WEBVTT - Pirates 4: River Pirates 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:08.239 There's a lot of mystery surrounding Dan cev Like all 0:00:08.280 --> 0:00:11.240 history that blends with folklore, some of the finer details 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:14.440 have changed over time. It's even likely that cev might 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:18.160 have created part of his own cd, if not legendary status, 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:21.159 all by himself. There are facts he was born in 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:24.200 Maine in eighteen sixty five, and his father worked as 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:27.960 a schooner captain. At twelve or thirteen, he ran away 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:30.920 from home and found work on board steamers. From there, 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:33.720 he joined the U. S. Navy and served three years. 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.000 Eventually he wound up in Wisconsin, where he got married 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:39.080 and took a job as a deputy marshal for the 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:42.440 Bureau of Indian Affairs. By the eighteen nineties he had 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:45.880 settled down on a small farm in Milwaukee. Then one day, 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:50.280 his perfectly normal life took an odd turn. Dan Cevie 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:53.760 abruptly sold his property, abandoned his wife and two children, 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:56.800 and began a career on the water. He earned money 0:00:56.840 --> 0:00:59.240 the old fashioned way for a mariner at the time, 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:04.120 transportation services for loggers, trappers, and lumber mills, although the 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:07.959 real money came from his side hustle, smuggling, poaching, and 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:11.920 the occasional bootlegging, and his appearance made him as notable 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:15.280 as his services. He stood six ft four with two 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:18.520 fifty pounds of muscle, and spoke with a strong New 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:21.080 England accent. It was a physique that made him a 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:24.199 gifted brawler, and if his fists weren't enough, he also 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:27.280 carried a pistol. With all that, it's easy to say 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:30.240 that he had a reputation, although he often complained that 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:33.160 the worst stories were just rumors. Folks said that he 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:36.679 would extinguish other boats guidelights, causing them to run aground. 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:40.360 Once vulnerable, the ship's made for easy boarding and looting. 0:01:40.640 --> 0:01:42.679 Of course, he claimed that he hadn't done anything wrong. 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:46.280 The boats were shipwrecks after all, And if that action 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:48.920 sounds like a pirate to you, and then you're not alone. 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.040 Take for example, the events of nineteen o eight, when 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:55.880 officials arrested him for that exact crime. Apparently, on June 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:58.440 eleven of that year, dan Sev and two of his 0:01:58.480 --> 0:02:01.400 sailors met R. J. Mc cormick, the captain of the 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:05.280 Nellie Johnson, a lumber schooner, at a local tavern. The 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.520 drinks flowed heavily and once McCormick and his crew were 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:12.040 sufficiently drunk, CV and the others made off with their ship. 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:14.720 He first set out for Chicago, where he hoped to 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:20.360 sell the lumber. However, for whatever reason, no one was buying. Meanwhile, McCormick, 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:24.760 now very sober, reported the theft. Government officials in Chicago 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:28.440 sent the ship Tuscarora after c V. The word also 0:02:28.480 --> 0:02:31.760 went out to lighthouse keepers, and before long CV and 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:34.639 the Nellie Johnson were spotted in a river near Frankfurt. 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:38.519 Sources say that CV tried to outrun the steel hull 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.519 gun ship, but surrendered when the crew fired a cannon 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:45.560 shot at the water line near Nellie Johnson's bow. Officials 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:49.239 boarded the ship and arrested CV on piracy charges, although 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:52.200 he was later arraigned for mutiny on the high seas. Instead, 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:57.200 ah pirates well usually envisioned them sailing the Caribbean, boarding 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:00.240 merchant vessels, flying the black flag, and barry in their 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:03.480 treasure on some remote sandy beach. But as we're about 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:06.200 to learn, some of the most fascinating characters in the 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:11.360 pirate world conducted business away from the ocean waves. To them, 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.120 there was no better place to be a pirate than 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:19.720 lakes and rivers. I'm Aaron Manky and welcome to pirates. 