The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-23
SEEKING BURIED GOLD.
Strange Narrative of the Theft of
$50, 900, 900 by Two Americans.
From the Detroit Free Press

From the Detroit Free Press.
1t is very curious what kind of schemes
persons with capital are sometimes asked
to go into. The country is broad and
mighty are its resources. The searcher
for opportunities is found everywhere,
and his ideas are invaria bly, and naturally
at the service of the capitalist who fur
nishes the steam to make the wheels 70
round. There is n gentleman in Detroit
who is known as a liberal Spectator, one
of that class who are always ready to
look into everything and weigh every
possibility, knowing that chance plays an
important part in the battle for money
This gentleman is broad minded cOnser-
vative and shrewd. He has accumulated
quite a fortune by his admirable bust
ness methods and the chances are
that he will add materially to it before he
dies, as he is as energetic and active as
ever. The other day he received COM
munication all the way from Panama
asking financial assistance to promote a
scheme which, on the face of it, looks like
a fairy tale, and yet which the writer
holsters up with as many alleged proofs as
are employed by Jules Verne in one of his
most fanciful romances. 1t is the old, old
tale of sunken treasure but it has ele-
menUs of interest which might well be
grasped by the writer of fiction, although
the practical capitalist lin spite of the
voluminous mass of proofs) would look
upon the entire affair as a huge Joke AS a
schooner costing 81, 900 has actually been
fitted out to go on this apparently wild
goose chase, a brief recital of the facts
laid at some length before the Detroit
capitalist will not, perhaps, be without
interest.
During one of the Peruvian insurrec-
tions the government, seeing itself in seri-
Gus danger of being overwhelmed, had
conveyed to fort situated on the coast
S62, 600, 600 in gold AS there was some
danger of the fort being taken the gold
was placed on a small schooner. The
crew were negroes, while the captain and
mate were Americans During the night
a storm came up and the boat was blown
out to sea. The captain and the mate, ac-
cOrding to manuscript left by the for
mer held a consultation when the wealth
er moderated. What happened is related
as follows by the captain: 81 asked the
mate if he knew what was in the boxes in
Lead says he, 'or ammunition from
the fort"
Does lead weigh as much as one Of
them boxesH | asked
They do seem mighty heavy for lead, ;
he replied.
" Heaviest lead you ever heard Off l
says
BURYING THE TREASURE.
with that he sprane to his feet
what are you driving at, captainN
"'What would YOU say if every one of
them boxes had gold in themN
You don t mean iJ2' he exclaimed.
" Hush those -- niggers =
"'They know nOthing2'
'He lighted his pipe and gazed medita-
lively toward the east.
'Whcre'd they come frOm2
We've got the government treasury
aboard
What were your instructions"
" To lie in the harbor and await orders
If the fort had been taken some of the
officers would have come aboard and slip
ped off and hid the treasure
" Then the storm drove YOU offN
"'Yes: Providence intervened'
The mate chuckled
When are you going back, cap'nH
See here, matey, what is the use of
going backl'
No use a. all
1.-THE government is going to smash
"''Yes it'll bust all to pieces
What'll we do with itl'
Bury it and scutJle the ship Then
they'll think it's at the bottom of tn
ocean
'Where'll we bury it2
'On an island.
But the niggers?'
Know nothing about navigation.
Well sight the island at night and hide
it in the darkness. -"
The two modern Monte Crstos carried
out their plan The money was buried o.
an island in the Pacific and then the
sailed off. When near a habitable plac
TO int ho1 81
an auger and bored a number of holes
The water rushed in and caused STAN
pede among the rats. The crew RUSHED
on deck and everyone put off in the boats
The mate grumbled good deal at thu
boats being crowded, for he had calcu
lated on number of the crew being lost
and therefore put out of the way But
upon reaching shore the captain, mate and
crew were arrested and placed on a gun
boat. Several of the crew were hung,
but could give no information as to where
the treasure was The nara
tive states that the captain anC
mate were not watched closely, as the
harbOr was full of sharks, and that ont
night, having won over guard by prom
1ses of reward, the two worthless were en-
abled to throw themselves overheard. Ii
was not far to shore and yet was un-
pleasant swimming as every moment
The subsequent tragedy is thus described
in the captains manuscript: 1--WE hadn'
gone far when the matey, says he: &.
would give $40, 100000 of the money to b.
ashore, cap'n'
" Go ahead, my lad, says I.
" i feel one of them - sharks sniff
hng at my legs, cap'n.
" imagination, my lad, says 1.
Then he gave little shrek
oh, Lord, something touched me,
=
''With that, down he went and I lost
courage and had not the strength to swim
on. Suddenly dark hull doomed up be
fore me and l caught hold of the chains
Of whaler going out"
AN UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH.
The captain was helped on deck and
through the friendly Offices Of the com
nander was enabled TO escape Tn,
events of subsequent years developed
nothing new toward the unearthing of
the treasure. After a few voyages the
captain settled down in New England and
married. He lived retired life for a
few years, and then the desire to re, over
The treasure came to him, and he started
Tor Mexico. From there he made his
way TO this isthmus. Meanwhile the lit
Jle island where the treasure was buried