down TO me
shore whence il was transferred to Kids vessel
q small boats He cid not stop 10 use his axe. but
rluured into the forest IN wild effort 10 escape.
He WIS soon missed and the other pirates took
M The trail Presently they closed in on him.
Conll.n took refuge in hollow trunk CT fallen
Tree His family say that the pursuing pirates
actually sat down on that very tree 10 rest AFTER
their fruitless chase
The captain I'll cat him into little pieces sug-
sested one Of the pirates
He'll burn him in oil. more likely. declared
another
a third was Of the opinion that he would Tot get
,r so easily He favored starving the runaway
10 death n chains
.-Tber'n have TO catch me first" whispered the
man IN the tree who according TO tradition. heard
every word. All that night he struggled on through
Tho woods and when morning broke he was across
The island On the last ridge OF hills facing Great
South Bay and the ocean