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:29.880 Before rail cars became the most efficient way to move 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.440 people in goods, riverboats were the preferred method, and just 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:37.760 like their seafaring counterparts, riverboats faced similar threats. With the 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:41.640 Ohio and Mississippi rivers so frequently traveled, it's no surprise 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:45.840 that river pirates saw plenty of opportunities. In the eighteenth century, 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:49.120 the Spanish and British sought to expand their colonies along 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:53.880 the Ohio River. Immigrants often traveled to Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:58.160 and Illinois in flat bottom rafts aptly named flatboats. They 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:01.280 were great alternatives to navigate, eating through dense forests and 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:05.680 rough terrain. The captains traveled back and forth between cities 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:09.240 and towns, transporting and dropping off anything from coal and 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:12.800 flower to cattle and slaves. But all this travel and 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:17.480 transport by water came with plenty of risks. Rocks, sandbars, storms, 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:21.599 and even submerged trees could spell disaster. If that weren't enough, 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:24.279 they were frequently traveling through land that belonged to the 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:27.880 indigenous peoples of the area who defended that land. Oh 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:31.400 and River pirates. The trouble is fact in legends sort 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:35.080 of intertwined when it comes to river piracy, and documentation 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:38.640 is sometimes sparse. The one early account, though, is a 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:43.640 fairly well documented story of Captain Samuel Mason, born in Norfolk, Virginia, 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:47.599 in seventeen thirty nine. Mason's criminal lifestyle began with stealing 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:50.719 horses and slaves in the late seventeen sixties, but he 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:55.640 also committed murder, counterfeiting, and piracy. He and his gang 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:59.080 set down roots in Henderson, Kentucky, though back then locals 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.560 called the area at Banks nestled along the Ohio River. 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:06.320 The settlers found the location the perfect place for homes, taverns, 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:09.240 and a few stores. By the seventeen nineties, though the 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:12.520 quaint town had become home to robbers, outlaws, and cutthroats. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:16.039 Mason and his men shifted their headquarters down river to 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:19.320 a cavern in an area famously known as Cave in Rock. 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.599 The fifty five foot wide cave made for a great camp, 0:05:22.839 --> 0:05:27.159 and the cliff above provided a clear sight of approaching flatboats. Now, 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:31.000 river pirates operated a bit differently than their ocean dwelling cousins. 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:34.719 They lacked massive ships with their black flags. Their method 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:39.360 of plundering more closely resembled highwaymen. Mostly, there were two approaches, 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.279 one getting the boats to dock or run them aground. 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:45.880 In this method, gag members hailed passing ships and pretended 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.400 to be lost in the wilderness, or they'd say that 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:51.440 they needed supplies for their survival or well being, even 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:55.039 offering money if the boat came to shore. Since sandbars 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:58.840 and other obstacles posed a hazard to boats, locals familiar 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:01.080 with sections of the river made an honest living as 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:05.359 a guide, but clever opportunists, as they are, pirates in 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:09.159 the rivers pretended to be reputable guides as well. However, 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:12.599 once aboard, the impostor guided the ship into trouble where 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:16.560 his gang members waited. Doct and empty boats also made 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:19.760 an easy target. The pirates board small holes into the 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:23.680 bottom or removed the calking on the side. Unsuspecting crews 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:26.159 would load their boats unaware that they would soon be 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:29.440 taking on water, and once the captain and crew were distracted, 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:32.200 the pirates would rush the ship, taking the cargo and 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:35.960 killing those aboard if necessary. Like many of their sea 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:40.480 