The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-12-31
The Pirates
OF the Coast

| picturesque fight between famous
pirate kings and war vessels; but the
Jolly Roger is no longer paraded
upon the high seas. Piracy is now
confined to the waters around China
and the coast of Malacca, where veri-
table sea-robbers of the old-fashioned
type still ply their murderous traffic.
On the Atlantic coast, legends of the
daring deeds of the old pirates and
stories of their hidden treasures alone
keep UP the interest in this extinct
race of robbers. Millions of dollars
are supposed ODE buried along the
coast by Captain Kidd, Low and 9TH
ers, according to popular accounts,
and still hunts for these great treas
ures are annually organized.
At Money Hill, promontory jutting
out into the Shark River, on the New
Jersey coast, excavations have been
made hundred times for the treas
ures of Kidd, and some of the resi-
|
new potatoes under their pillow, be-
lieving that by SO doing they will some
day be inspired to find the coveted
Spanish dollars and gems.
Not so many years ago, schooner
left the coast of California, bound for
Cocos Island, four hundred miles
southwest of Panama, for the purpose
of digging the silver coins, plate and
jewelry, supposed to have been buried
there by pirates years ago.
| Altogether, it is estimated that $780,
100000 have been buried in Cocos Is
land by the pirates, and it is for this
immense sum that the schooner set
sail
TIE story of this buried wealth was
obtained from two of the pirates, who
confessed, on their death-bed, that the
captured treasures had been buried on
the island.
| Wild rumors have at different times
excited the cupidity of the treasure
hunters along the Atlantic coast; but
with few exceptions, the reported dis
covery of the hidden gold has been
untrue
Several small discoveries of old
Spanish money and jewels have been
made at Gardeners Island, Rockaway
beach, and on the Souther Jersey
coast, but the intrinsic value of all
these finds would hardly lead one to
believe that millions had been buried
in the sand; nevertheless, the several
great pirate leaders were known to
ave captured large sums of money.
Edward Low was one of the most
merciless buccaneers that roved the
sea along the Atlantic coast, and New
England was especially pestered by
him. Low was an Englishman, but he
drifted to Boston when boy, where
for time he earned good living at
the rigger's trade.
But he soon took to the sea again,
and with a dozen men he captured
vessel and turned her into a piratical
craft His first point of adventure was
| between New York and Boston; where
he captured sloop loaded with mer-
chandise; but being chased by a man
of-war he sailed due south until out OF
danger Within a short time he col
lected a larger crew around him and
his name became a terror all along the
Atlantic coast.
He captured dozens of vessels in a
few months until several men-of-war
were commissioned to hunt him down.
The Greyhound, warship carrying
twenty guns, first encountered the pl-
rate. Low an dHarris, his partner in
crime, took the warship for a merchant
vessel, and they gave immediate chase.
The captain of the Greyhound COM
pretended the situation at once, and
enjoying the joke he made every sign
of trying to escape.
After the chase had been kept up
for several hours the war-ship sudden
" turned around, and delivered a ire
mendous broadside into the two pur-
suing pirate ships.
A running fight was then begun, the
pirates making every effort to get be-
yond the range of the twenty thunder
| ing guns.
Low finally escaped, while the Grey
hound was bringing Harris and his
crew to terms. The latter, with
twenty-four of his crew, were taken
prisoners, and hanged July 10, 1923,
near Newport.
| Instead of bein intitmdated by this
narrow escape, Low became more
malignant than ever, and he vented
his spite against the New England
towns and commerce. For a long time
he cruised around in the waters D.