New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-28
Forming "The Syndicate"
Thef Used Kidd


Tkef Used Kidd
Kidd declined the place. VERY well, re-
torted Delomont, "but your vessel will be
detained in the Thames until you accept So
Kidd accepted. Bellomont formed syndicate
composed Of himself, King William, Lore
John Somers, the Lord Chancellor and leader
of the Wing party; the Earl of Oxford, First
Lord of the Admiralty; the Duko of Shrews-
bury, the Earl of Romney, Sir Richard Harri-
son, wealthy merchant, and Robert Living
ston According to Burnett, the historian, it
was the King who proposed the venture
private enterprise and offered to contribute
So 900 as his share. He never put up a
pound, but gave Kidd a special royal commits
sion under the Great Seal Of England in lieu
The others assessed themselves for the total
sum Of IS 900. The sloop Adventure Galley,
2S7 tons and thirty-four guns, was purchased.
and in her Kidd, in April. 1896, proceeded to
New York, where he recruited his crew of
seventy to 154 men. Good dependable
men could not be induced to join such
hazardous enterprise without pay, the emolu-
ment being in shares of the booty taken. l.
was case Of mo prizes, pay" and by
necessity the composed of the worst
sea rovers, all either former potential
pirates, deserters from the navy, fugitires and
thieves, the riffraf and scum Of the harbors.
In New York he met his old business asso-
cate Frederick Phipse. What talk
held between them is unknown, but internal
evidence indicates that they reached secret
agreement whereby Philipse was to look after
Kidd's interests and Kidd was to divert some
Of the profits Of the projected enterprise to
him. Phpse was related by marriage to
Livingston and probably felt aggreved be-
cause he was not invited to join it, and Kidd
probably resented the high-handed method
employed to force him into it. Two years
later evidences of such agreement thrust
themselves upon Belloment and he deter
mined to punish both Philipse and Kidd
Phillipse was too strongly intrenched by his
wealth. his business and social influence and
powerful friends to be crushed, but Kidd was
ground to pulp.
Kidd sailed in the Adventure Galley from
New York in September, 1896, bound for the
Esst Indies
For two years little was heard Of him. Al
last ships brought stories that Kidd had
turned pirate and had captured a great ship,
the Cuedah Merchant, to cruise as pirate in
her.
What really happened as revealed in the
course Of his trial, was that Kidd arrived at
Madeira October s, and at Madagascar in
January following. Madagascar was the most
notorious haunt of pirates in the world, but
in that harbor their ships under the
protection Of the Sultan. From this safe
anchorage they sailed forth and captured the
merchant ships Of any naton-English
French or Dutch East Indies Kids plan
was to hang off the coast en- the chance OF
capturing pirate snip. inward bound
He had been nine months from home and
not a prize was taken. He was short Of
money for provisions and the crew was in q
mutinous state.
In September, on the coast Of Malabar, he
was attacked by two Portuguese ships, which
he fought all day and finally beat off. having
fourteen men injured and the SAID
Portuguese left the said l.aey vita such sat
isfaction that the Narrator believes no Por
tuguese Will attack the Kings colors
again, in that part Of the world especially
said Kidd in the written narrative produced
at his preliminary trial in Boston
windfall in the shape of a wrecked French
ship was next encountered, and from the crew
Kidd took enough gold to buy provisions il
Malabar port This drifting around. Twin,
from hand to mouth as it were. fed the spiri
of mutiny in the men, who talked among them
selves Of desperate measures Fear of kidd
alone prevented an outbreak, and new in
cident increased their unconceaed discomfort
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