When the news of this great capture of pirates reached the seaport towns along the New England shore there was much rejoicing. Nothing like it had ever happened in the history of the Colonies and to be accused of piracy at that time, with any show of evidence, was very nearly equivalent to being found guilty, so a great gathering of people was assured for the hanging soon to follow.
Three weeks later the Honorable William Dummer, Esq., Lieutenant-Governor and Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, together with divers members of His Majesty’s Council and other gentlemen from that Province came riding into the town of Newport, and with Governor Cranston of Rhode Island and other judges duly commissioned by Act of Parliament proceeded to open a Court of Admiralty for the trial of the pirates. The trial was held in the town house on Wednesday morning, July 10, 1723. The Court was authorized by Act of Parliament made 11 and 12 William III; made perpetual by Act of 6 George I. The Court organized, and then adjourned until eight oclock in the morning of the next day—when Charles Harris and twenty-seven others were brought to the bar and arraigned for acts of felony, piracy and robbery.
WILLIAM DUMMER, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS, WHO PRESIDED AT THE TRIAL OF CAPT. CHARLES HARRIS FOR PIRACY
From the portrait by Robert Feke in possession of the Trustees of Dummer Academy
The facts connected with the taking of the ship “Amsterdam Merchant,” with the presence in court of the master and some of his men, were in themselves sufficient to hang the accused. Captain Solgard of the man-of-war, who had fought with the accused pirates and captured them, also testified as did his lieutenant and surgeon. The presence of these men in court together with the reputed facts of the chase and capture decided the case in the minds of the people before the evidences were offered or the verdict rendered. John Valentine, the Advocate General for the King, presented the articles which accused the prisoners of piratically surprising and seizing the ship “Amsterdam Merchant,” and carrying away beef, gold and silver and a negro slave named Dick; cutting off Captain Welland’s right ear and afterwards sinking the ship valued at one thousand pounds. They were also accused of piratically attacking His Majesty’s ship, the “Grey Hound,” and wounding seven of his men.
The prisoners were not represented by counsel, but they all pleaded “not guilty,” and fourteen of them were ordered tried at that very session, so the Advocate General addressed the Court as follows:—
“May it please your honor, and the rest of the honorable judges, of this court.
“The prisoners at the bar stand articled against and are prosecuted for, several felonious piracies and robberies by them committed upon the high sea. To which they severally pleaded not guilty.
“The crime of piracy is a robbery (for piracy is a sea term for robbery) committed within the jurisdiction of the admiralty.
“And a pirate is described to be one who to enrich himself either by surprise or open force, sets upon merchants and others trading by sea, to spoil them of their goods and treasure, often times by sinking their vessels, as the case will come out before you.