Execution Dock

For my part, I am the innocentest man of them all, only I have been sworn against by perjured persons, unquote.

Wherefore, about a week after, Captain Kidd, Nicholas Churchill, James Howe, Gabriel Lough, Hugh Parrott, Abel Owen, and Darby Mullins were executed at Execution Dock, and afterwards hung up in chains at some distance from each other down the river, where their bodies hung exposed for many years.

End of section 10.

Recording by Tysto.

For Kennedy, who was lieutenant and left, in absence of Roberts, to command the privateer and prize, was gone off with both.

This was mortification with a vengeance, and you may imagine that they did not depart without some hard speeches from those that were left and had suffered by their treachery.

And that there need be no further mention of this Kennedy, I shall leave Captain Roberts to vent his wrath in a few oaths and execrations, and follow the other, whom we may reckon from that time as steering his course toward Execution Dock.

Kennedy was now chosen captain of the revolted crew, but could not bring his company to any determined resolution.

This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

Circumstantial Account of the Life, Trial, Piracies, and Execution of Captain John Kidd, who was hanged at Execution Dock.

The case of Captain Kidd, while in agitation, engaged the attention of the public in a very eminent degree, though the man himself was one of the most contemptible of the human race.

The town of Greenock in Scotland gave birth to Captain Kidd, who was bred to the sea, and having quitted his native country, he resided at New York, where he became the owner of a small vessel with which he traded among the pirates, obtained a thorough knowledge of their haunts, and could give a better account of them than any other person whatever.

Kidd, who was in some degree intoxicated, made a very contemptible appearance at the bar of the House, on which a member, who had been one of the most earnest to have him examined, violently exclaimed, Damn this fellow! I thought he had been only a knave, but unfortunately he happens to be a fool likewise.

Kidd was at length tried at the Old Bailey, and was convicted on the clearest evidence, but neither at that time nor afterwards charged any of his employers with being privy to his infamous proceedings.

He was hanged at Execution Dock on the 23rd day of May, 1701, but a circumstance happened at his execution that will be worthy of recital.

After he had been tied up to the gallows, the rope broke, and he fell to the ground.

This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

Circumstantial account of the life, trial, piracies, and execution of Captain John Kidd, who was hanged at Execution Dock.

The case of Captain Kidd, while in agitation, engaged the attention of the public in a very eminent degree, though the man himself was one of the most contemptible of the human race.

The town of Greenwich in Scotland gave birth to Captain Kidd, who was bred to the sea, and having quitted his native country, he resided at New York, where he became the owner of a small vessel with which he traded among the pirates, obtained a thorough knowledge of their haunts, and could give a better account of them than any other person whatever.

Kidd, who was in some degree intoxicated, made a very contemptible appearance at the bar of the House, on which a member, who had been one of the most earnest to have him examined, violently exclaimed, Damn this fellow! I thought he had been only a knave, but unfortunately he happens to be a fool likewise.

Kidd was at length tried at the Old Bailey, and was convicted on the clearest evidence, but neither at that time nor afterwards charged any of his employers with being privy to his infamous proceedings.

He was hanged at Execution Dock on the 23rd day of May, 1701, but a circumstance happened at his execution that will be worthy of recital.

After he had been tied up to the gallows, the rope broke, and he fell to the ground.

After he was captured, prison conditions were so poor that it's believed to have driven him partially insane.

He was hanged on the 23rd of May 1701 at Execution Dock in London.

The day of his execution, someone took pity on him and gave him a large amount of alcohol, enough that he arrived at the gallows thoroughly drunk.

How many times do you think they hang, they hanged him?

And then it said, "Now and then Captain Kidd walks off his anger on the grounds of Trinity Church, the one place that did not betray him and where he wished that he had been buried." So that was the place that he wished he was buried.

So that's New York.

There's plenty of other places in America that he haunts, so I just wanna throw in London because it's believed that he haunts on the site where he was put to death in 1701, the wonderfully named Execution Dock.

His spirit has been seen lingering there.

Weeks after we'd slip into some port bold as brass, and there, sure enough, Brig would set the prisoner ashore, and though it may be 100 weight of little canvas bags or a stack of pig silver half a man's height, the very name of him made him safe.

I take oath he could have stole the Lord Mayor of London and then put in for his ransom at Execution Dock.

