More than a few pirates took great pleasure in inflicting various tortures on their unfortunate captives as well as each other. While there are exceptions, by their very nature pirates seem to have had an inherent propensity toward cruelty; there are several rogues whose sadistic methods and behavior are horrific by any standard.

Perhaps at the top of the rogues' gallery is Jean David Nau, otherwise known as Francois L'Ollonais, whose behavior was over-the-top psychotic even among pirate ranks (see Chapter 7). Known as the Flail of the Spaniards, L'Ollonais committed unspeakable acts of torture during the late 1600s, but while his actions were despicable, he wasn't the only depraved pirate to make the history books.

Lowdown Dirty Rogue

Edward Low (also known as Ned Lowe or Loe) terrorized parts of the Caribbean, the Azores, and the North American coastline during the 1720s. He was born in Westminster, London, and it's often surmised that his tumultuous childhood as a pickpocket and thief launched his career as one of the most sadistic pirates on record. Like most pirates, there are various accounts of Low's early years. Wholly lacking in education, Low is said to have ended up in Boston with his brother, possibly escaping his homeland after having murdered his father.

While in Boston, Low acquired work as a ship rigger, but he eventually fell out with his employer and ended up joining a crew headed for the Gulf of Honduras with a cargo of logwood. It wasn't long before Low made a failed attempt at murdering the ship's captain. He and several other men were either set adrift or escaped, after which they quickly captured another vessel and began their piratical careers. Low was highly prolific, seizing many vessels in waters from the Azores to the New England coast. In less than two years, he captured an impressive 140 vessels, and with each capture his minions grew, whether by force or desertion from his plundered ships. The Fancy was one of the many ships Low captured, and it ultimately became his flagship.

With a Vengeance

Low's maniacal behavior and his lust for torture were disturbing not only to his unfortunate victims, but even to his crews, who bore witness to his cruel practices. It's said that Low inflicted all manner of torture on captured prisoners. In many instances, a prisoner's flesh was cut off and he was made to eat it. On another occasion, the captain of a captured vessel had his ears cut off, sprinkled with salt, and then fed to him. During a particularly violent skirmish, a captured Portuguese ship's captain tossed his booty overboard to prevent Low from liberating it. As a result the poor soul endured the most inhuman of acts — Low cut off the man's lips and forced him to watch as they were cooked. Adding to his sadistic reputation was Low's appearance. It is said that he was horribly scarred around the mouth as a result of a wound that was badly stitched up.

At times during his career, Low sailed with Captain Charles Harris and his ship, the Ranger. In the Caribbean in 1723, Low and Harris crossed paths with what turned out to be the HMS Greyhound, a British man-of-war ship. Low quickly abandoned Harris and fled, leaving the Ranger to its own fate. Not long after, an alleged fight between Low and his crew over Low's supposed murdering of his own quartermaster resulted in the sadistic pirate being set adrift. Low was soon rescued by a French ship, but despite all efforts he was recognized and taken to Martinique for trial and a date with the hangman's noose.

Two Peas in a Pod

Not unlike modern-day murderers, pirates had a flair for the dramatic. The only difference is that they often performed their horrific crimes in front of an audience. Don Pedro Gilbert (or Gibert) was such a man. An American pirate active in the 1830s, Gilbert is often listed as the last pirate to commit acts of piracy in the Atlantic. Aboard his ship Panda in 1832, Gilbert and his crew captured the Mexican, an American brig loaded with silver worth $20,000. When Gilbert's crew asked what should be done to the captured crew, he allegedly said “Dead cats don't mew. You know what to do.” With the prisoners locked below decks, the ship was plundered and set afire, the crew left to burn alive. Fortunately they escaped to tell their tale, and Gilbert and his crew were eventually apprehended, tried, and hanged several years later.

Benito (or Bonito) de Soto was yet another unconscionable rogue who took pride in his murderous endeavors. A Portuguese pirate, de Soto devised and carried out a brutal mutiny on the Defense de Pedro while en route to Africa in 1827. Both crew and captain of the vessel were cast adrift. Loaded with slaves, de Soto christened his new ship the Black Joke and, after selling his cargo, set out terrorizing the Caribbean, particularly Spanish ships, where he murdered, pillaged, and sunk everything that had the misfortune to cross his path. By 1832, the feared pirate blasted then captured the Morning Star, a British barque carrying trade goods. De Soto then murdered the captain with his cutlass and set his crew loose to rape any women and kill the Morning Star's passengers and crew.

Once de Soto's crew were done with their prey, the victims were locked in the hold and the ship left to sink. It's said that the survivors were able to escape and ultimately repair the ship, but de Soto was long gone. He continued his murderous rampage until the Black Joke became incapacitated near Cadiz, Spain, forcing her crew to make their way ashore. As if by fate, the rescued crew of the Morning Star pulled into port at the same time de Soto and his men entered Gibraltar. The rogues were identified, tried, and hanged in 1833. As warning to anyone thinking of becoming a pirate, de Soto was decapitated and his head decoratively displayed atop a spike.