The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-27


ried aboard a ship HENRY MORGAN
bound for the
West Indies. He was taken to Bar
BADGES and there sold to a planter as
a slave.
The boy was Henry Morgan. He
began his career as a penniless, ILL
treated servant. By sheer villainy he
rose to wealth and rank. Some writ,
ers say he ended his life in misery.
Central America and much of the
neighboring territory were under
Spanish rule. Greedy governors and
heartless soldiers wrung vast treas
ure from the Indians and in other
ways amassed untold fortunes for
themselves and for Spain. Gallons
would come from Europe with pro-
visions, clothing, etc, and go home
laden with precious metals and gems.
OF course, these treasure ships at
tracted pirates as sugar attracts flies.
And the Spanish Government kept
powerful fortresses and warships in
the New World to protect their
wealth The clash between Spain and
the buccaneers was everlasting.
The word 'buccaneer" means "a
drier of beef" The buccaneers used
to make a living by butchering and
selling wild cattle, until the local
Spaniards made life unpleasant for
them. Then they took to the sea and
proceeded to revenge themselves upon
their tormentors by footing every
treasure they could lay hands on.
They were not, at first, common pi-
rates, though pirate" and "buccaneer"
came afterward to mean much the
same thing.
Morgan, escaping from slavery, fed
TO the island Of Jamaica. There be
Joined a crew Of buccaneers. BY ge
/ MUS and cruel cunning he quickly be-
came their captain. Then he joined
hia crew to that OF powerful buo-
acsaEeE who called himself Admiral"
| Mansfield. Mansfield soon afterward
was killed; and Morgan was at the
head OF all the neighboring freeboot.
ers Hfs real life-work had begun.
He persuaded some OF his compan-
ions not to throw away every penny
81 their gains on drink, gambling and
hnery,5 as had been their custom, but
to save 1t for the expenses of a great
expedition. Thus he quickly found
himself in charge of the largest,
strongest pirate feet ever seen in the
Spanish Main The Spaniards had
grown overcautious about risking their
treasure ships in such dangerous wa
ters. so Morgan decided to attack
one rich fortified town after another.
destroying it's defenders or holding
them for heavy ransom and Selling
their treasure. In this way he soon
| became very rich.
Panama was the foremost treasure
city in SPANS New World posses
sions. 1t was strongly fortified and
lay far off the pirates track. To
reach it miles Of poisonous jungle
and Indian-infested forests must be
passed The place was deemed safe
And there many millions Of dollars
worth of gold and jewels were kept.
The hope of such wondrous plumber
was enough to make Morgan try to
do what every one had declared i'm
possible He turned from ravaging
Cuba and the American mainland, and
/ on Jan. 9. 1870. set out on the terrible
river-and-jungle trip to Panama
/ The Spaniards had word Of his COM
/ ing. All food supplies were removed
from the route. The forests were
alive with hostile savages. The har-
/ dy buccaneers endured daily starva-
( ton. fever and battle, but pushed on
/ fearlesssly until they came before the
walls OF the treasure city, Panama.
/ There they thrashed a Spanish and
/ Indian force more than three times
the size Of their own and rushed in
to the city. The mass Of treasure was
seized, the town burned to the ground
and hundreds Of captives held for ran
som. Each puccaneer received only
about 5000 worth Of plumber. Nor
gan kept the bulk of the hoard for
himself.
AS a feat Of daring and Of military
genius Morgan's dash to Panama ex-
/ cited the wonder Of the world. Nor
gan, however, was summoned to Eng
land to give account of his crimes. He
went without fear. For. on England's
I HNN tA415 SHoi AoS li--ds great
backyard as Morgan himself. The
pirate chief arrived in London, had
private Interview with the King, and.
it IS said, slipped a goodly share Of
his Panama winnings into the royal
pocket Thereupon, instead of being
punished, he was made a knight and
was sent back to the West Indies as
/ observation-disclosures of Jamaica and
commander-in-chtef Of the British
forces there He married and lived
life OF luxurious ease, sternly con-
demning to death those Of his old
comrades who were brought before
him On piracy charges, and playing tho
rich aristocrat to perfection. He died
In 1883 at the age Of Hfty-thrss.