The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-22
SEARCH FOR TREASURE.
ANOTHER QUEST FOR PIRATE La
FIT'TE's BURIED GOLD

gier After His Honorable Service
in the Defense of New Orleans.
San Antonio. Tex. cor. the Philadelphia
Times
There has Of late been consid-
cradle local comment and lazy
speculation regarding the appearance OF
mysterious schooner manned by half
dozen mysterious men, down off the Tex
as coast in Matagorda bay. These mys-
FERROUS men landed on Matagorda island,
spent few days there, and then left in
their schooner as mysteriously as they
came. leaving behind them in the sand
square hole six feet wide and six feet
deep as though they had dug something
up and carried it away. From this, every
native knows there has been another
search for Jean Lafttes buried treasures
| and is wondering as to whether or not the
same was found, dug up and carried
away. There is not one Of the thousand
Of low fat islands along the gulf coast
from Pensacola clear around to the point
of Yucatan, not a bayou creek, bay, la
COON or crooked waterway in all that
country but has its dark tale Of LATTE,
the pirate, and his hidden treasures.
Lafitte is the pirate. par excellence, Of
this southern country. Any of the coast
people, at his bare mention, will tell you
enough grisly tales of his exploits as a
pirate while living. and as a ghost after
his death, to keep your hair stiff and per-
pendicular when you let your mind run
upon them in the silence of the night and
the seclusion Of your bedchamber. When
one investigates, however, 1t Is found
that, historically speaking the main
events OF Lattte's life are singularly well
known He was truly remarkable man
in his time. He was the supreme and un-
questioned leader of men, over whom
leadership meant both mental and physi-
cal superiority. lie had courage and fight
ing ability sufficient for a dozen pirate
chiefs, but he was no pirate. He had too
much sense and too little of the scoundrel
in his makeup. In one instance he served
the United States in so useful and honor
able manner, in the face of strong temp
tation TO do otherwise, that for that SER
vice alone his memory deserves a clear
ing away Of these old bloody skull and
crOss-bones stories.
Jean Dafitte was a native of France,
born In BayOnne in the later years of the
eighteenth century His family emigra-
ted to the West Indies, where they owned
estates. Driven away by an instruction
of negro slaves, they came TO New Or
leans and settled there Jean was grown
by this time and had learned the trade
OF a blacksmith. He opened shop on ST.
Philip street, between Bourbon and Dau-
phin. The building itself was standing
not many years ago; Jean was tall,
dark man of splendid physique and re-
markedly handsome A stranger passing
him on the street always turned for a
second look. Below New Orleans, along
the waterways and on the numerous is
lands, there dWet considerable popula-
ton. They hunted fshed, raised cattle
and did about as they pleased, regardless
of the laws of their shifting government.
Spain and France were alternately mas
ters, until the Louisiana purchase brought
/ the country once and for all under the
/ flag of the United States. The location
/ of these people, their nearness to New
/ Orleans a thriving market on one side,
and the gulf on the other side, opened up
such opportunities that the whole of them
stopped every other avocation and took
I to smuggling. Into all the bayous and
channels they brought vessels, loaded
with merchandise and negroes, that found
an easy eustoms-avoiding way into the
/ city.
LATTE was first a local New Orleans
agent for these smugglers, and in the
course of years obtained unbounded in
! fiuence over them. They looked up to him
and obeyed him as they obeyed no man
/ or government instituted by man. He be-
4 came the owner of vessels of his own,
| and carried on business upon so large
scale that the legitimate business of New
/ orleans became demoralized, and the
| merchants complained so vigorously that
| Uncle Sam heard. and at once took a
! hand. Lafltte's main headquarters were
on the coast island of Barataria, where
/ ne had built a fort and there was a small
| settlement of his retainers. In the year
| 1914, when the whole coast country was in
a fever of apprehension over the news
| of the approaching British expedition
| against New Orleans, Commodore Patter-
son, the United States naval commander
| in those waters, came down to Barataria
] ruined the fort, broke up the settlement,
and gave Lahtt"'s smuggling business q
blow from which it never revived
This thing was not calculated to put La
fitte in good humOr with the United States.
and Immediately thereafter came to him
| an offer OF a commission in the British
navy, provided LATTE and his men would
join the red coats in the attack on New
Orleans. Viewed in the light of the times
M a r.afaa1 afaf inn Lot Nd
men had so recently become part of the
! United States that the seed of patriotic
devotion had scarcely had time for devel-
| oping. Then the recent destruction of
| Rarataria, breaking up a business that
| other governments had winked at, must
| have seemed to them an exasperating piece
! Of nersecutfon Had these men ioined the
| British New Orleans would in all proba-
| bility have fallen. They knew every foot
| of that tangled country and were brave
fighters. Ignorance of the country led the
| British to take the most difficult and cas-
lily defended road to their object, caused
| delay, gave the defense time for prepara-
| lions and led to the disastrous defeat of
! the invaders. But LATTE gave the British
| offer small thought He at once offered
the services of himself and all the men he
| could raise to Gen. Jackson. The offer
was accepted, and in the battle these
| Barataria pirates fought side by side with
| the riflemen of Kentucky and Tennessee,
| and not whit less bravely and well. AS
| a recompense the President of the United
States gave Latitte a fun pardon for what
ever misdeeds he may have committed
| prior to this time and there is not a bit
of evidence that these misdeeds were any
other than violations of the revenue laws.
| For over a year after the battle LATTE
| dwelt in New Orleans. The smuggling
| business was ended, but a new field was
! suddenly opened that had irresistible
charms for his adventurous spirit.
| All Spanish America was in a flame of
| rebellion against Spain. A republic had
been proclaimed by Mexico, and its cd
| herents were engaged in a bitter, savage
| struggle with the Spanish viceroy. The
| revolutionary government was represent
ed in New Orleans by a commissioner,
/ Don Jose Manuel Herrera. From Herrera
lLafitte obtained the appointment of gov
! ernor of Texas under the revolutionary
| government of Mexico, procured a number
! of vessels and followers and set sail for
his new field. The events of his after
life show that he intended his departure
| to be final. He quit Louisiana and New
Orleans forever. He went entirely of his
own voliton and took his own time Does
1t not seem reasonable that if this man
had any treasure in Louisiana, above or
under ground, he would have taken it with
! him? No one would have prevented, and
| he had every facility for taking it. This
| is given for the information of those peo-
| pie who annually disturb the alligators
| and turtles along the Louisiana coast in
| search of Lafitte's mythical hoard of gold
] and silver
!