The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-29
LAElTiE'S BU. NED GOLD
SrILE SEEKING F0G mr. SUPP0SED
TREISURE or THE PIRATE.

SIILL SEEKING FOE mr. SUPPOSED
TREdSURE or THE PIRATE.
The Fear of Ghosts Kept an O'd Negro
Cook rroul Revealing the Hiding Places
"A French Canadians Accidental u s.
covery-Lafitte's Pirate Schooner Visible
ut Low Water.
Having heard so many conflicting
stories concerning the visits of Lafitte,
the famous pirate, to southwestern
Louisiana in the early days of the nine
teenth century, 1 concluded to inyesti-
gate the sources of these legends and
give the public the results of my re-
searches, 1t is we'll known that LATTE
used to run up the Calcasieu and Mer-
mentau rivers to dispose of contraband
goods or bury treasure which had been
taken from merchant vessels on the
high seas.
On one occasion he came up the CAL
casieu as far as Lake Charles and sold
one of his crew, a negro cook, to resi-
dent. This negro died about four years
ago, and is supposed to have been one
hundred and ten years of age. This
darkey knew of many places where
treasure was buried, but could never be
persuaded to tell any more than that a
great deal was buried along the Contra
band Bayou, a tributary to the Calca-
sieu. He said that MARS LATTE. when
he bury dat money, kilt a niger. an
put him in de hole, too, right on top O.
dat money an tole us dat eff we eber
tole any libin' soul whar hit wuz dat de
sperrit O. dat niger shore gwine ha'nt
us until our dyin' day, and wouldn't glib
I US no res. Noh, sab; yo' can kill me eff
yo' wants to, but amt gwine show yo'
nothin' bout dat buried money 'ceptin'
| it's along Contraband Bayou some
| where's
Besides this darby, there is still one
other who is alive and whom I have Of
ten seen, and is supposed to have been
of Lafitte's crew He, however, stoutly
denies all knowledge of Lafitte or his
treasure. went to a ranch about five
| miles out from Lake Charles a short
] time since, where I knew I would find
l. HlEl. uueSlIOIleu Hill dDOul IIidhy
/ things concerning the early history of
this country, but when LATTE was
mentioned I could see that he was dis
4 pleased, and failed to obtain any fur
! Their informal ton from him than that he
knew nothing of Lafitte, and he even
declared that he had never heard of
him, Notwithstanding his previous
statement that he was eighteen years
old at the time Of "Jackson's war"
A French Canadian living on the Dor
der of the sea marsh has at times told
me strange stories, and really knows
more about the great pirate than any
person have met. I once happened a,
his ranch while he was suffering from
the effects of trip into the great
marsh. I asked him what took him ir
| there.
j ooh, just looking for something"
few more questions developed the fact
that he had been looking for the treas
ure. Having known him for long
time did not hesitate to ask him why
he supposed the treasure to have beer
buried in such place and away from
a watercourse. Then he told me the
following story:
ION the other side Of the marsh
southeast from here, right on the banks
of the Mermentau, there is a pile O.
i brickbats and mortar, the remains O.
what was once a brick tomb, marked
simply by an iron cross, bearing no in
scription of any kind. To the few sim
p1e-minded Catholic settlers scattered
| through that section 1t conveyed NJ
hint of being otherwise than the lonely
resting place of one of the faithful
One afternoon some years ago a schoon
er sailed UP the river and dropped an
Choir nearly opposite this tomb. No at
tention, however, was paid to this cir
cumstance, as small craft often passed
UP the river to the upper country. Thi
schooner lay at anchor for three or fou
days, and sailed away under cover o
night. The next day some one discov
cred that the tomb had been broker
into. A large iron kettle was found ly
ing a short distance away, and near b,
was picked up Spanish gold coin o
ancient date. Now, 1t is evident tina
LATTE shrewdly conceived the idea o
building the kettle of gold, KNOWN,
that the supposed resting place of TIL
dead would probably remain undis
turbed forever. Having no occasion t.
use the money, the chart showing its 10
cation probably passed down to the de
scendants of some of his crew, whicl
accounts for the appearance of tn
schooner"
Here my friend paused, and I ex
planned to him that / still failed to un
derstand why he should risk his lif
searching in a vast marsh for treasur
that had already been carried away.
"Wait," he said, land I'll tell you
Soon after the departure of the schoon
err a young friend of mine living nea
the Mermentau shot and killed one o
three brothers in difficulty. and o
course he had to leave at once, as Their
was no officer of the law in that sec
ton, and the relatives of the dead MAJ
swore vengeance. He was afraid t
take the trail along the Chenier Ridg
to Leesburg, as this was the only wa.
out. and he knew 1t would be closet,
watched"
Right here, by way of explanation,
will say that the high prairies of thi
section are separated from the Gulf b
from ten to twenty miles of almost i'm
passable sea marsh, which, in fact, ex
tends eastward to the Atchafalayas
At the place of which we are speakin
the Gulf and sea marsh are separate
by low ridge Of varying width extend
ing from the Mermentau river west
ward along the Calasieu. Scattere
here and there along the ridge are sma
ranches owned by Frenchmen know