The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-02

A PhtIadeiphia Sea Ca plain Recover
Treasure valued at S175.OOO From q
Smusgler.s Craft He shows o.
His Great Wealth.

Treasure Valued at SI55.oVO FROM
Smusgler.s Cran He shows Proofof
His Great Wealth.
The following special dispatch Is
taken from the Philadelphia Times Of
July 26th:
Springfield, Ohio. July 25.-Captain
Charles A. Henderson. who maintains
his residence in Philadelphia. although
for several months he has spent little
time there, is the hero OF an adventure
that rivals anything in the pages that
bear the name OF Marryat. Captain
Henderson has just returned from an
island off the northern coast OF South
| America, where he recovered a pirates
treasure valued at s175 900. The gen
tleman is o the guest OF Mayor w.
L. Grimes. his lifelong friend. of
Jackson. Ohio. and detailed on account
OF his adventures today. He exhib-
tied as a result of his voyage a certi-
ficate of deposit for $50. 900 on the
Third National Bank, Philadelphia
besides other treasures.
In 1856. shortly after Captain Hen
derson had begun his career as a
sailor, he shipped from Philadelphia
on the brig Lark. Captain Summers.
as lieutenant. supposed TO be engaged
in the fruit trade with the West In
dies. Ii did not TAX Henderson long to,
discove hat the craft was n smuggler.
but he had no chance to escape. Cap
tain Summers too a liking 20 him
and as a result Henderson lost his
s~cruples and stayed on the raft
In 1865, when in South American
waters, the Lark sighted n Spanish
man-of-war. She was chased by the
latter to a labyrinth of stands about
$50 miles of the South American coast
and driven into a reef-flled channel
which Summer knew well.
After night fell the Lark was scut-
tied. Summers and Henderson secret
ed in a cavern. the former had made
use of before. SITS. 600 in money and
precious stones. The crew and Off
GERS then attempted TO escape in small
boats. Henderson and one compan-
ion reached a South American port
and learned afterwards that Summers
and the other men were captured and
hanged TO the yardarm OF the Span
lard. Henderson's companion died OF
smallpox and he thus become the on
ly survivor.
Henderson since then made several
unsuccessful attempts to reach his
treasure island, of which he had good
charts. The Flora X. Fine, which he
too from Philadelphia. was wrecked
off the coast of North Carolina. Hem
derson, on going to New Orleans. pur-
chased the Louisa b. and sailed from
there February - last of the Tyrstan
Acunha island, 35 miles south Of
which is the treasure land. He reach
ed this on April IA and found the
Lark in the bottom of the bay. where
he had left it SO years ago. The gold
and jewels were found in the treasure
ave as he had left them, except that
the bags holding them had been de
stroyed by dry rot. The exact value
of the treasure secured is 1897, 800.
"On the return trip Henderson's
vessel was chased by what is supposed.
to have beef a Spanish gunboat. He
escaped under cover of darkness and
reached New Orleans in safety. Claude
Thompson, Of Jackson, accompanied
Captain Henderson on the remarkable
trip"
Several years ago a man who was
shipwrecked off the coast of North
Carolina came to Wilmington. and
told a story to the effect that he was
on his way to South America to re
cover treasures. The circumstances
which he related correspond with
those related in the article in the Phil
adelphia Times. He said he was
without the means to proceed on his
journey and proposed that IL someone
would aid him financially he was sat
isfied he could recover the treasure.
While here he took sick and came
very nearly dying. Evidently he was
the man Henderson which the Spring
field Dispatch mentioned. His story
did O make much Of an i'm
preston at the time, and no one
backed him in his adventure. He
said, however, that he would never
give up hopes Of going To South
America and recovering the treasure
If it is true that he shows a certifi-
cate of deposit for the princely amount
mentioned, his story must have been
true. He seemed to be dead in earnest
when he was in Wilmington and told
the story.