The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1880-04-01
A Sailors Big Steal.

The San Francisco Chronicle says:
Among those belonging to the Chilian
navy who were slain in the recent SAN
culinary naval combat with the Peru
vians was a man named James Davis,
who was distinguished for the reckless
daring of his character, and of whom q
most remarkable incident is told. In
November, 1868, the schooner Laura
May entered this port from Santa Cruz.
AS the smallpox was then raging in the
latter port the vessel was detained in
quarantine off Black Point. When re-
leased she raised her anchor, and the
captain was surprised to find hanging to
one of the fukes n strong canvas bag
containing $500 in Mexican silver dol
lars. No one appeared to make any claim
ITO the money or explain how it came
there.
This singular occurrence was only a
small part of the remarkable incident
in the career of Davis. The story,
briefly told, is that Davis and another
seaman named John Smith concocted a
scheme to rob one of the steamers ply
ing between this port and the Mexican
coast, which frequently brought up
large shipments of treasure from the
Sonora and Sinaloa mines. In pursu-
ance of this scheme, Smith worked
himself into the position of quarter
master on the G.. o. and M. steamship
Sierra Nevada, in 1866, and Davis went
to Mazatlan to obtain information re-
garding the shipment of treasure from
this port. In October, 1868, the oppor-
tunity of the conspirators came. The
manifest of the Sierra Nevada on that
trip showed only Sl5,75O in coin, but
it has since been learned that the firm Of
Emiliano & Trinidad Davaloz, of Quay
mas, ut that time shipped on the steamer
eight boxes containing S2ll,OO0 in
Mexican gold coin. After very stormy
passage, the steamer arrived at La Paz
on the night of October ls. During the
night Smith and Davis, who had ship
ped as deck hands, got out these boxes
by means of keys which gave them &C
cess to the treasure room. Tloy tied
up the boxes on an inch-thick tarred
line, leaving about three fathoms OF line
between each box, and paying it cut as
the vessel moved along, sunk the whole
in the harbor of La Paz. The bag Q
silver dollars they had in 4 coal bunker
and tried to get man named Huntson,
who was in their confidence. TO smuggle
it ashore in 3 bag of potatoes at Mazat-
Ian on the return trip, but he refused.
They were unable to get ashore, as they
contemplated fishing up their treasure
at La Paz and were compelled to come
on to this city, where they threw the
bag overheard while the steamer lay in
quarantine Detective Noyes, OF this
city, happening to be at Mazatlan about
this time on business, Huntson told of
the "plant," and Noyes went fishing for
it, but was unable to find it. Informa-
tion was sent back here for the arrest
of Smith and Davis, and arrangements
made for their capture if they appeared
at Mazatlan, but they managed tc elude
the officers, got back in company with
a younger brother of Davis, fished up
their booty, divided and separated, the
brothers going to Chilli, where the
younger still survives, and Smith to
Philadelphia, where he spent his money
lavishly and entertained his friends
with wonderful accounts of lis lucky
strikes in the California gold miEcs.
He is still living there.