The midland journal., 1913-08-08
OUTLAW LAFlT Z.
Old Time Patriot Pirate Of the
Gulf Of Mexico.
AE WAS C0URTLY AND BRAVE

Boldly Faced Andrew jackson, Won
His Friendship and Fought For Him.
In the brave days OF old Jean La
fltte. the patriot pirate Of the gulf,
ruled over little outlaw kingdom Of
his own within few miles Of the city
Uf New Orleans.
4 picturesque figure was Jean La
fitte. with a graceful, courtly delivery
about him which made him popular
with many of the most estimabIe
dwellers In New Orleans. Handsome,
able. averse to the shedding Of blood
and even possessed OF loyalty to the
government whose excise laws he
made It bis business to break.
Lafitte was French. He drifted to
Louisiana In the early years OF the
nineteenth century and set up in pira-
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
house OF brick. with broad and COM
Portable verandas. where one might
l0lI at ease In hammock, smoking
and drinking lazily. while pirate chiefs
filed In TO bring reports Of plunder
taken and prospects ahead.
No crude or common pirate was this
Jean Lafitte He held privateer's.
commission from the republic OF Car
tagena, which had been recently es-
tablished in South America and h0s
long since been forgotten, and this
commission gave him the right to plum
der Spanish ships. Lafitte's followers
were motley collection black, white.
yellow and red restless and reckless
rovers of the sea. Lafitte traficked In
silk and gold and negroes and sold
his goods openly at auction even In
the city 1of 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 find governors Of Lou,
isiana laundering against him, but Ia
Cite went calmly about his business.
Occasionally revenue officer was kill
ed In a brush with the pirates. Inva-
riably Lafitte expressed his sorrow that
bloodshed had become necessary. A.
case was brought against him in the
federal court. The district attorney,was
man named Grymes. Laftte went
to see Grvmes, and the result OF the
sicnaf, ,ss o1I,ca "a ,,ydest,.,r ss.,s -
ilefansa Ha and tha Iawvar mo 81. !.
nistad ,,im wara nron,ssoa eo0 o0o
aI,iaca far .tha,. sorv,cas ona <,o4 =
After the cas-, was f,smissad a. fs,.vYnas,
want ~ Rarataria 4 roco,vo hss ~
and snent 4 week eeastsrc vUsth tha
niratas uho traafa,1 bsn, xrst,, ,,,.,,,co
hosnitalitv ana ascortod MIN ho,b ~
tF,e Mississinni Il ] bandsona vaaurI
laslan with casl, ats - o,,a II s,;,,as.
Ronaatad atto,n,,ts had naa,, ,,,,ds -
nr,a ,,,va nil,4s v ,,,,s.5stso., = ~.
atrnv af,tta,s r,ro+a $500 s,,,s, ~, -
a. vaar 1a14 thay hsd aI,ys ~ s - co,,,o =
to aothine IL ,,e ts,o,, ,,.,.
Rr,tisI hrig anchoro1 - r,,s,oe, f,c,,,
Rsratarsa nose ana s+s o.,,ts,,s ,,., 600
pshora ana ofrarsd rasstta ! -, carsss,,,s
comm,ss,on 4 tha Rr,tisb ~ s. ..,s,n ana
$4,000 If hs uo,ld toin tha, n, Rrst,s,, IA, A.
n attack apa,nst Nav orlaans -
Y.afifta snretandod - corss,7a- .4,,s -
fer. sending worfi n,aantima tc.s ~ 1,a,,,.
nor of tha ,agislafnra e +ha I prsttsh ,.t
cantain,s offar ann daclar,ng .tha+ s,-s,,a "a
w6nld never accent a. Ho se,,t 80. a,,ot,,. ~
~ letter - Govarnor fyhashorra mo
had ofrerad s5o0n for Tasst+s,s s,aaS y.
ara for hosa haad T.as,t+o - i, , ros,,~., e,.,,-
A. snir,t 81 cav hravaac ha.s. a osse-s,s ssss 8,
reward ~ s5n sl0o Tafata - s,,,,aasts,s =,
fhaf the eovernor evten.as clor, CO. v,,,e =
M n,ratss who Il rss,,r,. 1910 "a -
fhe defense of thas stata acssnss AN -. tha q
Rrttish phe offar vas ,aiectad ,srs
an expedition nniar r,ormosora pas-
ferson a. the TTnitad Statss navv =
swooned down on Raratarsa ,,rav,1,e.t.
adgv fore down The hriclr ho,,sa scr.
arcatod mrch n.unde,. s,,a .,e., a,.-.s. -.