The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-04
ROBINS Connecticut Inc.
 BRIDGEPORT BUILDING

who could disport himself with Rocn- ester and Buckingham, who could sell himself to the hereditary enemy of his realm for French gold plus French beauty, who never said a foolish thing, nor ever did a wise one" would thoroughly enjoy gentleman hke Morgan.
 Under the Jolly Roger.
 Henry Morgan was born the son of poor, but honest and respectable, far mer folk in Wales, in 1637. At an early age he ran away to sea ana sailed for the new world. He looked about him to see what fields of ac- ton were open there for young gen. tleman of small education, total lack of principles, abundant courage, and great if misjudged ambition. He i'm ally decided to join the ancient and successful army, or rather navy, oi bold buccaneers, to sail under the "Jolly Roger" There were many Flu ropeans of all nations in the West h. dies at that time who piled the .voca- tion of hunting wild cattle and pre- serving the meat and hides, calling that, as long as the cattle held out, was not only profitable, but free and 
 the supply of wild cattle lessened 1t was natural and conventional tram sition to turn from tanning their hides to performing the same operation up on those of men, Swashing through the waters of the Caribbean, gold and silver laden on their way home from Mexico and Peru, were the unwieldy Spanish galleons without number, and ', anlx fnn ntx-in a of the profitable attention of the ex- cowboys. It was more, sport to cap- ture them than to capture cows; there was more reward. and in their crews was as much human blood to spill as there was bovine blood in the animals Such a condition of affairs speedily made the Caribbean the vortex of the scum of all nations. The buccan- eers grew in number; their ill-gotten wealth likewise grew; they promoted themselves from the taking of single ships to attacking squadrons, and fin ally they began to organize expedi- tions to capture the principal towns on the Spanish Main, to sack them murder the inhabitants, and then hold the places for ransom.
 Morgan the Efficiency Expert. Among these men Morgan rose to unenviable eminence; in time he sur passed them all; his ruthlessness, boldness and success were on every tongue. With nine small vessels car rying about 450 men he attacked and captured Puerto Bello on the coast of what is now Central America in 668. Later in the same year he repeated the operation at Maracaibo on the Ven ezuelan coast, and the next year he captured Fort St. Lawrence, Panama, near the present city of Colon. There he crossed the isthmus by a route closely following the canal of our day, and on the Pacific coast the city of Panama fell into his hands.
 None of these deeds was accom- plished without incredible hardships and bloody fighting with the Spanish sarrisons, but the harvest of the buc- cancers in gold, silver and gems was dazzling great. There was another kind of harvest for them. too. When they captured town there was quar- ter for none who defended It. The sufferings the pirates had undergone in the siege would let loose in their breasts passions worse than those of hell; there would be carnivals of crime and debauchery such as the world has seldom seen. Rapine, murder, plum der and drunkenness would reign su- preme, and no living soul among their enemies would escape it. To bring confessions as to where treasure was hid tortures were used that a demon might envy. Men were hung up by their boards and women by the hair of their heads, and let swing. Slow matches were tied to the fingers and toes of the victims. lit and let burn,
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