The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-16
sIxrrEN KEas OF COLD.
Treasure Buried by French Omcerr In I5e0
90 fFide " from Enelishnen.
MIlroRp. Del, Nov. 1a.-The presence /

MILFORD, Del, Nov. 13.-The presence in
this town OF n foreigner with the French &C.
cent. courtly bearing. and strange inauisi.
tiveness after details OF local history, has
brought up the Capt. Kidd story OF the Della
ware coast This foreigner. who registers ns
Henri Macheret, got n liveryman to drive him
over to the Polk farm met evening. The livery.
man says that Monsieur Macheret walked for
mn hour about the premises. paced up from the
Delaware Bay shore four or Ave times. stopping
at different spot Mt the end Of each trinl. and
then gave orders that he should be shown the
mouth Of Mlspllion Crock. At 8 o'clock this
Philadelphia. and took the train north.
Upon the Poek farm" thus mysteriousy
visited there Is said 70 be buried a royal treas
n,cd few miles enst OF this place. in what is
known as Cedar Neck. n swampy strip between
II is now owned BY Peter TorS S According cor ing
70 the local tradition-threaded into narrative
by Mr. TorhertTa French frigste was, chased in
English man-oi-war. both pursued and pur-
suer moving along, by Leyes soon after
huGeing The shore until she reached
the mouth Of the Mispilon. fifteen miles above
anchor. and under cover Of tho darkness her
officers rowed ashore in small boats, 1t is re-
the G acS Of cs i9 7s III shs
danced about his fields for two hours or more.
Then the lights disappeared, and the frigate
took the frieate into Lewes MS prize. Old
Ezra's diary does not mention or even hint Mt a
earth and int%ntes that the gallant French spSfn
men had probably buried dead ofncer there.
Time passed. the. war ended. and the year
1913 came. Then Milford was visited by two
French officers. from whose actions the notion
Of treasure troVe was first Suggested. These
onicers lived In house near the Milford mills
and spent month leisurely trayersing the Polk
farm foot by foot. They employed negroes to
dig in several spots. 10 which they had seem
from the mouth OF the creek Three or four
times the officers drove over 70 the place
from Milford az lieht-hearted and. to all sp.
esaa The search BOYS have been w@SS e
| to look upon the Polk farm ns the abiding place
some SP SS and more d ihn1 once parties
French officers and the French gentleman Of
matter OF history as Alderman Vincent. now
| City Treasurer OF Wilmington, historian OF Del
aware, member OF the London Golden Club. pro
| jector OF the Anglo American Union scheme
&c. tells one that there was such thing rs .
chased French trigate and chasing English
man-of-war. He is authority for the statement
that during the revolution and John Halls Cap
| taincy over the garrison at Lewes a Frencl
| trigate came booming into the haroor Tn
1
| frigate found good anchorage. and the oflceri
We're entertained for several days by Cant. Hal
| and his Delaware command-at that time
regiment. The frigate had been a privateerins
| down the coast and was bound for Wilmington
with several valuable prizes. The treasure WA
| landed and the crew ofthe vessel marched will
| II clear up the State road TO Wilmington, Cant
Hall and his TROOPS acting rs convoy AT VII
| mington the French went into quarters. Tn
| officers we're housed in a building which wa
formerly on the site where the building occu
pied by W, S McCaulley, in Market stree
above Sixth now stands. The immens
ing and constantly guarded. One night. sew
| eral weeks after the arrival. the treasure VIA
| broken in upon and partly taken AWAY, tn
robbery being 50 bold and altogether myste
| rious that the Frenchmen could never max
head or tail OF II. The thieves were not caught
French street now one OF the main thorough
fares OF Wilmington, was given its name b.
this occurrence. One OF the French officers
about the trip through Delaware. and the onl
copy OF the book In this country. at the Mercan
tile Library in philadelphia. would seem
bear out the story OF the treasure stealing.
million OF Spanish dollarsl are in the belief Q
the Milford people still being sought for an
the Lewes folks are occasionally led 10 thinl
that certain strangers are about to make raj
eighty years ago the De Brock. n large Englis
man Of war, commanded by James Drew wa
capszed and sunk while entering the bay. Be
side a fabulous amount OF treasure between
her own decks. the De Brock had in charge tw
Spanish galeons loaded with specie and thes
galeons went down with the man -of-war. /
addition TO this there was once Spanish priz
ship, loaded with gold and silver, that tried I
| puxeth beach. near Ocean City. several mile
| further down. Treasure enough was washe
ashore from this prize ship 10 make rich IN
! wreckers who dwelt along the shore.