The evening world., 1889-09-13

went to Belize.
and he hired n boatinan TO take him there.
THE SKELETONS FOUND.
Following the directions given him by
the old sailor. he dug up the sand at the
spot indicated aud exhumed two human skel-
etonR.
He was unable 10 dig further, because the
iact, were in the water.
1T was evident that II these were the skelc-
tons Of the two dead pirates placed there as n
latter had sunk to some distance In the quick
and Of which the island Is composed, and
that TO recover il would require n little en-
glneering. skill and appliances, which the
there ohtainable. He therefore carefully
concealed oil evidences OF his work and re-
luctantly left the spot and the country, and
returned to bis home in Honolulu.
Happening TO casually mention the story
of the treasure while in Now York on busl-
ness in the Autumn Of 1887. this expedition
resulted"
treasure. and what follows is Mr.. Horne's
taio of the attempt to recover it
THE TREASURE EXPEDITION.
we got afont Oct. 10, 1887. There were
besides Cart. Ward, the sailing master; Mate
Barrett and the crew John B. Peck, com-
mnnder OF the expedition Prof. Barker. at
one time teacher of mathematics at Annapolis
Naval Academy +. Is. Richards. of Mobile,
Ala; JOHN NJ. Davidson, tho only one OF tho
party who possessed the secret of the treas
ure. ard myself.
I'm crossing the gulf stream we encoun-
tered very heavy wea her, md the light
pleasure vaSht gave way In sHils and rigging
to such nm extent that she was rendered I'M
senworthy.
After n consultation it was decided that
we should try to make Turks Island aud re-
pnir damages.
TROUBLE WITH PECK.
Peck was secretly opposed to this. He
wanted to make Kingston.
We did finally force him to make Great
InauguA in the bahamas. We were i'll the
roadstead five days, and here IT developed TO
the satisfaction of Judge Davidson and my
self that there was a private agreement be-
tween Peck, Capt. Ward, the mate and Prof.
Barker, and ] threatened TO leave the e1podi-
ton, Richardson aud Davidson agreeing to
follow me.
I'VE got so far as packing our traps and
knew that he could not get along without
Davidson and me, proposed q compromise.
He would sail for Kingston. discharge
Capt. Ward, make the mate sailing master
and give over the command of the expedition
to Davidson.
THE ENTERPRISE
Arrived at Kingston. Peck refused to
carry out his agreement. and Davidson, Rich
ards and ! quit in disgust and returned to
Deprived Of the services Of Judge David
son, the only man who possessed any knowl-
edge Of the location of the buried treasure,
Peck had to make q blind hunt for it.
Not knowing how to get ut the treasure
on Turneffe Cay, Peck had II ready ear for
the story of two men he met in Kingston,
about buried treasure in the Island of Santa
Catalina, near the Isthmus, and he went
there with them.
"Of the voyage Of the Maria after I left
her l knew nothing until I saw her at Belize
in january, 1888.
THE SECOND VISIT TO H TREASURE.
~ returned to New York In November,
1887, thinking to have nothing more to do
with this buried treasure, but Judge David
son proposed 10 me that we go to Belize, visit
Turnetie City. look over and survey the
ground. estimate the cost of excavation and
make terms with the British Colonial Gov
eminent for the right to dig for the treasure.
Judge Davidson had weakened my scep-
ticism regarding the existence of the treas
ure by his circumstantial and straightfor-
wesd story, > and d. | SNg aS dr to accompany mn him nm
started for Belize on the steamer City of
Dallas, Dec. Is. Two days after our arrival
we hired q boatman to take us to Turneffe
City and arrived there after three days.
"There we found the old ruined coral
structure and the place where the Judge had
exhumed the skeletons seven years before.
1--WE found ut once that the removal of
the specie could not by any possibility be
effected secretly, 30 that the fitting out OF the
Maria was a piece of costly folly.
The island is leased and constantly
watched by the British Honduras Improve
ment and Fruit Company, and no prospect
ing for private plumber would be permitted
without the consent of that Company and a
Government concession.
I'VE found that digging for buried treas
ure had not been uncommon on the keys In
that neighborhood aud that an old Spaniard,
some years before, had exhumed $400. 900 on
this same Turneffe Cay. We were greatly re-
heved when We were shown the spot where
The r,pnay Hraa found md aCnartoina6 that
it was not our plant.
money. and no marks left to guide others to
the spot"
90 ANTICIPATED by PECK.
In returning to Belize to procure q Govern
ment concession, Messrs. Horn and David
son were stranded on English Cay for ten
days.
them with the yacht and secure the coveted
concession himself.
Peck had returned to Key West, where he
was informed of the trip of Horne and David
son to Belize. and he followed, securing O
right to dig for treasure until Jan. II, 1889.
Mr.. Horne said that Peck dug all over the
Cay for three months but without finding SC
much as O copper.
PECK GIVES IT UP.
"Ho made all manner of verbal proposals.
both to the Judge and to me" he said. but
we declined to have anything to do with him,
knowing him as we did. We told him thai
the plumber was not perishable; that it would
keep for a year, when we would have the
concession to dig for II.
lin the middle of April Peck gave up. He
couldn't hold out any longer. and brought
the yacht to Belize, She had thumped OF
the reefs in shoal water for three month";
r until the oakum had been started from hel
seams and she was little better than a sieve. )
THE MARIA FOUNDERS.
= Tn Maria put to seq in this condition anC
-, foundered q few days Letter of the soutt
l coast of Cuba.
8 In his interview with TIE EVENING WoRLI
q reporter in January Mr.. Home said:
my hope Of wealth will soon be realized
or quickly dispelled. l am firmly grounded
Q in the belief that mine shall be the first o
s these two alternatives.
5 The pirates plumber is there and an