dwelling counterparts, river pirates were ruthless after killing the captain, 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:43.560 they would loot and burn the flatboats. The stolen goods 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.720 found their way to unscrupulous store owners, and the money 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.080 from those sales always seemed to find their way back 0:06:49.120 --> 0:06:53.000 to the pirates. When the Spanish captured Samuel Mason in 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:56.599 eighteen oh three in what is now southeastern Arkansas, he 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:58.960 insisted that they had the wrong guy and that he 0:06:59.040 --> 0:07:02.400 was a simple farm. Of course, the seven thousand dollars 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:05.159 in his bank account and the twenty scalps found in 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:09.159 his cabin suggested otherwise. The Spanish turned Mason and his 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:12.520 crew over to the Americans during their transport to Mississippi, 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:15.280 though they overpowered the guards and took refuge in the forest. 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.480 But as the saying goes, there's no honor among thieves. 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:22.119 Mason's crew killed him, cut off his head, and brought 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:24.800 it to the authorities, hoping to claim a reward, but 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:28.560 after being identified by another captain as Mason's crew, all 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:31.680 of them were taken into custody and hanged for piracy. 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:36.720 Mason had been successful due to his organizational skills, admirable 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:40.560 for sure, but surprisingly there was another who took planning 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:50.760 to a whole new level. Pirate's hails remained heavily steeped 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:53.400 in legend. But that's sort of the draw, isn't it. 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:56.560 The blend of historical records and hand me down tales 0:07:56.600 --> 0:08:00.680 are often inseparable and fascinating. Such is the case with 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:06.520 James Ford, sometimes called Satan's Ferryman. His story starts routinely enough, 0:08:06.800 --> 0:08:09.040 but it's of note here that each piece sets the 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:13.040 stage for later success. Ford was born somewhere around seventeen 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:16.400 seventy five in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After the death of 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:19.200 his father, his mother remarried and the family moved to 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:24.239 Princeton in Caldwell County, Kentucky. In seventeen ninety seven. Ford 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.000 chose Cavin Rock to call his home for the rest 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:29.800 of his life. He married Susan Miles, the daughter of 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:33.120 a ferry owner operating on the Ohio River nearby. Sometime 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:35.800 around eighteen hundred, he and three other men were appointed 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:39.080 for road survey and construction to Miles Ferry, the same 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:42.360 ferry owned by his father in law. James and Sarah 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:46.200 have three children, Philip, William, and Cassandra. Early on, he 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:49.239 earned a living as a farmer, buying and operating farmland 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:51.760 on both the Illinois and the Kentucky side of the river, 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:55.480 as well as an operation on Hurricane Island just downstream 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:59.880 from Caven Rock. His business venture made him successful. Records 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.680 show that while he didn't own any land in eighteen hundred, 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.080 just four years later he owned two hundred acres. Over 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:08.560 the years, he listed his children as owners of those 0:09:08.600 --> 0:09:11.560 parcels and set up his own homestead just five miles 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:14.560 south of Cave In Rock. He later entered the military, 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:17.000 although he never spent any time in battle. For a 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:19.600 few years he even served as a cavalry captain in 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:23.120 the twenty four Kentucky Militia Regiment. Then in eighteen o 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:26.720 four he became a Justice of the Peace. It probably 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:30.360 goes without saying. Between his military service and dedication to 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:33.640 the community, both the public and the local government looked 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:36.880 up to Ford. The court accepted almost every motion he 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:41.480 ever made before them. Then in February of eight he 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:45.520 became Livingston County's sheriff. His six foot tall, muscular build 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:48.280 must have done a lot to deter criminals. His head 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:51.560 of sandy hair and steel gray eyes framed a