Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-21
A PIRATES TREASURE FOUND.
The Felucca of Jean Laftte Said to
Have Been Located.


| 1t is generally believed that party
of treasure seekers in recent night
succeeded in rescuing from the waters
of the gulf large quantity of treasure
contained in wreck which lay about 9
mile and a quarter from the shore. This
wreck, says Kenner, Tex, corresponds
ent of the Philadelphia Times, is su D.
posed to have been that of felucca be-
longing to the Pride, the schooner of
the pirate Jean Latitte, once the scourge
of these waters.
This felucca, which the old records
name as the Pretty Nell, was being sent
ashore by Lafitte in 1910 after an en-
counter with Spanish bark, in which
the Pride captured and burned the
Spaniard, when the felucca was sunk
with all hands by shot from the Eng
lish ship Coronet. 1t is. said that the
Spanish vessel was bound for Peru laden
with gold and silver coin, and that La
6tte was sending this treasure ashore
for deposit in one cf his hiding places
by the Pretty Nell, and after her de-
struction lowered about this coast for
weeks seeking for the spot where she
had gone down, but failed to find it,
though he returned to the search again
and again.
Many have since sought the wreck in
vain, only to give up finally, but strong
evidence points to its discovery recently.
For some time past four strangers have
been in town engaged in slyly question
ing the people, and fishermen in especial,
concerning the old story of the sunken
felucca. These men also hired boat
and thoroughly secured the coast and
water for distance of several miles up
and down and out into the gulf. On
last Thursday large steam tug, the
name of which cannot be ascertained,
arrived and anchored about half mile
below the town. The four men were
seen to join her, and that night lights
were seen dancing over the water op-
posite the spot where the tug had
anchored and about mile and quar-
ter from shore.
William Edwards, fisherman, seeing
the commotion, rowed out in his boat to
ascertain the cause, when he was ar
rested while some hundred yards away
by couple of men in skiff, who
warned him to keep back and return to
shore, emphasizing the command by the
display of two guns. He did so fol-
lowed closely by the men in the
skiff, who waited to see him
haul his boat up in the sand.
Edwards says the tug was provided
with an electric light, which was
turned on the water, and which enabled
him to see man in Divers dress de-
scending her side, and pulleys and ropes
for hoisting heavy bales to the deck.
Although he did not think it prudent to
venture out on the water again, he
watched the tug from the shore all
night, and says they worked till day
break, when she disappeared in the di-
rection of Port Cavallo.
During the day pieces of worm-eaten
wood were picked up, and were prob
ably fragments of the wreck liberated
by the removal of her heavy cargo.
Watch was kept for several nights after
the tugs visit, but she has not returned,
and it is probable that she was either
disappointed in not finding the credited
treasure after searching the old wreck,
or else managed to remove it all in one
night.
A diver has been sent for from Gal
weston, and will make thorough ex-
animation of the spot. Advices from
all the ports on the coast say that no
vessel answering to the description
given by the tug has been seen to un-
load at any wharf. but it is thought she
must have landed or transferred to an
other vessel her spoil at night or on
some unfrequented part OF the coast.