The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-17

ried aboard a ship HENRY MORGAN
bound for the
West Indies. He was taken to Bar
BADGES and there sold to planter as
| a slave.
The boy was Henry Morgan. He
began his career as 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. Galleons
would come from Europe with pro
visions, clothing, etc, and 60 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 fortTesses and warsbips 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 looting 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, fled
to the island of Jamaica. There he
joined a crew Of buccaneers. BY ge-
MUS and cruel cunning he quickly be-
came their captain. Then he joined
his crew to that of a powerful buc-
cancer who called himself Admiral
Mansfield. Mansfield soon afterward
was killed; and Morgan was at the
head of all the neighboring freeboot'
ers. His real life-work had begun.
He persuaded some Of his compan-
ions not to throw away every penny
of their gains on drink, gambling and
finery, as had been their custom, but
TO save it for the expenses of great
expedition. Thus he quickly found
himself in charge Of the largest,
strongest pirate fleet 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
them by land He swooped down on
one rich fortified town after another,
destroying its defenders or holding
them for heavy ransom and seizing
their treasure In this way he soon
became very rich
Panama was the foremost treasure
city in Spain's 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 plunder
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
to the city. The mass of treasure was
seized, the town burned to the ground
and hundreds of captives held for ran
som. Each buccaneer received only
about 5000 worth of plun6er. 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
throne sat King Charles las great
blackguard as Morgan himself. The
pirate chief arrived in London, had q
private interview with the King, and,
1t is said, slipped 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
Lieutenant-Governor Of Jamaica and
commander-in-chief 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
n tv, a. Oh A hn