large 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:54.679 and well defined face, and when he spoke, his deep 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:58.960 voice carried none of his appearance or manners came off surly, 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:02.760 though well unless provoked. Those who made such a mistake 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:07.040 found themselves severely outmatched. A worthy sheriff and a busy man, 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:11.000 for sure. But despite all his community effort, he still 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:14.200 had one more business endeavor, a ferry of his own, 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:17.960 aptly named Ford's Ferry, just a couple of miles upstream 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:20.840 from Cave in Rock. But FOURD didn't run the ferry 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.599 business himself. On the Kentucky side of the river, he 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:26.600 left operations in the hands of his sons, Philip and William, 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:29.760 plus a third guy named Vincent B. Simpson. On the 0:10:29.800 --> 0:10:32.680 Illinois side of the river, he hired Henry Schuss to 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:36.320 run things for him. Now, remember this was long before 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:40.079 our modern infrastructure of highways and bridges, and without bridges, 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:42.839 ferries were the only way to cross a river, making 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:47.200 them a very lucrative business. And where there's money, there's competition, 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:50.960 which brings us back to those roads, because fairies with 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:54.199 the best roads were often favored by more travelers. More 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:58.280 travelers means more money, so Ford used his political power 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:01.080 as sheriff to get the county to maintain the roads. 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.959 That led to his ferry business and then paid from 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.640 his own pocket to maintain them on the Illinois side. 0:11:07.080 --> 0:11:10.360 Throw in some roadway signs and cards left at saloons 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:13.439 advertising his ferry, and it's easy to see how Ford 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:17.120 became one of the most successful ferry owners around. But 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:19.840 the most traveled road and ferry also meant that it 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:23.040 was a favorite of highwaymen and river pirates, and one 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:26.720 such group formed to take advantage of travelers. Locals called 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:29.800 them the Ford's Ferry Gang or the cave in Rock Band, 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:32.559 although it's fair to note here that the other roads 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:37.679 and ferries also had similar attacks. Interestingly, whenever word got 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:40.760 out about the robberies and murders happening on his stretch 0:11:40.760 --> 0:11:43.560 of the road or ferry, sheriff Ford reported that he 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:46.240 had found the gangs responsible and had run them out 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:50.000 of town. Feeling safer, travelers would resume using the roads 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:53.240 and Ford's ferry. Then the cycle would repeat, more attacks, 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.280 more reports, and more help from the good sheriff. It 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:59.920 looked like Ford had everything. His ferry became a high 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.079 the profitable business, he had a comfortable life in town, 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:07.000 and the citizens valued and respected him his work as 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:10.840 a devoted sheriff. Had made their travel safer, or at 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:20.760 least so it appeared. James Ford's story unravels like an 0:12:20.760 --> 0:12:24.319 action novel. It started with two men, Dr. Charles Webb 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:27.000 and his brother John. The pair had set out from 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:30.480 Louisville on a flatboat down the Ohio River, accompanied by 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:33.600 the captain and three crewmen. While the captain and crew 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.080 were making their way to New Orleans, Charles and his 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:38.760 brother had their sight set on St. Louis. The day 0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:41.080 was pleasant enough, and the men talked and shared a 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:44.840 few drinks. Charles, being an avid flute player, even entertained 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:47.360 the men with a song or two. One day on 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:50.080 the journey, they spotted a woman standing on the cliff 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:53.960 above a cave entrance. She frantically waved a white cloth 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:57.079 to get their attention. The captain pulled close to shore 0:12:57.160 --> 0:13:00.200 to better hear her. A man exited the cave and 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:02.959 addressed the captain. He said the woman and a young 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:06.160 boy were traveling together and inquired if the captain had 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:09.240 rations for sale. The captain replied that he did not, 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:12.680 so the man instead offered money for passage down the river, 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:15.920 and either the captain wasn't aware of such traps or 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:19.240 he took pity on the stranded travelers, and so he agreed. 