New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-28
"The Papers" Which Kidd
Wished to Submit

1t is now known that Kidd was made
scapegoat by Lord Bellomont, royal Cover
nor of New York and Massachusetts,, and GER
tain officials Of the British ministry to
themselves in political crisis, ard that the
trial which resulted in his death by hanging
in May 1901, was travesty of justice. 1t
is not generally known, however, that one OF
the documents which he asserted would refute
the charge of piracy was discovered quite
Gently in the British Public Record Office,
where il had remained in obscurty for over
TWO hundred years. In the course OF his
trial Kidd referred to them frequently, beg
gng for time in which to produce them. He
said TO the court:
Il have some papers, but my Lord Bello-
mont keeps them from me, so that I cannot
bring them before the court
Kidd was refused the benefit Of counsel, but
Dr.. Oldish. who sought to be assigned such,
after Kids refusal to plead on the ground
that he was unprepared, informed the court.
my Lord, it is very fit his trial should be
delayed for some time because hee wants
some papers very necessary for his defense.
It is true he is charged with piracies IN sew
eral shirs but they had French passes when
The seizure was made. Now, if there were
French passes it was lawful seizure"
"Have you those passes?" asked justice
Kidd--They were taken from by my
Lord Bellomont and those passes would be
M defense.
DR.. Oldish-If those ships that he took
had French passes there was just cause for
seizure, and it will excuse him from piracy.
Dr.. Oldish was ordered to stand aside and
the trial was rushed to a conclusion. The
passes, or one of them, was afterward
smugged into the Public Record Office and
not discovered until two centuries later. This
discovery, coupled with a perusal of the pro
ceedings Of the court az recorded in the records
OF British state trials in which the prejudice,
The malignancy, the determination Of his
judges to convict, all are betrayed prove Ae-
yond question that Captain Kidd was not
pirate and would shatter SANDER upon
gallant gentleman. But no amount Of vindi-
cation ever remove the ignominy thrust
upon him by credulous posterity. In the
gallery Of infamy he will always appear
bloody, swashbuckling buccaneer, and the old
Kidd ballad, GAS / sailed" will forever re-
main part Of the literature Of piracy
Captain Kidds buried treasure has been
located By legend and sought in every Allan
&c seaboard state from Florida to Maine, ani
On Oak Island, Nova Scotia. Popular belief
enters upon Gardeners Island, east Of
Long Island and the adjacent Westminster
County, New York, but Of late years the spot
occupied by Creenoughs heroic statue of
Warrington near the Capitol in Washington
Aas found adherents-
The Warrington site argument is based
upon the comparatively recently discovered
Darported narrative of voyage 10 America
~ 1893 by Louis Andre Greville, Due do
rai'asot. liz authenticity has not been estab-
iished
Inc Gardiner Island claim il based upon
me narrative If John Gardiner, third propr.~
s}1r of the island whose family settled tnere
N 1899 The narrative bears date Of July
~, 1922 end states that Kidd arrived at
'afaincy'g Harbor In the preceding June IN
h's sloop, the San Antonio. Aster ex-
enanxe u courtesies Kidd asked Gardiner 40
sa~e r. esp for him, On order, chest and a
Dpx u golf, bundle If quilts and -four bacs
" goods, which box IL gold Kidd told Cardi~
= hsr was intended for Lord Bellomont. "