Evening star., 1927-10-10
History Is Quoted
I'm Capt. Kidd's Favor
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
The picture entitled "a Pirate
Couple at the Carnival-Capt. Kidd
and His Wife," appearing in recent
issue of The STAR seems to afford an
uother example of how often we study
tradition rather than facts, even in
school text books, and 1t is hoped that
The Star may publish this letter as an
act of simple justice to a patriot
whose name has for so long been as
sociated with crime that he did not
commit.
There is scarcely schoolboy who
has not heard how this name was
Capt Kidd, as he sailed, as he sailed
and one of the favorite outdoor sports
of early adventurers was to seek his
buried treasure. Barnes History"
informs it's students that "for many
years the Atlantic Ocean was infested
by pirates, and William Kidd, New
York shipmaster, was sent to- cruise
against these sea robbers, but turned
pirate himself and became the most
noted of them all. Returning from his
cruise, he was at length captured
while boldly walking in the streets of
Boston. carried to England, tried and
hanged"
According to the New International
Encyclopedia, however, Kidd, after
voluntarily returning to Boston to
learn the truth of the rumors against
him, was arrested and sent to Eng
land, where he was tried, and, al
though the evidence against him was
incomplete and the proceedings marked
by gross injustice, he was found guilty
of piracy and of numbering a mutt
nous gunner on board his vessel. AL
lowed no counsel and his explanations
ignored, he was hanged in London,
protesting his innocence to the last"
And the Encyclopaedia Britannica,
which would hardly be likely to eXag
gerate the case against its own coun-
try, after telling of the award made
him by the Council of New York in
appreciation of his services to the
colony and his commission to cruise
against pirates, goes on to say that
after his arrest he was convicted on
nothing but the testimony of two
members of his crew, who turned
Kings evidence"
In Congress Hall Ia part of the old
Independence HalD, in Philadelphia,
there hangs an oil painting portray
ing the ovation extended to Kidd upon
his return to Boston after hearing
the rumors of the plot against him,
and below the picture there hangs
this printed legend:
"Unquestionably the most unfortu.
nate man in history. Respectable
citizen of New York. courageous sol
dier and man of family, political expe-
diency has given him a reputation as
bloodthirsty pirate which can prob
ably never be wiped out. A scheme
was set on foot by leading citizens of
New York, headed by the King of
England, to fit out a ship. commanded
by Kidd, to suppress piracy, but it
would appear that the true object
was to plunder the pirates themselves.
However, Kidd refused to turn pirate.
His failure to gain treasure made his
crew mutinous, and in the meantime
the scheme was exposed at home. A
scapegoat was needed, and Kidd, be.
ing absent, was selected for that pur-
pose. He was trapped on his return,
his papers proving his innocence sup.
pressed, denied counsel in England.
whe.e he had been sent for trial, and
on trumped.up charge of murder
was hanged at Execution Dock in
170t."
Is it any wonder that Napoleon
once defined history as fiction agreed
upon?
GERTRUDE E. MACKENZIE.