Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1897-08-25
COCOS ISLANDS
 RICH TREASURE.
Thirty Million Dollars Sought fer y
 Prescott Mau, Bat in Vain.
It is Uuearthed, Hut the DiseovereI Being Discovered Leaves With.
 out His Find.

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 A tradition, apparently well found ed has been ln existence for years concerning immeuse treasures sup posed to be buried on Cocos Island, an island m the Pacific ocean off the Mexican coast. About six or cight years ago stranger arrived in this section and secured employment on . ranch within less than a dozen miles of Prescott. Alter working for some time, he disclosed Co his employer plan whereby they could become immensely wealthy. It was nothing more or less than to go to Cocos island and secure this buried treasure which the stranger claimed to know the location of. He told such plain straightforward story that the raneher became very iu e teresied auditor to his story and became impressed with the pOssibil- ities of it's truth. Although in com fortable circumstances himself tho rancher imparted the story to oap- ltallst of Prescott and succeeded in getting him interested to the extent of furnishing funds for an expedi. ton to this island ih search of the treasure. The Tancher went to San Diego with his employee wherA a vessel was secured and the voyage made to the treasure laden island.
 Arriving at the island the man who had been so communicative while in Arizona, suddenly became speechless, SO far as imparting the information of the location of the treasure was concerned, and on va rious pretexts refused to disclose what he had formerly claimed to know.
 Alter a vain and fruitless search on the island, the expedition re- turned to tho mainland again. While failure marked the trip, the raneher has always expressed the belief that his informant knew far more con- corning the location of the treasure than he was willing to inpart on their arrival at the island.
 Scarce a year has passed since, that one or more expeditions have not gone in search ot this treasure, and now comes tho following story from Victoria, B. C., indicating that it has been found. \ telegram, dated Victoria, August l6, says:
 "rhe schooner Aurora. which left here in April last, with Capt. Fred Hackett and other sealing captains, and Mrs. Brennan, to search for treasure alleged to he buried on Cocos Island, returned here this morning. They were unable Co find tho treasure, but Charles Hartford, who came up ou the schooner as a passenger, claims to have 1t located. Hartford is an American watch maker, soldier and adventurer. He says he has located the treasure, and says ho knows whore he can lay his hands on $,}0,OO0.OO0 Being afraid that 1t would cost him his life II he unearthcd it without proper pro- tection, he is waiting the proper time before he takes it from the earth.
 "Hartford has papers signed by Costa Riean Minister Juan j. Ulloa, granting him a concession tD search for hidden treasure, aud providing that if he Is successful he Is to give two fiiths of his find to the govern ment, while he other three lifths Is to become his property. This con cesslon, which was written iu Span ish, is dated August 2I, 1895, and soon after receiving 1t Hartford, with a negro servant, went to the island, armed, as was Capt. Hackett, with charts, and began the search. According to the terms of his agree ment, the government of Costa Rica l was to send steamer to the island | every three months, but tLey did not l c Irry out their agreement, and he was left alone.
 "He lived on fish, and notwith- standing the fact that he suffered a great deal, he worked hard. His | hard work was ultimately rewarded, for at length, he says, ho unearthed | a glittering treasure, but he soon 1 covered 1t up again, and obliterated his marks, for there was another man on the island in search for treasure, a German, named August 1 Gissler. He had a concession from | the Costa Rican government grant ing him permission to start planta- tion, but did not do so.
 "Hartford waited on the island for | a steamer to take him away, and l finally the Aurora came. They searched for the treasure, and he l watched them, but their efforts were in vain, They passed and repassed l the spot where tho gold was hidden. Hartford feared that they might | find the treasure. so he proposed to | assist them if they would give him half, and land him at some American 1 port, but they refused, and the | search continued. Finally, becom- ing disgusted, Capt. Hackett gave up the search and sailed for Vic toris, with Hartford as a passen- g,L
 Hartford will correspond with the | Costa Rican government, and ex- poets to return soon 70 the treasure !! island and become a millionaire. He says that had the searchers fol- l lowed tho directions of Mrs. Bren- nen, they would have found the | treasure"
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