This oldest of pirates flourished
off Long Island, New York's South Shore on the 1780s. No one knew his real
name, but his pseudonym was derived from his sadistic modus operandi,
according to a story in the long defunct Long Island Forum. Handy's
specialty was to stow away on one-man fishing boats. Waiting until a craft was
well out at sea, he"d sneak up behind her captain and push him overboard. As
soon as the captain bobbed up in the water and reached for the boat rail, Handy
would chop his hand off with the trusty axe he always carried. He"d then sail
over to Connecticut and sell the pirated boat, leaving the skipper to drown.
The murderous Handy
Jones met his end when a sharp-eyed skipper glimpsed him sneaking aboard his
sloop. The captain happened to be the brother of one of Handy's victims, and on
recognizing the pirate he decided to have his revenge. He pretended not to see
Handy, and when the pirate rushed him out at sea, he stepped to the side and
pushed him overboard. When Handy grabbed the rail, he chopped off his hand and
sailed back to port, leaving the pirate to drown as his victims had.