New York and Its Institutions, 1609

To avoid detection he exchanged his vessel, with a large portion of his crew, for a frigate he had captured, and in 1698 brought his vessel into Long Island Sound, and on Gardiner''s Island buried a large amount of treasure in the presence of the proprietor of the estate, whom he laid under strict injunctions of secresy. He next repaired to Boston under an assumed name, with the design, it is believed, of selling the frigate, after which he hoped to join his family and spend the remainder of life in quiet splendor. Apprehended in the streets at Boston, he was arrested by order of Governor Bellamont, one of the chief promoters of the enterprise, who had heard startling rumors concerning him, and had been anxiously watching for his return. He was sent to England for trial. It being considered difficult to substantiate the charge of piracy, he was arraigned for the murder of William Moore, one of his crew, whom he had unfortunately killed while at sea, by hitting him with a bucket for insubordination. After an unfair trial he was hanged in chains at Execution Dock, May 12, 1701. The rope broke and he ascended the scaffold the second time. Six of his accomplices were executed the same day. Tradition says that after the capture of Kidd his crew returned with the vessel to Gardiner''s Island, where they ascertained that two ships were in pursuit for their capture. In an attempt to escape they ran their vessel some distance up the Hudson river, where she was blown up and sunk, the sailors dispersing on the shore with such treasure as they could bear away.

The buried treasure on Gardiner''s Island was taken up by a commission appointed by Governor Bellamont, and consisted, besides considerable rich merchandise, of three bags of gold dust, two bags of coined silver, one bag of coined gold, two bags of golden bars, one bag of silver bars, one bag of silver rings, one bag of silver buttons, and one of jewels and precious stones, including agates and amethysts. The treasure was at that time valued at about two hundred thousand dollars, and with this Kidd doubtless thought it would not be difficult to secure his release, if his royal commission, which ho still held, proved insufficient. The treasure thus obtained was believed to be but a fraction of his accumulations, and various rumors concerning buried riches have been revived by every succeeding generation down to our day. Acres of soil have been dug over by eager gold hunters. A pot containing eighteen hundred dollars in money ploughed up in a corn-field at Martha''s Vineyard over twenty-five years ago, was believed by some to be a part of Kidd''s money. Several families on Long Island it is said became unaccountably rich, and were believed to have shared in his accumulations, though this is uncertain. In 1844 an excitement was occasioned by the discovery of a sunken vessel near Caldwell''s Landing on the Hudson river, supposed to be the one sunken by Kidd''s sailors. A stock company to pursue the search was hastily formed, sinking the fortunes of many though it brought up nothing but mud. The affairs of the company, after being manipulated by designing men, were wound up with litigation, disclosing great deception, and the false imprisonment of an honest man, who had been unwarily drawn into the association.

Captain Kidd was not the only American pirate. His royal instructions named "Captains Thos. Too, John Ireland, Thomas Wake, Captain Maze, and other subjects, natives or inhabitants of New York and elsewhere in America, they being Pirates upon the American seas," as persons to be pursued and captured. His unusual notoriety arose from the facts that he was fitted out by several members of the English nobility, all of whom were tried for their lives, after his disgrace, but acquitted; from the valuable treasures discovered, and the summary punishment with which he was overtaken. His career forcibly illustrates the facts that sin brings its own punishment, and that "the way of the transgressor is hard."

His wife and daughter continued to reside, though in great retirement, in New-York for some years after his death; but as he left no sons, it cannot be supposed that any of the excellent families bearing the name are his descendants.