The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-15
FOUND BURIED COIN.


Gtery % the Discovery ~ the Treasure
Trovs-suppossd 10 Have Been CoDsssi-
"a by Pirstss--wss IL Morgan or Kidas
! stolen Money!
Buried treasure 10 the value Of about |
90, 900 was recently discovered ON tho |
Citrops estate, Amelia island, OF tbs
Florida coast. Early In the year another |
lot, amounting TO $1,000, was found near |
the same spot.
Amelia island II 10 miles long and (
miles wide In It's widest part. 1t has q
largo population, containing, ~ IL does.
the prosperous county scat Of Fernandina,
q number of villages, and Ocean City. .
popular southern seaside resort. II r.
crossed by railroad lines and dotted Win
plantations, by no means Nd wild spot
as the average romantic treasure yeeker
would pick out for his operations
One mile from Fcrnandina and m equal
distance from Ocean City lies U @ charm.
ing baysido estate known a. q. .trons. II
was once the property OF JN nes Cashen,
a gentleman Of large mean 4, who had
residence upon 10 during = portion of the
Spanish and tho Engliat. occupation Of
Amelia island.
Al buopo4uono yOADs from about 1900 10
the time OF his death, this attractive place
was owned by the labs Senator II L. Yu.
Zee, who regarded the property a. the most
valuable suburb OF the growing town Of
Fernandina. The property II now owned
by Mr.. Samuel A, Swapn.
The af0rv o. tho first find has only now
come to light II was msdo last Dscom.
Der. A mysterious houseboat, called the Go.
ys.cr, arrived in Fefnsndins, and the party
aboard announced themselves scientists.
Thsy said they had heard Of some ourioua
Indian mounds on the island, somo of
which were located at Citrona, and had
come to dig into them In search Of anthro.
biological remains
They were oourteously received, and
their story was implicitly believed. Real
estate owners freely gave them perinission
to make excavations upon their property.
The scientists set to work without delay.
They hired several men to help In the dig
ging and unearthed large number of
Indian skeletons. Among the laborers
whom they hired was q young man named
George Pinkney.
The search was continued nearly three
months. They loadcs~up their 'houseboat
with skeletons, pottery, tomahawks and
They pushed their Investigations into
every part of the island and dug innumer-
able holes. Finally they announced that
they had accomplished the object Of their
visit, and the Gopher steamed away.
After the departure of the party George
Pinkney entered into the employ Of Ed
ward Cause lumber dealer of Fernando
ma. Some time afterward he called on
Mr.. Cause and said he had something Of
the utmost Importance to tell him.
He then exhibited several plans or
maps of the country, particularly In the
neighborhood of Citrona. He said he had
stolen them from tho scientific party Of
the houseboat Gopher.
He declared that he had dug holes for
the scientists In spots that they located
from the plans, and that from one of
these he had helped to take golden treas
ure to the amount of $4,000. How much
more they had found elsewhere he was un-
able to say, but he was sure of this much.
Pinkney then declared that the ecien-
lists had used curious instrument, and
on his description Of 1t Cause purchased
dip needle, which the crcdulous declare
will point downward when held over
mines or buried treasure. Thus armed,
tho two set Off, and Pinkncy led the way
to spot which he said the scientists had
located, but not dug.
Here they decided, after many long
tramps and much study of their maps, to
try their first experiment. The spot was
at the base of an ancient tree, long since
dead. 1t was beside an exactly similar
tree that tho scientists had dug success
fully.
Another man was hired to assist, and
on dark night the three set out. They
took every prccaution against discovery,
but the job was u hard one, for they had
to cut through a tangled mass of thick
roots.
After hours of hard work the treasure
delivers at last struck metal. Feverishly
they cleared out the impeding earth and at
last laid bare much rustcd iron box. In
a state Of intonse excitement they lifted 1t
to the surface and, leaving the hole as it
was, hurriedly dragged 1t away.
After going a short distance toward the
city they stopped for consultation. The
third man was paid and directed to go
home and keep his mouth shut. Cause
and Pinkney labored painfully homeward
with the box, and before morning succeed
cd in getting 1t into Causes room.
Here they removed the lid, whose lock
uhu hiHBSS nuu IustSu Oi, uuu tbcio OO-
fore them lay a fortune in Spanish doub
looms.
With great care they counted their horde
and found they had In doubloons alone the
value Of $39, 900, besides quantity of coin
whose value they did not know how to
estimate.
But, now that they had the coin, what
were they to do with itp Would not the
owner Of the property claim 1t IL the story
were known
The safest way was to get the gold out
of Fernandina. Cause could rot leave at
the moment, and as he trusted Pinkney
implicitly IL was arranged that the young
man should go to Brunswick, Ga., with
the treasure by the early morning train
and that Cause should join him there
They would then divide tho treasure.
So Pinkney left, according to arrange
ment, having with him two small trunks
md two valises, among which tho treasure
was divided SO as not to awaken suspicion
by reason of Its weight
Whether IL really was Kidd's notorious