CHAPTER TEN
Deduction, Logic, Reasoning & Assumption
Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved
“O.k. I think I’ve got it…” announced Sean rising from a microfiche terminal. Alexis strolled over to the extensive timeline they’d created on some butcher paper left over from a luncheon that was given a few weeks ago hosted by the Anthropology Department. It was nearly a work of art: Yellow pen was used to track the events of Kidd’s life, red was used for Sara Oort Kidd, green was used for reference notation, and orange was used to denote cross-references and points of convergence—just the sort of work a couple of old graduate students who just couldn’t get enough of academia would conjure up. There was even a mini-timeline inset that covered the whole of Kidd’s trial.
It was now nearly three in the morning. “Kidd was tried at a place called the Old Bailey for the murder of William Moore, a gunner he killed with a bucket, right?”
“What?” asked a surprised Alexis.
“Yeah. Heavy. Iron. It wasn’t a bucket. More like a pail,” extended Sean.
“What’s the difference?” she continued.
“I don’t know. Read,” directed Sean.
Alexis squinted and bent down to the microfiche monitor: “’There were six indictments against him for murder and piracy. After a mainly irregular trial he was convicted and hanged in chains at the Execution Dock in Wapping on May 23, 1701 along with six of his crew who had loyally resisted every attempt to make him turn pirate and hoist the Jolly Roger’. I can’t believe this,” exclaimed Alexis.
“He got me,” sighed Sean.
“Who did? Hawke?”
“Do me a favor? Look up Gloucester Isle. It’s probably in either England or Scotland. Would you do that for me?” he asked
“Sure,” she began to walk away. Suddenly, she remembered: “Oh, did you read this letter?”
“What letter?”
“This,” she handed the copy to him, “It’s dated May 12th 1701,” she explained
“I read all of them. Where did you get this? There was no letter dated that late?” he inquired.
“Hold on,” she ran back to her office and returned with another one of the documents she had accidentally taken a few days ago. “Look,” she returned and compared the two letters. “There’s this one and then there’s this with no date. But do you see how they seem like the same…”
He snatched the second letter from her and began to read.
…therefore I do most humbly pray that you will be pleased to represent to the Honbl House of Commons, that in my late proceedings in the Indies, I have lodged goods and Treasure to the value of one hundred thousand pounds, which I desire the Gouvrnment may have the benefit of, in order thereto I shall desire no manner of liberty, but to be kept prisoner on aboard such ship as may be appointed for that purpose, and only give the necessary directions and in case I fail therein I desire no favour but to be forthwith Executed according to my sentence, if yr Hobl House will please to order a Committee to come to me I doubt not but to give such satisfaction as may obtain mercy, most Humbly submitting to the wisdom of your great assembly, I am Sr. Yr Unfortunate humble Servant Wm. Kidd Ma 12t, 1701
“I must’ve not read this one or the other one without a date. This is it,” he said to himself.
“What? What do you think?” she pleaded.
“Kidd wouldn’t crumble like this. He’s diverting them,” he answered.
“From what? How do you know?” her voice now had a more cautious tone to it.
“He already accepted the fact that he was going to die. He had done that a long time ago. Think about it: He’s betrayed by everyone; Lord Bellomont, his crew. Look here…” he guides her over to a book sitting at another table full of larger books. “Here, it says that they offered two of his men immunity if they testified against Kidd in the Moore killing incident. Check this out,” Alexis read as Sean continued: “Moore was a gunman on Kidd’s ship the Adventure. According to Kidd’s testimony, Moore made an insulting remark about one of his officer’s lady friends. He then smashed Moore with a bucket to discipline him and to teach the crew to respect women, or something. Can you believe this guy? But Kidd didn’t expect Moore to keel over. It was an accident. The crew knew it, everyone knew it. But when the two crewmembers testified that Kidd did this with…”
“…’malicious intent’…” Alexis read aloud…
“…Kidd knew that they were bought,” concluded Sean.
“So the French passes thing was planned,” confirmed Alexis.
