The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen (7 page)

The stay of De Tracy’s family in the Bahamas being determined to be of several months, it was judged necessary to their convenience, as well as a prudent measure of security, to take with them the greatest part of the family plate, jewels, &c. as well as a considerable sum in specie to answer the calls of purchases and current expenses. On the forcible seizure of this treasure, the murder of its owner, and the brutal gratification of his hellish designs on his wife and daughters, to obtain these ‘at one fell swoop,’ it was that the insatiate demon La Force had set his mind!

The treasure was shipped under the gloating eye of La Force himself, and the unsuspecting victims being embarked, the Julie bore from these beloved scenes of his happiness, for ever, the ill-fated De Tracy. The vessel left the harbour amid the shouts of the assembled population of the estate, who shed tears of unaffected regret at their departure, and poured out prayers for their safety. A favourable light wind and smooth sea soon wafted the Julie from the multitude on the shore, and De Tracy, his wife, his children, his wealth, his all! were now in the hands and at the mercy of the ferocious La Force!

The confinement and sameness of a sea voyage were rendered less annoying to the family of De Tracy than they usually are, by the attentions of La Force; he joined in all their recreations, and afforded every facility to the indulgence of them. Much of the time was spent in conversation, in music, dancing, and in walking on deck enjoying the cool evening breezes; and when the dews of evening obliged them to descend to the cabin, the captain would entertain them with a relation of the various dangers which himself and other persons had encountered at sea, or detail, with an amusing gravity, some of the prevailing superstitions of sailors.

One delightfully clear morning, when they were in hourly expectation of making the land, La Force announced to De Tracy, that it was his intention to make that day a general festival, it being the anniversary of his birth. His orders were issued to the crew, and the ship’s steward received his instructions to make the suitable arrangements for a day of rejoicing. La Force was jovial and apparently merry beyond his usual manner, and swallowed one cup of wine after another to the health and happiness of Madame De Tracy, her children, and her husband. In this elevation of spirits, he suddenly placed his hand on the arm of De Tracy, and said to him in an undervoice, ‘My best friend, before we part, I have matters of the greatest importance to communicate to you; gratitude for the services you have rendered me, require that I should no longer conceal from you information which nearly concerns the welfare and happiness of your family. I have for some time possessed papers of the utmost value, connected with your wife’s property in this island; let me then, in some degree, discharge the debt of gratitude I owe, by explaining and placing them in your hands; let us retire for a few moments to my cabin, where, unobserved and undisturbed, we may examine them: follow me!’

The curiosity of De Tracy was strongly excited by this singular address, and he suffered La Force to conduct him below: when they arrived at the cabin, La Force opened the iron door of a small secret closet, formed among the larger timbers of the vessel, and beckoned him with a mysterious air to enter it. De Tracy’s surprise was great; but expecting La Force to follow him, he did enter, and at the same instant felt the door shut upon him with a sudden violence, and heard La Force turning its massive lock on him on the outside. The astonished De Tracy heard the door of the outer cabin as quickly shut and locked, and the fiend, La Force, with loud laughter, bounding up the stairs upon deck; he remained a few moments, half-imagining the manoeuvre to be a jest; but he was now roused by the repeated shouts and peals of merriment among the crew, in which the voice of La Force could be distinguished. A feeling of dismay now began to force itself upon him, and a thousand little circumstances in the behaviour of La Force, unobserved before, flashed upon his mind at once.

In the midst of this increasing alarm, the voice of De Tracy’s servant Dugald was now heard in loud tones of anger and reproach; the clashing of weapons succeeded, and the quick steps of the contending parties towards the cabin, and this was terminated by the sound of heavy blows and groans, as if of some one wounded in the conflict. The agitation and alarm of De Tracy rose to a dreadful pitch, when he was awakened to a full sense of his misery, by the sudden shriek after shriek of his beloved and lovely wife, and his daughters, uttered in all the piercing agony of anguish and despair! He was now totally undeceived; he entreated, he called, he prayed, he raved; in all the rage of infuriated madness, he used his utmost force; and though armed by anger and despair with almost supernatural might, the door, which opened inwards, withstood his utmost efforts. But why should we dwell minutely on a scene of such unutterable misery! What the unhappy man endured, and what were the sufferings of the woman he loved and adored, and the children he so dearly cherished, are fit only to be imagined, not surely to be spoken or written. But their wrongs were remembered, and their shrieks numbered by a
POWER
more potent and terrible than man, and a certain doom and deplorable death was pronounced against the guilty perpetrators of this horrid crime, at the moment when, in the height of their wickedness, they fancied their joy at the full.

The cries of affliction died away; the evening passed, and morning came. The all-glorious sun rose upon the foul and hellish deeds of the night; and through a crevice, which admitted light, the unhappy De Tracy found that his prison was, in fact, the treasure-room of a pirate vessel, for such he was convinced were these fiends in human shape: at the same moment a hole opened above, and a small portion of bread, and an antique silver cup, filled with water, were lowered down. Amidst the acute misery of his situation, it was but a light addition that De Tracy recognised the silver vessel to be part of the treasure, his own property, which he had shipped, and which, with the other valuable articles of the same description, was securely packed in strong chests, and which it was now evident were rifled. He could now measure the extent of his calamity, and with as much fortitude as he could gather, prepared himself for a fate, which, amongst such miscreants, could not be deemed far distant.