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:22.080 The man left to go get the woman and the boy, 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:25.400 while the captain and Charles's brother John took the opportunity 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:28.240 to go ashore for a few minutes. Charles and one 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:31.040 of the crew stayed with the flatboat, though after some 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:33.520 time had passed, he left Charles and went to the 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:37.160 cave to see what was taking so long. At sunset, 0:13:37.440 --> 0:13:40.520 Charles felt relieved when three figures emerged from the cave 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:43.440 and headed toward the boat. At the time he realized 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:46.680 they weren't the crewmen, though it was too late. The 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:50.080 men boarded the flatboat pistols drawn, and warned him that 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:52.400 if he made a sound, they would kill him. They 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:56.320 bound his hands behind his back and blindfolded him. Minutes later, 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:59.240 the river pirates loaded him onto a skiff. Although he 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:02.480 couldn't see or determine what direction they were headed, he 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:05.160 heard the man in his skiff whispering to men in 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:08.400 another Finally, though, the men stopped rowing, and one of 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:10.240 them told him that they were going to let him 0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:14.120 go against orders, but the man warned it would be 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:17.240 best if he continued downstream for a while and without 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:21.200 any noise, The man loosened the ropes, and once they left, 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:24.520 Charles worked his hands free and removed his blindfold. They 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:26.240 had left him in the middle of the river with 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:29.760 no idea where he was or an oar to paddle with. 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:32.280 All he could do was drift along with the current. 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:35.880 When a cabin came into view, he managed to paddle 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.760 with his hands to shore. The owners fed him and 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:42.760 gave him a real paddle to continue his way to Salem, Kentucky. 0:14:42.800 --> 0:14:45.640 There he notified officials of the River Pirates, who still 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:49.200 held his brother John captive. They loaned him a horse 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:51.840 and sent him to a man named Colonel Love, who 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:54.400 might be able to help him find his brother. En 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:57.680 route to see him, though, the horse spooked, throwing him off. 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:01.480 Now with an injured ankle and no horse, Charles sat 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:04.920 down on the roadside wondering what to do next. And 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:08.520 that's when a woman happened by, who introduced herself as Cassandra. 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:11.160 She listened to his tale and offered to take him 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:14.680 to her family home. They continued their talks after they arrived, 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:16.760 and she even took to showing Charles a few of 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:19.480 the items that her father had recently acquired for her. 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:24.120 Among them was a flute. His flute. Cassandra and her 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.960 mother admitted that they had suspicions her father was connected 0:15:27.000 --> 0:15:29.480 to River pirates, but they had never had proof. It 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.200 appeared that he acted more like a boss than taking 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:36.040 part in the River Pirates activities. Over the years that followed, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.840 others became just as suspicious as Ford's own family. You see, 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:43.440 many years later, Ford became embroiled in lawsuits, including one 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:47.800 involving his Kentucky ferry operator Vincent Simpson, who knew a 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:50.960 little bit too much for comfort. So Ford convinced his 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:55.480 Illinois ferry operator Henry Schuss to goad Simpson into an argument, 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.880 presumably as an opportunity to kill the man in self defense. 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:02.400 Then one night, as Simpson arrived at Shus's door, someone 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.520 shot and killed him. Shuss and his two accomplices were 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:08.920 captured and indicted for murder, but one died in prison 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:11.840 and the other escaped, leaving just Schoss on his own. 