The New York herald., 1922-12-24


hereof has been limited only by the fancy
of the historian or romancer. But, liberal
as most of these estimates have been it is
probable that the largest sum ever named
would fail to cover the cost of the explora-
tions made from time to time to recover
some part of this supposed buried booty.
From the coast of Maine to the shores of
Delaware and Chesapeake bays, and still
further south, credulous spades and picks
have dug deep pits and trenches. by sun
light and by moonlight, under flaring
torches and by the dim rays of lanterns
and tallow dips. AS recently as the year
1919 a lawsuit disclosed the fact that
New Jersey pastor, settled many miles
from the Atlantic coast had bought
worthless farm on the owners assurance
that beneath it's infertile soil lay rich stores
of gold and jewels hidden by Kidd and his
companions and revealed to the seller (as
usuaD in dreaml
OF these taleS-some of them wonderfully
artistic fabrics woven by such artifcers as
been shown to be fantastic to the last de-
gree. But one of them has held its own
to the present day. and will perhaps never
be wholly disbelieved. This is the story
that Kidd buried on Gardeners Island, off
the eastern end of Long Island great
mass of gold. gold dust. jewels, silver plate
and the inevitable pieces of eight" Base
less as this legend is, and variously as it
has been embellished in the process of
repetition. il is far more plausible than any
other of the thousand and one similar tales
of treasure buried and lost, or perhaps
recovered; and hence it is credited still in
quarters where the other yarns no longer
find ready credence.
No fact concerning Kidd is better at
tested. indeed. than his entrusting a con-
siderable part of the treasure he brought
home from the East Indies to the third
Gardiner of the American line. But not a
shilling's worth of the precious store was
buried anywhere; it remained in the Gus
tody OF the lord of the manor for a very
brief period every item of it was strictly
accounted for and given up. And Kidd
himself, as a matter of fact, never once
set foot on Gardeners Island.
The only authentic account of the sup
posed pirates visit to the neighborhood is
to be found in the deposition made by John
Gardiner in Boston shortly after Kidd and
his men were treacherously thrown into
Jail there The narrative, related in the
third person. is dated July II. 1699 AS
here given it is slightly abridged but not
otherwise altered:
Late in June (about the 27th) Kidd's
counsel. Mr.. Emmot of New York, went
to Gardeners house and asked for and
obtained a boat to sail into New York.
In the evening Gardiner saw sloop
with six guns riding off the island, and
in the evening on the second day there
after he boarded her to learn her name
and destination. He was politely
greeted by Capt Kidd, "till then un-
known TO him." who said he was going
to Lord Bellomont, Governor of New
York and the greater.part of New Eng
land, who was then at Boston. Kidd
desired him to carry two negro boys
and one negro girl ashore and keep
them till he returned, or till his order
called for them" Gardiner undertook
the commission, and the next morning
Kidd sent his boat ashore with two
bales of goods and a negro boy
Twenty-four hours thereafter. in
response to a message, Gardiner took
six sheep aboard the sloop for the
voyage to Boston. and sent two of his
men back 10 fetch a barrel of cider
which Kidd desired him to spare"