“It must’ve been! He had probably lifted the French docking passes from a ship that he actually had the right to attack…wait,” he suddenly stopped. He took a long drawn out hiatus from his litany. Then, softly…, “Kidd’s men, after a long and bad stroke of luck, finally seized a French ship. Go with me here. The men decided to keep all of the loot and kill Kidd. But Kidd knew that this would happen so he turned it around on them and joined them—still remaining their leader,”
On this point, Sean was unbelievably correct. In order to avert further mutiny, Captain Kidd made a significant choice that spoke from the center of his unruliness. He’d been ordered by his blueblood backers in London not to offer the crew more than a one-quarter share of the proceeds. In light of the events, Kidd flipped this privateering pact on its head. He decided to give the lion's share -- three quarters of the fortune -- to the now restive crew and one quarter to the lords and other backers with hopes of raising his shipmates’ morale and diverting any attempts at revenge. He promised the men they would sign the new articles as quickly as they were out to sea again. From any perspective, this was an intrepid move, immediately tripling the projected take of each of the 100-plus men Kidd had brought aboard, and crippling the share of his wicked backers in London.
“It was because his men mutinied and for the fear of his own life that he agreed to being a pirate,” he continued, “That act alone was what made Captain William Kidd a pirate. He became one of the most notorious pirates of all time because the poor schmuck couldn’t seize other ships! By that time, word had gotten out about the Moore thing and the mutiny and it was probably blown way out of proportion. Kidd had no way of explaining himself and even if he did, no one would believe him. So he scours the seas and lives the good life. He realizes that he’s good at this pirate thing so, hell, why not?” disserted Sean. “What do we know about Sara Oort?”
Alexis had been working on Sara: A merchant’s daughter who knew how to marry well. She married a man named Oort who died and left her everything. William and Sara met and married, combining their wealth and established a home in what is now Manhattan. After Kidd’s trial, Sara Kidd burned to death when her countryside cabin caught ablaze while she was trapped inside. Her daughter was not found. Although attributed to an accident from within, it was reported that makeshift bars were found on what remained of the cabin’s door. Most interesting of all—Sean’s distant relative, Sara Oort Kidd, was considered a witch.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chapters
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, 23, 24, 25, Epilogue
Deduction, Logic, Reasoning & Assumption
Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved
“O.k. I think I’ve got it…” announced Sean rising from a microfiche terminal. Alexis strolled over to the extensive timeline they’d created on some butcher paper left over from a luncheon that was given a few weeks ago hosted by the Anthropology Department. It was nearly a work of art: Yellow pen was used to track the events of Kidd’s life, red was used for Sara Oort Kidd, green was used for reference notation, and orange was used to denote cross-references and points of convergence—just the sort of work a couple of old graduate students who just couldn’t get enough of academia would conjure up. There was even a mini-timeline inset that covered the whole of Kidd’s trial.
It was now nearly three in the morning. “Kidd was tried at a place called the Old Bailey for the murder of William Moore, a gunner he killed with a bucket, right?”
“What?” asked a surprised Alexis.
“Yeah. Heavy. Iron. It wasn’t a bucket. More like a pail,” extended Sean.
“What’s the difference?” she continued.
“I don’t know. Read,” directed Sean.
Alexis squinted and bent down to the microfiche monitor: “’There were six indictments against him for murder and piracy. After a mainly irregular trial he was convicted and hanged in chains at the Execution Dock in Wapping on May 23, 1701 along with six of his crew who had loyally resisted every attempt to make him turn pirate and hoist the Jolly Roger’. I can’t believe this,” exclaimed Alexis.
“He got me,” sighed Sean.
“Who did? Hawke?”
“Do me a favor? Look up Gloucester Isle. It’s probably in either England or Scotland. Would you do that for me?” he asked
“Sure,” she began to walk away. Suddenly, she remembered: “Oh, did you read this letter?”
“What letter?”
“This,” she handed the copy to him, “It’s dated May 12th 1701,” she explained
“I read all of them. Where did you get this? There was no letter dated that late?” he inquired.
“Hold on,” she ran back to her office and returned with another one of the documents she had accidentally taken a few days ago. “Look,” she returned and compared the two letters. “There’s this one and then there’s this with no date. But do you see how they seem like the same…”
He snatched the second letter from her and began to read.
