The Prescott daily news., 1920-05-01
SPARED FAIR SEX
0ldtlme Knights of the Boac
 Not Always Stern.
Even Notorious Freebooters Hase Seen Known to succumb 70 Feminine WIIes-captaln Kidd
 Among the Number.

nlghwaymen, If ancient ballads hho traditions concerning famous "knlgh's or the road" may be believed, nave often been polite to ladies but pirates rarely Nevertheless, the late Ellza- beth Christophers Hobson, in her de- hghtful "Recollections of Happy Life," relates an instance of a pollte pirate who not only spared one or hei ancestresses from molestation but made her valuable present. TO pc sure, the lady In the case, who was Mrs. John Lion Gardiner of Gardiner Island, made the first polite advances and the pirate, who was none other than the notorious Capt. Kidd himself merely reciprocated in kind.
 # The owner of the island was absent when Kidd landed upon 1t, and Mrs < Gardiner, terrified but keeping her wits about her. invited the formidable free booter to dinner in the hope of placat- Ing him. He accepted, and she so wisely and willy fed or charmed him, or both, that he later sent to her two rich gifts, both of which are still pre- served by her descendants: the "Kidd pitcher" now strengthened by silver band bearing an inscription recording its history, and the "Kidd blanket" piece of superb embroidery two yards long, in crimson, green and gold. When the pitcher was presented, it was full of rare East Indian sweetmeats; the blanket is sometimes called the kidd altarA cloth" since 1t was presumably stolen from South American or Mexi- can church in some piratlcal raid.
 Aniong the most famous names in the reprahensible but picturesque roll of British highwaymen Is that of Claude Duval. who. along with his French name, possessed dash of French politeness, at least toward the fair and easily frightened sex. He is reputed on various occasions to have spared pretty ladies their rings or iockets, if they begged him winningly enough, or had the art which one not able. belle of his era professed such useful one to woman, of 'being able to Weep movingly. and that without Streaking of Cheeks, of Reclining of Nose, but soc onely that Crate Teares of Pure Cristall Slide softdy from Lids to Chime. Like as Dew Droppes upon a Rose His most notable concession to feminine charm was not. however. a complete surrender: 1t was a bar. gain. The lovely lady with whom it was made was promised immunity for all her rich jewels. If she would but descend from the coach and forthwith oance corantO on the heath, with the gallant and graceful Claude for her partner--a condition with which she readily complied.
 A knight of the road" of less note than Duval-indeed, quite a minor. modest figure in the annals of crime nevertheless figured magnanimousIy in an old, broad-sheet ballad, in which he assisted. instead of despoilIng, a Iadv m ustress She was, the story re- iates, the poor but beautiful widow of q riotons young nobleman just killed Tn a duel. Although of gentle blood she was beneath him in rank, and the match had been secret. Wher tha coach was held up she was on her way
 seek out her husbands parents and ask their Forgiveness cd nrotectjon TOT herself and her baby boy. All she had to prove her case was her weddino Ting and her certificate of marriage pehned and signed in miniature and
 oenS' round neck