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:16.560 At the trial, fifteen people testified for the prosecution and 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:19.640 none for the defense, and although Shoes pled not guilty, 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.240 the case was simple and he was sentenced to death 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.840 by hanging, which is when he confessed everything to the judge, 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:30.040 naming names and implicating certain wealthy and prominent citizens in 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:34.080 the process. The judge promptly received letters threatening his life 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:37.640 if he ever made Schusse's confession public, and the judge 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:41.200 caved in and never revealed the names or other facts, 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.760 stating that nothing good could ever come of it, And 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:48.880 with that shus was hanged on June nine, eighteen thirty four. 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:57.840 Because dead men, as they say, tell no tales. To 0:16:57.920 --> 0:17:00.640 this day, the facts around Ford's true connection with the 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:04.240 Ford Fairy Gang remain a matter of debate. Some historians 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:07.119 and experts point to the lack of evidence. Others believe 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:10.680 the legend reflects the truth. But what about Dr Charles Webb? 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:14.160 Trust me, I didn't forget him. When we last saw him, 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:17.680 Cassandra Ford had taken him in. She shown him a flute, 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:20.760 which he quickly recognized as his own, and told her 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:24.280 as much well. As the story goes. After his short recovery, 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.600 Charles left the Ford house with his flute and his 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:31.080 life intact. And in case you were wondering, Charles also 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:33.800 located his brother John. It turns out he had also 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:37.280 been released. There was no word, however, about the whereabouts 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:41.640 of the captain and crew. Susan Ford, James's wife, died 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:45.800 in eighteen twenty. Charles kept in contact with Cassandra Ford, though, 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:50.400 and married her in eight se becoming Ford's son in law. 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.760 James Ford then later remarried two years after that to 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:57.000 a woman named Elizabeth Fraser, who gave birth to a son, 0:17:57.320 --> 0:18:01.440 James Ford Jr. Tragedy finally did catch up with Dr 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:04.680 Charles Webb, though, in eighteen forty four, when he died 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:09.119 in an explosion aboard a steamboat. Sadly, young James Ford Jr. 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:13.359 Had also been on board. Ford's two other sons also died, 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:16.000 and while accounts of just how they met their ends 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:19.480 very it seems their demise did not occur while looting 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:23.800 or plundering. Ford's end, however, is a little more documented. 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:27.040 You see, a couple of days after Vincent Simpson's death, 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:30.359 a group of men gathered outside the Ferryman's home. Something 0:18:30.480 --> 0:18:33.560 had to be done about his murder, they decided. After 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:37.119 a brief discussion, three men headed to Ford's house, intending 0:18:37.160 --> 0:18:40.160 to invite him to an upcoming grand jury. They found 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.000 him near the Hurricane Creek campground. For it it seems, 0:18:43.000 --> 0:18:45.760 had heard about their gathering at Simpson's house and was 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:48.480 already on his way to meet them. They all met 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:52.080 together at Simpson's house sometime after dark. Everyone took a 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:55.320 seat in the main room, and then slowly, one by one, 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:58.280 each of the men got up from their chairs, leaving 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:01.240 Forward alone. He's sat in the dark that way for 0:19:01.280 --> 0:19:03.640 a while before one of them returned, holding a piece 0:19:03.680 --> 0:19:07.159 of paper and a candle. The man handed Forward the 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:10.320 letter and promptly stood to one side. He held the 0:19:10.359 --> 0:19:13.840 candle over Ford's head, illuminating the letters so he could 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:16.600 read it. Now it's hard to say exactly what that 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:20.439 letter contained, but the outcome was clear enough. A single 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:24.000 shot rang out, and a bullet pierced Forward's heart. The 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.320 men had put an end to the Ford's ferry gang 0:19:26.680 --> 0:19:31.240 once and for all. Despite his previous status among the community, 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:35.439 few people actually attended Ford's funeral. Only Ford's family and 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:38.760 a couple of their slaves managed to show up. They say, 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:41.280 a large clap of thunder shook both the earth and 0:19:41.320 --> 0:19:43.960 the sky, just as those slaves began to lower the 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:47.399 coffin into the grave, and the startled men dropped it. 0:19:47.480 --> 0:19:50.680 Now wedged haphazardly into the earth, and without a way 0:19:50.680 --> 0:19:53.480 to write it, everyone in attendance simply filled in the 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:57.080 hole with dirt, leaving the head of the casket pointing downward. 