…therefore I do most humbly pray that you will be pleased to represent to the Honbl House of Commons, that in my late proceedings in the Indies, I have lodged goods and Treasure to the value of one hundred thousand pounds, which I desire the Gouvrnment may have the benefit of, in order thereto I shall desire no manner of liberty, but to be kept prisoner on aboard such ship as may be appointed for that purpose, and only give the necessary directions and in case I fail therein I desire no favour but to be forthwith Executed according to my sentence, if yr Hobl House will please to order a Committee to come to me I doubt not but to give such satisfaction as may obtain mercy, most Humbly submitting to the wisdom of your great assembly, I am Sr. Yr Unfortunate humble Servant Wm. Kidd Ma 12t, 1701
“I must’ve not read this one or the other one without a date. This is it,” he said to himself.
“What? What do you think?” she pleaded.
“Kidd wouldn’t crumble like this. He’s diverting them,” he answered.
“From what? How do you know?” her voice now had a more cautious tone to it.
“He already accepted the fact that he was going to die. He had done that a long time ago. Think about it: He’s betrayed by everyone; Lord Bellomont, his crew. Look here…” he guides her over to a book sitting at another table full of larger books. “Here, it says that they offered two of his men immunity if they testified against Kidd in the Moore killing incident. Check this out,” Alexis read as Sean continued: “Moore was a gunman on Kidd’s ship the Adventure. According to Kidd’s testimony, Moore made an insulting remark about one of his officer’s lady friends. He then smashed Moore with a bucket to discipline him and to teach the crew to respect women, or something. Can you believe this guy? But Kidd didn’t expect Moore to keel over. It was an accident. The crew knew it, everyone knew it. But when the two crewmembers testified that Kidd did this with…”
“…’malicious intent’…” Alexis read aloud…
“…Kidd knew that they were bought,” concluded Sean.
“So the French passes thing was planned,” confirmed Alexis.
“It must’ve been! He had probably lifted the French docking passes from a ship that he actually had the right to attack…wait,” he suddenly stopped. He took a long drawn out hiatus from his litany. Then, softly…, “Kidd’s men, after a long and bad stroke of luck, finally seized a French ship. Go with me here. The men decided to keep all of the loot and kill Kidd. But Kidd knew that this would happen so he turned it around on them and joined them—still remaining their leader,”
On this point, Sean was unbelievably correct. In order to avert further mutiny, Captain Kidd made a significant choice that spoke from the center of his unruliness. He’d been ordered by his blueblood backers in London not to offer the crew more than a one-quarter share of the proceeds. In light of the events, Kidd flipped this privateering pact on its head. He decided to give the lion's share -- three quarters of the fortune -- to the now restive crew and one quarter to the lords and other backers with hopes of raising his shipmates’ morale and diverting any attempts at revenge. He promised the men they would sign the new articles as quickly as they were out to sea again. From any perspective, this was an intrepid move, immediately tripling the projected take of each of the 100-plus men Kidd had brought aboard, and crippling the share of his wicked backers in London.
“It was because his men mutinied and for the fear of his own life that he agreed to being a pirate,” he continued, “That act alone was what made Captain William Kidd a pirate. He became one of the most notorious pirates of all time because the poor schmuck couldn’t seize other ships! By that time, word had gotten out about the Moore thing and the mutiny and it was probably blown way out of proportion. Kidd had no way of explaining himself and even if he did, no one would believe him. So he scours the seas and lives the good life. He realizes that he’s good at this pirate thing so, hell, why not?” disserted Sean. “What do we know about Sara Oort?”
Alexis had been working on Sara: A merchant’s daughter who knew how to marry well. She married a man named Oort who died and left her everything. William and Sara met and married, combining their wealth and established a home in what is now Manhattan. After Kidd’s trial, Sara Kidd burned to death when her countryside cabin caught ablaze while she was trapped inside. Her daughter was not found. Although attributed to an accident from within, it was reported that makeshift bars were found on what remained of the cabin’s door. Most interesting of all—Sean’s distant relative, Sara Oort Kidd, was considered a witch.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chapters
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, 23, 24, 25, Epilogue
posted by Emil Ahangarzadeh | 9:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home