New-York tribune., 1907-11-23
CAPTAIN KIDD.
Some Ne7C Historical Papers ON
HIS Case.
HIS Case.

There is some interesting light thrown upon
! Captain Kidd the pirate, in the just published
! eighth volume of the Report the Manuscripts
of the Duke of Portland edited for the Histori-
| cal Manuscripts Commission. These manu-
scripts include letters written by the Colonial
Governor, Lord BelIomont. after Kidd's capture,
as we'll information of various kinds and
J Kidd's own narrative. Kidd, it Is rememb bered
was at first supposed to be a reasonably honest
| as we'll as brave man, and was for the purpose
of pirate determination furnished with the Ad-
venture galley by Lord Bellomont. Mr.. Living
ston, Lord Chancellor Somers Orford the first
Lord of the Admiralty, the Duke of Shrewsbury
and Lord Romney. a Secretary of State. Kidd
left London with a commission under the Great
Seal and another from the Admiralty TO CAPTURE
the famous pirate Tew and any others of the
stripe he might come upon; and he received
moreover the usual powers of a privateer
against French merchantmen. "It has been
supposed" says The Scotsman" in comment
ing upon these MSS. that Kidd set out with
the intention OF performing the work that he
was sent to do, and only determined to turn
pirate when he reached Madagascar. Some
looking to the unfarness of his trial. have
seemed to hint graver doubt. There may be
nothing in these papers to prove conclusively
that he guilty of those crimes for which
he was hanged, or to determine how long he
that from the first Kidd's virtue was like John
Silver's, and his own protest practically gives
his case away"
According to one of the papers Just printed
by the Historical Manuscripts Commission and
quoted by our contemporary. the beginning Of
the voyage was quite in keeping with the ira
dtionaI atmosphere of piratical romance
When Kidd set forth on his intended VOYAGE IN
Nlduasa@scsI' s @ ms pTetences, owners and Admiralty
power We're as public as his rhodomontades thereof
were vain; his authority as ample as any
hlhR commander, and therefore he 'should pay
no feSpect 10 the Kings colours where er he met
them. His men, exuting in their security WeTe
IN hlgh spirits When yacht fired upon the Ad-
venture at Greenwich for falling strike as she
OF range, showed their derision with such effective
ana grotesque eXuberance OF paatomime that one
almost regrets the change of manners that for
blos unseemly quotation. For this and a like in
cident at the More. Kidd was sent to Sheerness
and the matter laid before the Admiralty But
without any further notice or inquiry or iudg-
fellow. he was let loose from Sheerness, and from
under the guard at the More, by a mysterious pas
slveness from all sides. and hear no more of
this person till he showed the Kings authority
rem, near the Cape of Good Hope. saying he had
as good a commission for his proceeding as the
said Warren had for his conduct We do hear
more however from other sources. At the More
Captain Sewart. of the Duchess. impressed all
most OF Kidd's men. This was danger TO which
all vessels were exposed. With the First Lord be-
Stewart, however. did not mind to restore the
to Kidd, but the number Con-
sequently. Kidd had aboard one unwilling sailor.
Joseph Palmer, ''an honest young man In his own
nature" who afterward gave evidence against him.
Before meeting Captain Warren the Adventure
had visited New York, rehtted with the proceeds