Show SCOTT WATSON 1921 1026 western newspaper paper union pirate who beca became me a judge IS difficult to characterize the IT anomalous career of the pirate known knonk as captain cobham of poole to in Dorset shire perhaps cherchel cher chei chez la in femme would he be one way to do it for back ot of most of the deviltries devil tries of this pirate leader appears the sinister form of maria cobham one of the roost most notorious of women pirates and certainly the most bloodthirsty but bat not all of the blame for Cob bilms cruel ties can be laid to the maria Us lie was well drilled in infamy before ever he be took her aboard his ship to become ills his partner in crime and there was but little he could learn from her lie he had bad started young at the age of eighteen he was a notorious indies man and accomplished smuggler on one occasion lie landed a cargo of 10 gallons of french brandy at poole pool after successfully evading the kings patrol bouts boats which were attempting to put a stop to the smuggling A little later however his boat was captured and this so annoyed the young smuggler that flint be bought a cutter at brill port placed an armament of 14 gunz on her and collecting a choice crew ot of cutthroats cut throats set out upon account ills his first exploit in piracy was an unusually daring and successful one oft off the mersey he intercepted a big east india merchantman boarded her find and made the crew prisoners from this ship he be took more than pounds then he scuttled the ship and calmly watched the crew drown next he put in at plymouth and it was wa there that he met marla maria who was willing enough to accept his invitation to come aboard with him and make a living by robbery on the high seas by this time his fame had bad spread so BO that the english channel became too dangerous for his operations so ha be sailed across the atlantic and lay in wait tor for ships between cape breton and prince edward isle ne ile took several prizes and invariably disposed of the crews in some heartless manner on one occasion he be sewed up the unfortunate sailors in sacks and ordered his villains to toss them overboard eventually cobham decided to retire f from rom piracy but maria would have n cone one of it for he be had not yet secured enough wealth to satisfy her so he be reluctantly continued his career until he had gathered together a considerable fortune then he purchased a large estate near havre and after one final fling at the trade settled down to a peaceful retirement lie ile not only settled down but became eminently respectable and to cap the ell max mar of his strange career was made a magistrate and presided at the county courts when he died at an advanced age he left many descendants who we are assured by one historian were moving in the first grade at havre I 1 |