Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-08-21

self is on a little island some miles
up the river too small and too mac
cessible to be the scene of the great
exposition. And there is nothing left
of 1t now but the site, marked by the
crumbling tower OF an old church and
few sunken tombstones Boats pass
ing up the rver TO Richmond. the
third capital of Virginia, drop pass
engers who are minded to explore the
ruins of jamestown. the first capital
OF the Old Dominion.
jamestown was not destined for a
long career. as cities go 1t had a
short life, and, If not merry one, At
least a full one. Within a century of
its settlement, its star had passed its
zenith and was In the descendency
Within two centuries it was complete
ly deserted. Yet in that first century
it had lived, and made ineradicable
marks on the scrolls of history With
in its limits had been sown the seed
which was to bear nearly two and a
half centuries later the blood red fruit
of the civil war
For at Jamestown, in August, 1919,
negro slavery was introduced into
America by the captain of a Dutcn
| man. war. who sold twenty Afri-
cans to the colonlsts to be their ser
wants. Within fifteen years of its
founding it had grown to such pro-
portions that it was able to survive
an Indian massacre of $50 colonists.
In 1876, during Bacon's rebellion. the
town was burned, and it was evident
ly even then past its prime, for i
had not sufficient vitality to recover
| from that blow, and in 1893 the cap
ital was removed to Williamsburg ami
! finally in 1879 to Richmond And in
! the march of progress jamestown
was in time abandoned.
Not least maong the many historical
associations of jamestown ter-cen-
| tennial exposition is the legend of Jean
I.afitte, most dreaded of all the ter
rible corsairs who ravaged the Car
| ribbean sea in the early part of the
last century. His story is almost for-
gotten now, yet there is still living III
I Norfolk people who remember the
man and his odd personality. They
recall the time when his home stood
where now rises the stately pilastered
eastern wall of the manufactures
building of the exposition. They re-
member, too, the vast excitement
which prevailed in 1866 when his
treasure chest was dug up from .he
shore of an adjacent inlet Some Il
those who remember Lafitte recall
him as an old man, grim, gaunt aid
gray. who used to prowl along the
wharVes of Norfolk and Portsmouth
, making bold men shrink before mis-
| baleful, withering gaze, telling straugs
tales of the Indian ocean, OF slave
traders, pirate crews and fights and
! how he had fought Spain and Great
Britain. 1t was not until long after
his death, however. when his treasure
chest containing jewels and gold II
the value of several thousands of dol
lars was dug up that they knew him
to be Jean Lafitte, the pirate.
Jean Lafitte was born in Bordeau1
France, in 1880. He voyaged to tho
island of Mauritius in the Indian
ocean in 1903 ami there fell In love
| with beautiful girl, Lozette Font
dac, because of whom he became in
volved in duel. His sweetheart re-
ceived the bullet intended for HIM
and died almost Immediately. This
was the turning point In his life. Mad
with grief. he seized the vessel which
carried him to Mauritius and turned
pirate. With varying fortunes he fol-
lowed piracy for several years and
was finally captured by a British man
of-war He was imprisoned on ills
own vessel and treated with utmost
cruelty. His brother. Pierre, one oi
the crew of the war vessel, finally re-
leased him and with the aid of other
captives they succeeded in recaptut-
ing their ship from the prize crew.
The brothers again turned to piracy
to make a living In 1907 with sew
eral vessels they made war on Spain
in behalf of Cartagena from which
state they had a regular commission.
With this to give semblance to their
operations, they established a ship
ping business in New Orleans In the
meantime, the corsair trade Of the two
was carried on with ever increasing
success and widening scope AT the
outbreak of the war of 1872 the Ll-
fittes had in commission a fleet ~
large well armed ships manned by the
desperadoes of all nations with head
quarters on the island of Grand Terre
forty miles west Of the mouth Of Che
Mississippi.
The pirates were several timos
prosecuted in the United States courts
but always managed to escape convC-
ton. Commodore Patterson captured
and burned the pirate village, bu;
most Of the pirates escaped and re-
turned as soon as the government
vessels had Withdrawn. Soon after
the British began operations agai1st
New Orleans Commodore Percy sent
Captain Lockwood to Latitte with q
letter proposing an alliance against
the United States and offering him
command of q fine ship and $4,000
in gold If he would join in the a.
tack on the Americans.
.Lafitte asked for time to consider
the proposal and then wrote to Gov
ernor Claiborne Of Louisiana detail
ing the offer that had been made tr
him and offering his services to ,hC
United States on condition, that he
and his followers should be pardonod
of the crime Of piracy and his broth
er released from the New Orleans prl.
son in which he was confined. The
offer was accepted and Lafitte fougnt
with great distinction against tha
British at the battle OF New Orleans
President Madison confirmed thf
pardon Of the pirates and in consld-
GRAFTON of his services Lafitte was of-
fered commission In the navy This
was declined with thanks. shortly az
ter receiving his pardon the pirate
colony disbanded Jean Lalitte set
tied in Philadelphia, and later went d
Norfolk with his beautiful daughter,
Hortense. who had married n ma.
named CIarkson. He bought a farm
and built a home which he called
Bordeaux Manor" OH what is now
Lpotun CaxyoItfa patnf
In 1850 La fitte died, leaving all OF
his property except the Sewall's
Point farm, to his daughter. To the
will was attached a short note nd
dressed to his grandson. Only tht
first line was in English. 1t read,
Jean Clarkson, when you arc TWEEN