Milford chronicle., 1913-08-22
OUTLAW LAFITTE.
Cid Time Patriot Pirate of the
Gulf of Mexico.
He WAS CoURTLY AND BRAVE
And as Mild a hammered Man as Ever
Seuttled Ship or Cut a Throat-tts
Boldly Faced Andrew Jackson, Won
His Friendship and Fought For Him.

uttts Tue lldLitub phdto "a thc 6uttt
ruled over litHe outlaw kingdom OF
his own within few miles OF the city
OF New Orleans.
a picturesque figure was Jean La
htte. with a graceful. courtly delivery
about him which made him popular
with many OF the most estimable
dwelIers Ia New Orleans. Handsome.
able. averse to the shedding OF blood
and even possessed OF loyalty to the
government Wh@se excise laws he
made il his business to break.
I4aftts was French. He drifted to
Louisiana ia the early years OF the
nineteenth century and set up In Dira-
cy in the bay OF Barataria. a shelter
ed harbor on the gulf OF Mexico, pro-
tected by long island called Grand
Terre where Jean Lafitte dwelt In a
house Of brick. with broad and COM
Portable verandas. where one might
lOll at ease Ia a hammock, smoking
and drinking lazlly, while pirate chiefs
filed In to bring reports OF plumber
taken and prospects ahead
No crude or common pirate was this
Jean Ladtte He held a prlvateers
commission from the republic Of Car
tageua. which had been recently es-
tablisbed In South America and has
long since been forgotten, and this
commission gave him the right to plum
der Spanish ships. La6tte's followers
were a motley coIlection-black, white.
yellow and red restless and reckless
rovers Of tue sea. La6tte traficked in
silk and gold and negroes and sold
his goods openly at auction even la
the city Of New Orleans
He was popular, too; there is no
doubt Of that. Had 1t been otherwise
be would not have been permitted to
remain Eve years in Barataria. AS
early as 1909 we fnd governors Of Lou
isiana laundering against him. but la
itte went calmly about his business.
Occasionally IA revenue officer was kill
ed In a brush with the pirates. Inva-
riably Latitte expressed his sorrow that
bIoOdShed had become necessary. A
case was brought against him In the
federal court. The district attorney was
a man named Grymes. Ladtte went
to see Grymes. and the result Of the
visit was that the district attorney re-
signed his office and undertook I.ahtte's
defense. He and the lawyer who as
sisted him were promised $4,000
apiece for their services and got t.
After the case was dismissed Grymes
went to Barataria to receive bis fee
and spent week feasting With tho
pirStes who treated him with princely
hospitality and escorted him back to
the Mississippi in a handsome yaWl,
laden with caskets OF gold and silver
Repea ted attempts had been made to
organize a military expedition to de-
stroy La6ttes pirate colony, but up to
the year 1914 they had always come
to nothing. In September Of that year
British brig anchored six miles from
Barataria pass. and its captain came
ashore and offered Laftte a captains
commission in the British navy and
$40. 600 II he would join the British in
an attack against New Orleans.
LATTE pretended to consider the Of
fer, sending word meantime to mem
Der OF the Legislature Of the British
captains OGer and declaring that he
would never accept it. He sent anOth-
er letter to Governor claiborne. who
had offered $1,000 for Laitte's head
and for whose head Lafitte in return,
in a spirit Of gay bravado, had offered
reward Of $4,000. Ladtte suggested
that the governor extend clemency to
his pirates, who In return would aid In
the defense OF the state against tho
British The offer was rejected, and
an expedition under Commodore Pat
terson Of the United States navy
swooped down on Barataria unexpect-
edly. tore down the brick house. con
dsrated much plunder aud drove out
the pirates.
Jean Ladtte and his brother Pierre
escaped and esta blished themselves on
the lower Mississippi. Meanwhile An
drew Jackson had arrived to under
take the defense OF New Orleans. Jean
Latte went boldly into New Orleans
to see him, although the 6ery general
! had declared he would Save nothing to
do with these pirates and Relish ban
ditti." There must have been pc
culiar charm and persuasiveness about
Jean LATTE. for after the interview
Jackson changed his mind, accepted
the aid OF the pirates and showed the
utmost trust in them. And throughout
the siege OF New Orleans the followers
Of I.aftte showed themselves worthy
Of confidence. They we're excellent
gunners. and two Of Ladtte's captains.
Dominique You and man named Be
uche. were put In charge Of ships.
When the British bad been driven
away Jackson recommended that La
Cite and his men be granted pardon
for all previous misdemeanors, and the
thing was dOne.
Nobody seems to know exactly what
became Of Jean LATTE and bis brother.
In 1916 we ind Jean In Galveston.
Tex, whence be was chased by the
Spanish government in 1920. Later
there came stories OF cruises In the
Caribbean. The call Of the sea was
too strong for the one time Barbarian.
-Kanaas City star