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:00.840 As they finished their task, someone rem arked that had 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:05.400 almost felt appropriate. James Ford, they said, went to hell 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:14.480 head first. I hope it wasn't too much of a 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:17.439 shock today to leave the sea behind and explore the 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:21.120 shallow waters of rivers and lakes. Clearly, the pirates never 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:24.000 seemed to mind. And as we've discovered the stories there 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:27.960 are justice thrilling, and thankfully we've tracked down one more 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:30.240 river tail to share with you. And if you stick 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:33.600 around through this brief sponsor break, my crewmate to Alie Steed, 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:42.040 will tell you all about it. Sadie Ferrell spent her 0:20:42.080 --> 0:20:45.120 early years in New York's Fourth Ward, near the East River. 0:20:45.840 --> 0:20:49.199 Gone were the days when George Washington's first presidential mansion 0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:53.399 resided on Cherry Street. In Sadie's time, mansions sat in 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:57.840 disrepair and neglect. The walls had long moved out, poor 0:20:57.880 --> 0:21:01.880 immigrants and criminals moved in. By eighteen fifty, the police 0:21:01.920 --> 0:21:06.040 chief estimated approximately fifty gangs had taken up residency, and 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:10.320 around five hundred pirates had invested the waterfront. Like rats, 0:21:11.480 --> 0:21:14.720 killers and thieves walked the streets at night, slipping into 0:21:14.720 --> 0:21:17.360 shadows and gin mills to plot and drink their fill. 0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:21.960 Sadie had lived in the wards since birth, and those 0:21:22.000 --> 0:21:23.960 who called the night their own were the only life 0:21:23.960 --> 0:21:27.800 she knew. Throughout the years, she became like them, making 0:21:27.800 --> 0:21:30.360 her mark as a small time street criminal and hustler 0:21:30.880 --> 0:21:34.919 with a twist. Most saw thin girl with a small frame. 0:21:35.400 --> 0:21:38.880 Looks are deceiving, though for underneath Sadie possessed a mean 0:21:38.960 --> 0:21:43.399 and particularly vicious spirit. Sadie had a sidekick, a brute 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:46.120 of a man she used as her muscle. And while 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:48.120 you might be thinking of all the ways these two 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:51.639 ran their scheme, you might be as surprised as her victims. 0:21:52.520 --> 0:21:55.600 Sadie and her companion prayed on patrons leaving the local 0:21:55.640 --> 0:21:59.120 dive bars. As soon as one staggered out, Sadie took 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:02.040 a running start and headbutted them right in the gut. 0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:05.640 Before they could catch their breath, her companion jumped into 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:09.120 the fright and knocked them unconscious. The bear took everything 0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:12.919 of value. Sometimes they even took the victim's clothing. The 0:22:13.080 --> 0:22:16.720 unique method of smuggling earned her the nickname Sadie the Goat. 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:20.320 She wasn't the only ruffian working the East Side docks, 0:22:20.359 --> 0:22:23.840 though Gallus Mag worked as a bouncer at the Hole 0:22:23.880 --> 0:22:26.520 in the Wall pub in Manhattan on what was then 0:22:26.640 --> 0:22:30.080 Water Street. The pump's proprietor was a six foot one 0:22:30.200 --> 0:22:35.480 armed man with a fierce and unpleasant disposition. Mag's appearance 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:39.880 was equally unwelcoming. Her waistband housed a well used pistol, 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:42.520 and she kept a large club strapped to her waist. 0:22:43.400 --> 0:22:45.800 As good as she might be with the pistol, Mag's 0:22:45.920 --> 0:22:50.240 use of the club on unruly customers was legendary. If 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:53.359 the patron continued to be a problem, Mag wrestled them 0:22:53.359 --> 0:22:55.960 into a headlock and then bit off one of their 0:22:55.960 --> 0:22:59.720 ears before booting them out of the bar. Mag kept 0:22:59.720 --> 0:23:01.640 the ars in a jar of alcohol at the back 0:23:01.680 --> 0:23:04.760 of the bar. And though Mag kept rowdy pirates and 0:23:04.840 --> 0:23:08.719 seedie sailors in line, mugging's were permitted as long as 0:23:08.720 --> 0:23:12.840 the establishment approved of them. Anything else, well, I would 0:23:12.840 --> 0:23:15.560 have just been rude. Being that the Hole in the 0:23:15.600 --> 0:23:19.440 Wall was the roughest bar on the roughest street. Naturally, 0:23:19.560 --> 0:23:23.240 Sadie and her companions worked it. Some say Mag and 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:26.600 Sadie were mortal enemies because Mag was English and Sadie 0:23:26.600 --> 0:23:29.800