We got good lays, us before the mast, but there never was a fair sharing aboard that ship.

One night I crawled aft and looked in the stern port.

But it's not so fine, not so fine.

He paused.

One or two or maybe five years of rough living and rougher fighting, a powerful waste of money and drink and such, and in the end, a dog's death by shooting or starvation, or the chains on execution dock.

Another pause followed and then, turning suddenly to Jeremy, Lad, I can get a governor's pardon ashore, but twould mean naught to me if my old days came back to trouble me.

Several ships that rode it out till now gave up all, for no anchor could hold.

Even the ships in the river of Thames were all blown away from their moorings, and from Execution Dock to Limehouse Hole there was but our ships that rid it out.

The rest were driven down into the bight, as the sailors call it, from Belworth to Limehouse, where they were huddled together and drove on shore, heads and sterns, one upon the other, in such a manner as any one would have thought it had been impossible, and the damage done on that account was incredible.

Together with the violence of the wind, the darkness of the night added to the terror of it, and as it was just new moon, the spring tides being then up at about four o'clock made the vessels which were afloat in the river drive the farther up upon the shore.

For my part, I am the innocentest man of them all, only I have been sworn against by perjured persons, unquote.

Wherefore, about a week after, Captain Kidd, Nicholas Churchill, James Howe, Gabriel Lough, Hugh Parrott, Abel Owen, and Darby Mullins were executed at Execution Dock, and afterwards hung up in chains at some distance from each other down the river, where their bodies hung exposed for many years.

End of section 10.

Recording by Tysto.

For Kennedy, who was lieutenant and left, in absence of Roberts, to command the privateer and prize, was gone off with both.

This was mortification with a vengeance, and you may imagine that they did not depart without some hard speeches from those that were left and had suffered by their treachery.

And that there need be no further mention of this Kennedy, I shall leave Captain Roberts to vent his wrath in a few oaths and execrations, and follow the other, whom we may reckon from that time as steering his course toward Execution Dock.

Kennedy was now chosen captain of the revolted crew, but could not bring his company to any determined resolution.

Several ships that rode it out till now gave up all, for no anchor could hold.

Even the ships in the river of Thames were all blown away from their moorings, and from Execution Dock to Limehouse Hole there was but our ships that rid it out.

The rest were driven down into the bight, as the sailors call it, from Belworth to Limehouse, where they were huddled together and drove on shore, heads and sterns, one upon the other, in such a manner as any one would have thought it had been impossible, and the damage done on that account was incredible.

Together with the violence of the wind, the darkness of the night added to the terror of it, and as it was just new moon, the spring tides being then up at about four o'clock made the vessels which were afloat in the river drive the farther up upon the shore.

This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

Circumstantial account of the life, trial, piracies, and execution of Captain John Kidd, who was hanged at Execution Dock.

The case of Captain Kidd, while in agitation, engaged the attention of the public in a very eminent degree, though the man himself was one of the most contemptible of the human race.

The town of Greenwich in Scotland gave birth to Captain Kidd, who was bred to the sea, and having quitted his native country, he resided at New York, where he became the owner of a small vessel with which he traded among the pirates, obtained a thorough knowledge of their haunts, and could give a better account of them than any other person whatever.

On which a member, who had been one of the most earnest to have him examined, violently exclaimed, "Damn this fellow.

I thought he had been only a knave, but unfortunately he happens to be a fool likewise." Kidd was at length tried at the Old Bailey and was convicted on the clearest evidence, but neither at that time nor afterwards charged any of his employers with being privy to his infamous proceedings.

He was hanged at Execution Dock on the twenty-third day of May, 1701.

But a circumstance happened at his execution that will be worthy of recital.

The very name of him made him safe.

I take oath he could have stole the Lord Mayor of London and then put in for his ransom at Execution Dock.

We got good lays, us before the mast, but there never was a fair sharing aboard that ship.

One night I crawled aft and looked in the stern port.

But it's not so fine.

Not so fine." He paused.

One or two or maybe five years of rough living and rougher fighting, a powerful waste of money and drink and such, and in the end, a dog's death by shooting or starvation, or the chains on execution dock." Another pause followed, and then, turning suddenly to Jeremy, "Lad, I can get a governor's pardon ashore, but it would mean naught to me if my old days came back to trouble me.

You're young and you're honest, and what's more, you believe in God.