Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-24
Seeking g Hidden Riches.
How the Yacht Maria Looked for
 Pirates Treasure.
MILLIONS IN YELLOW GOLD,

t401epu1C MILLIONS IN YELLOW GOLD, Diamonds and Other Gems Galore, Which
 Journalist Peck's Party Did Not Dig
 Up from the Sandssof Turretf Key-How
 It Came to be There.
 PROVIDENCE, April 24.-The story of the search of the crew of the yacht Maria, of Brooklyn, for the treasure supposed to be sunk of the shore of Central America is full of interest Capt. Charles J. Ward, who arrived here Sunday, after the wreck of his yacht, says he was hired during the early fall to act as master of the yacht Maria while she sailed on gunning and fishing voyage with party of gentlemen. It was said the voyage would take several months and the captain was told to hire a crew. The person who hired him was certain John B. Peck, said to be a New York journal st, who in- troduced the captain to a man whom be called Judge Davison, of the Pacific slope, and to Messrs Horn and Richards.
 On Oct. 19 the yacht started from New York down the coast. It put into Kingston, Jamaica, and there little trouble arose be- tween the members of the party on board Davison said to Peck that he did not believe Capt. Ward was proper man to put on the vessel where they were going. The captain was informed of this, and was likewise in- formed of the object of the expedition. He said they were going to British Honduras or Belize to try to recover SIS, ,O0O, 900 in Spanish doubloons buried there by pirates 52 years be- fore. A cofer dam in the hold, which the sailors had not been able to understand the necessity of for such trip as they thought they had undertaken, was to be used in dig ging for the gold, as it was buried on the shore. There were maps on board the yacht and complete tables of the soundings in the keys along the shore of British Honduras The captain and his men, it was intended, should help in the work as well as guide the yacht to the place. The Spanish doubloons Key, about thirty miles east of Belize
 Fffty-two years ago pirate vessel was sighted by British man-of-war off the Isle of Pines. The pirate ran on, closely pursued, and tried to make Grandboug, the entrance to the Bay of Turnef. 1t failed to take the clear course, and struck upon the reef. The Englshman had fired on the pirate and killed two of the pirates crew before the bay was reached, but the others got off and had op- portunity to remove the treasure which was on board. The treasure consisted of gold, two cases of diamonds and other precious stones, and quantity of plate. The pirates took everything ashore they cared for, ex- cept the plate. There was great deal of this, and it was left to deluoe and satisfy the English. But the other treasure, in thirty eight ale kegs, was buried in the sand on the shore. The spot was acertain distance from an old ruin at a deserted Indian village. The treasure was buried in this manner: A hole some twelve feet deep was dug, and the kegs placed in it. Over them was thrown great deal of earth, but enough was left of the ex- cavation, to make @ double grave In this were placed the bodies of the two pirates who had been killed, and the top of the hole was left looking like two graves.
 Two days afterward the Englishmen shelled the hiding place of the pirates and forced them to surrender. Two men were wounded during the shelling. The captured men were taken to Jamaica and tried It was proved to the court that two among the pirate crew were not pirates at all. One of these was one of the two who had been wounded. The court allowed them both to go free, but the rest of the pirates were hanged. Subsequently the wounded man died. This left only one man alive who knew of the hiding of the treasure. He turned up. it is said, about twenty years ago, on a steamer in the Pacific Ocean. He died on the steamer, and before he died told what he knew about the secret. From him the news ,got into Judge Davisons posses sion, and Davison interested Peck and the rest.
 After Peck left them the crew were to have sailed from Belize on March %, but on ac- count of not receiving sufficient stores they were delayed until March 31. On April 1 they started for home, having anchored the day previously at Mauger City, the vessel leaking. On the 4th they were in sight of Cuba On the 5th, with heavy easterly winds and heavy seas, tho yacht rolling heavily, they found water in the galley and coming through the cabin floor, and gaining on the men wholwere pumping. There were three and half feet of water in the hold at noon, and the yacht was down by the head. At s D. m. they sighted a ship and hoisted a signal of distress, and she hove to and waited for them to board her. She proved to be the ship Arbela, of Windsor, N. S., bound from Pen sacola to Buenos Ayres, and there being five and half feet of water in the yachts hold, the crew were glad of the chance to board her, as they could not have kept the Maria much longer afioat. Soon after leaving her the yacht foundered in north latitude g degs., % min., west longitude S4 degs., 45 min. On Thursday, April IT, they sighted the schooner Williamine, Capt. Babbage, and were taken | on board
 1 No Yellow Fever in Florida. l JACKSONVILLE, Fla, April 24.-The rumors | current north about yellow fever in South