The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-16

two fitted out another ship, were cast
upon the rock-bOund shore Oh NoVoS -
a gale and persisted.
DEATH GUARDS 1T.
Then beeins a vague mortuary record
Farlv I'm the forties a party sailed from
Honduras i'm great secrecy. supposedly
for the treasure. The disappearing
sails Of the ship on the horizon were
the last that mortal eye ever saw ol
that venture Two Germans, wander
ers upon the face OF the earth reached
Cocos with an excursion, ana refused
to return, prefering 10 stay ana setrch'
Another excursion, three years ldtcr'
found what had been the two GermanS.
one was a skeleton on the shore. ThJ
other was a foul animal. human only In
form. They took him back-though not
until four OF their party had died Of a
mysterious fever-and he died. raying,
within two days after they reached the
mainland There are indefinite state
ments Of two other parties which found
the island but nothing TO reward theip
venture
In the meantime, maps OF the island
bearing alleged markings Of the treasure s
location. were travelling abroad upon the
earth in tho hands Of sailors. Some came
10 New York and there was an abortivc
attempt TO organize an expedition here.
one landed I'm Boston. and wealthy
stOrekeeper had such faith I'm IL that he
fitted out ship TO so around the Horn.
only 10 die Of a fever two weeks before
the time set for sailing. The angel Of
death, who guarded that island, struck
with a far-reaching sword. or the late
attempts TO find the treasure. the most
businesslike was made by a Mrs. Bren-
nan, a Nova Scotia woman Of consldera-
bic means and great resolution. \
drunken sailor brought one Of the maps
20 the town where she lived and It came
into her possession. After a weeks con-
sideration she was ready To set about
getting that treasure She went 10 VIC
toria. b. c.. got several business men oi
that city Interested I'm her project. ana
in March 1891. sailed for Cocos IN the
schooner Aurora, with Captain fred
Hackett and crew Of eight men, reach
ing the island I'm June.
A STRANGE BEING.
To their intense amazement ana ula-
gust they were met upon the shore by q
human being To be sure, he had almost
forgotten how TO talk. and was inclined
IN look upon them as appantions who
would presently vanish over the waves
as ne declared all his other visitors had
done. but he was still q man, and ms
wits soon returned when he became used
20 the companiOnship OF his fellow be-
ings. In Two respects. however, the Au-
rora poople considered him unsound
First. he was positive that he had been
there several years, although he ad-
mitted that hc had lost track OF the
lopse Of time: and next. he insisted that
| ho had found the treasure by n map
which was the only genuine map IN eN-
istence. II developed that he was wlde
| az the truth as far as his length OF stay
was concerned. Little by little his story
came out The Costa Rican government
! had sent him to the island by the gun
| boat Turalba i'm September. lob' uhuer
| contract 80 search for the treasure anu
divide IL with the government shouid MS
search be successful. The Turabla was
IN roturn i'm three months. Those three
months the voluntary maroon .aled on IT.
small sapling The gunboat dld not ~,
turn and al the end OF the hiih month
he gave up hope. His fate was the more
hitter I'm that he had located the treasure
after three weeks work. the map nav
| inc been somewhat indefinite. rms story
| the newcomers refused 10 believe an" l'I
| Iii, two months they explored that
island with pick ana shoVel. "",'' -,
! ford smiled. Finally, he dictated the i"'-
! lowing agreement. ,,
! mont with and permission from the
| Costa Rican government 20 search lo'
hidden treasure on Cocos Island ! was
| landed bv said Government on Septem-
| bor Qod. G think 1896. and that govern
| ,,crt agreed to come back for me inside
| ~ throe months ] have not heard from
| said Government. and being IN n star aug
| condition and with no means 10 oDii'ii
| food and no way 10 get OF the Island ana
| having located the large treasure
| r,oi,o this agreement with the captain
| and crew of the schooner Aurora Oh
! Victoria. y. G.. 10 let them take hair OF
! tho treasure of whatever nature Whelh-
| or gold silver. or precious stones LOT
| their side of the agreement ana 10 idh'
| me. Charles Hartford, at some cohNe-
| Mont port i'm the United States with the
other half Of said treasure.
"Tho information we came to the island
| for nroving no good. we have hunted, dug
and borod. and were about to return
homo when said offer was made ana
| accepted"
| But the offer was not accepted. Mrs
| brennan. Captain Hackctt and TWO men
Of the crew held out against II, ana hnai-
~ these two men agreed 10 stay ana
! search while the ship returned Tor
| supply OF dynamite, with which they
Intended 10 facilitate the work. Hart
! ford returned i'm the Aurora. which iahd'
| cd AZ Vancouver. b. c., on August l4th
| last He left there 10 organize anoth'
| or expedition. The story OF his golne
| down on the Imperenne, OF the hndlnf
| of the two Aurora men there ana or inc
| statements OF the officers that the treas
ure had been located was told In yes
terday's Sun.
In Wall street there was no little IN
/ terest in the news. as many wall stree
| men remember an expedition which was
| organized here about fifteen years ag'
| "a oct the treasure. A company wa
| formed and several men OF wealth wen
| into the scheme. the organizers Of which
| were as reckless and irresponsible
| crowd OF treasure seekers as ever mis-
/ took fancy for fact. Perhaps II was iol
this reason that the plan collapsed ant
the excursion was given up before mucf
OF the money had been spent. That l.
why. If the treasure has really been foun'
there will be some regrets in this VEN
| ftv And N that IF" is substantiatec
| IN will be the first case where Treasure
Island has ever given up its gold. eNcep
In the pages OF fiction. and Long l5lanf
may be expected 20 turn out on rna7s'
Immediately upon a yerihcation. and con
duct an investigation into the rccor'
az the late Captain Kidd with so many
hicks and shoyels that the whole islan'
viii look like ploughed field from
Rrooklyn to Montauk Point.