Lowther did all that he could do, and said all that he could say, to dissuade Massey from so rash and dangerous an attempt; pointing out to him the hazard the company would run, and the consequences to them all, if he should not succeed, and the little likelihood there was to expect success from the undertaking: but ’twas all one for that, Massey would go and attack the French settlements, for anything Lowther could say against it; so that he was obliged to propose the matter to the company, among whom Massey found a few fellows as resolute as himself; however, a great majority being against it, the affair was overruled in opposition to Captain Massey, notwithstanding which, Massey grew fractious, quarrelled with Lowther, and the men divided into parties, some siding with the land pirate, and some with the sea rover, and were all ready to fall together by the ears, when the man at the masthead cry’d out, A sail! A sail! then they gave over the dispute, set all their sails, and steered after the chase. In a few hours they came up with her, she being a small ship from Jamaica, bound to England; they took what they thought fit out of her, and a hand or two, and then Lowther was for sinking the ship, with several passengers that were in her, for what reason I know not, but Massey so that he interposed, prevented their cruel fate, and the ship safely arrived afterwards in England.
The next day they took a small sloop, an interloping trader, which they detain’d with her cargo. All this while Massey was uneasy, and declar’d his resolution to leave them, and Lowther finding him a very troublesome man to deal with, consented that he should take the sloop, last made prize of, with what hands had a mind to go with him, and shift for himself. Whereupon Massey, with about ten more malcontents, goes aboard the sloop, and comes away in her directly for Jamaica.
Notwithstanding what had passed, Captain Massey puts a bold face upon the matter, and goes to Sir Nicholas Laws, the Governor, informs him of his leaving Lowther the pirate, owns, that he assisted in going off with the ship, at the River Gambia; but said, ’twas to save so many of His Majesty’s subjects from perishing, and that his design was to return to England; but Lowther conspiring with the greater part of the company, went a-pirating with the ship; and that he had taken this opportunity to leave him, and surrender himself and vessel to His Excellency.
Massey was very well received by the Governor, and had his liberty given him, with a promise of his favour, and so forth; and, at his own request, he was sent on board the Happy sloop, Captain Laws, to cruise off Hispaniola, for Lowther; but not being so fortunate as to meet with him, Captain Massey returned back to Jamaica in the sloop, and getting a certificate, and a supply of money, from the Governor, he came home passenger to England.
When Massey came to town, he writes a long letter to the deputy governor and directors of the African Company, wherein he imprudently relates the whole transactions of his voyage, the going off with the ship, and the acts of piracy he had committed with Lowther; but excuses it as rashness and inadvertency in himself, occasioned by his being ill used, contrary to the promises that had been made him, and the expectations he had entertained; but own’d, that he deserved to die for what he had done; yet, if they had generosity enough to forgive him, as he was still capable to do them service, as a soldier, so he should be very ready to do it; but if they resolved to prosecute him, he begg’d only this favour, that he might not be hang’d like a dog, but to die like a soldier, as he had been bred from his childhood, that is, that he might be shot.
This was the substance of the letter, which, however, did not produce so favourable an answer as he hoped for, word being brought back to him, that he should be fairly hang’d. Whereupon, Massey resolved not to be out of the way, when he found what important occasion there was likely to be for him, but takes a lodging in Aldersgate Street, the next day went to the lord chief justice’s chambers, and enquired, if My Lord had granted a warrant against Captain John Massey, for piracy: but being told by the clerks, that they knew of no such thing; he informed them, he was the man, that My Lord would soon be apply’d to for that purpose, and the officer might come to him at such a place, where he lodg’d: they took the directions in writing, and, in a few days, a warrant being issued, the tipstaff went directly, by his own information, and apprehended him, without any other trouble, than walking to his lodging.
There was then no person in town to charge him with any fact, upon which he could be committed; nor could the letter be proved to be of his handwriting, so that they had been obliged to let him go again, if he had not helped his accusers out at pinch: the magistrate was reduced to the putting of this question to him, Did you write this letter? He answered, he did: and not only that, but confessed all the contents of it; upon which, he was committed to Newgate, but was afterwards admitted to