The Sanguinary Life And Cruel Death Of A Robber

Thomas Dun was born in Bedfordshire, and even in childhood, was noted for his pilfering propensity, and the cruelty of his disposition. He lived in the time of Henry I, and so many were his atrocities, that we can only find limits for the recital of a few.

His first exploit was on the highway to Bedford, where he met a wagon full of corn, going to market, drawn by a team of beautiful horses. He accosted the driver; and, in the middle of the conversation, stabbed him in the heart, with a dagger, which he always carried about his person. He buried the body, and mounting the wagon, proceeded to the town, where he sold all off, and decamped with the money. He continued to commit many petty thefts and assaults, but judging it safer to associate himself with others, he repaired to a gang of thieves, who infested the country leading from St Alban’s to Tocester, where they became such a terror, that the king had to build a town to check his power in the country, and which retains his name to this day, namely Dunstable.

This precaution was however of little avail, for he pursued his courses to a great extent. Among the gang were many artists, who enabled him to pick locks, wrench bolts, and use deaf files with great effect. One day having heard that some lawyers were to dine at a certain inn in Bedford, about an hour before the appointed time, he came running to the inn, and desired the landlord to hurry the dinner, and to have enough ready for ten or twelve. The company soon arrived, and the lawyers thought Dun a servant of the house, while those of the house supposed him an attendant on the lawyers. He bustled about, and the bill being called for, he collected it; and having some change to return to the company, they waited till his return; but growing weary, they rang the bell, and enquired for their money, when they discovered him to be an impostor. With the assistance of his associates, he made clear off with a considerable booty of cloaks, hats, silver spoons, and every thing of value upon which he could lay his hands.

After this adventure, Dun and his associates went and put up at another inn. They rose in the night time, insulted the landlord, did violence to the landlady, then murdered them both, and pillaged the house of every thing valuable. Dun had an animosity to lawyers, and he determined to play a rich one a trick. He waited upon him, and very abruptly demanded payment of a bond which he had produced; and the gentleman found his name was so admirably forged, that he could not swear it was not his handwriting. He assured Dun, however, that he had never borrowed the money, and would not pay the bond. He then left him, assuring the lawyer that he would give him some employment. A law-suit was entered into, and several of his comrades came forward, and swore as to the debt being just, and he was about getting a decision in his favour, when the lawyer produced a forged receipt for the debt, which some of his clerks likewise swore to; upon which Dun was cast. He was in a great passion at being outwitted, and swore ‘he never heard of such rogues, as to swear they paid him a sum which was never borrowed.’

This was one of the few instances where he did not display that barbarity of disposition which is evinced in all his other adventures, and which makes us refrain from the enumeration of many of them. He became, however, such a terror to every one, that the Sheriff of Bedford sent a considerable force to attack him in his retreat. Finding, upon a reconnoitre, however, that his force was equal, if not superior, to the Sheriff’s, he commenced the attack, and completely routed them, taking eleven prisoners, whom he hung upon the trees round the wood, to scare others by the example of their fate. The clothes of those they had hanged, served to accomplish their next adventure, which was a design to rob the castle of a nobleman in the neighbourhood. They proceeded in the attire of the Sheriff’s men, and demanded entrance in the name of the King, to make search for Dun. After searching every corner, they asked for the keys of the trunks to examine them, which when they received, they loaded themselves with booty, and departed. The nobleman complained to Parliament against the Sheriff, when, upon investigation, the trick was discovered.

Nothing prevented Dun from accomplishing any object which he had in view, as he possessed the greatest share of temerity and cruelty that could fall to the lot of a man. He would, under the disguise of a gentleman, wait upon rich people, and, upon being shewn into their room, murder them and carry away their money.

There was a rich knight in the neighbourhood, from whom Dun wished to have a little money. Accordingly he went and knocked at his door; the maid opening it, he enquired if her master was at home; and being answered in the affirmative, he instantly went up stairs, and familiarly entered his room. Common compliments having passed, he sat down in a chair, and began a humorous discourse, which attracted the attention of the knight. Dun then approached, and demanded a word or two in his ear: ‘Sir,’ says he, ‘my necessities come pretty thick upon me at present, and I am obliged to keep even with my creditors, for fear of cracking my fame and fortune too. Now, having been directed to you by some of the heads of the parish, as a very considerable and liberal person, I am come to petition you in a modest manner to lend me a thousand marks, which will answer all the demand upon me at present!’ ‘A thousand marks!’ answered the knight, ‘why, man, that’s a capital sum; and where’s the inducement to lend you so much money, who are a perfect stranger to me; for my eyes and knowledge, I never saw you before all the days of my life!’ – ‘Sir, you must be mistaken, I am the honest grocer at Bedford, who has so often shared your favours.’ ‘Really, friend, I do not know you, nor shall I part with my money but on a good bottom: pray what security have you?’ ‘Why, this dagger,’ says Dun, (pulling it out it of his breast) ‘is my constant security; and unless you let me have a thousand marks instantly, I shall pierce your heart!’ This terrible menace produced the intended effect, and he delivered the money.