Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-09-28

ored to persuade the Captain of the
United States steamer Alert to go
down and continue the work, but the
Imperieuse returned to Vancouver
with nothing but story.
Hartford's experience mas been re-
markable. One of the most business
like attempts to find the buried trea-
sure was made by Mrs. Brennan,
the widow OF ship chandler in Nova
Scotia, who heard the tale and OBJ
tanned chart from q sailor. She
went across the continent to Victoria.
interested several business men of
that city in the project, and in March,
1897, sailed Tor Cocos in the schooner
Aurora, under command of Captain
Fred Hackett. When they landed in
Chatham Bay, on the northeasterly
point of the island, they were amazed
by meeting creature who seemed
only half human. He was dressed
like Robinson Crusoe in the skins of
beasts. mis- hair and beard were long
and tangled and his eyes were wild.
At first he could not speak, but after
they had allowed his wandering facul-
ties to adjust themselves he told his
story.
He said that some years before he
had obtained a concession from the
| Costa Rican Government which gave
him the exclusive right to search for
the buried treasure, with the under
standing that he should pay over half
of all he found. He brought from
Puenta Arenas gang of men in the
little gunboat Turalba and began ex-
cavations, guided by a chart which had
been obtained from descendant of
the original committee that made the
cache. After working several weeks
without result the men became dis
contented and insisted upon return.
ing to Costa Rica. The captian of the
gunboat advised that they should be
allowed to go, and promised to return
with a new gang as soon as he could
make the voyage. Hartford deter
mined to remain, because he believed
he had found the right location and
feared to lose it again. But the Tur-
alba never returned, and he had been
alone upon the island, he could not
say how long. For the first few
months he kept tally of the passing
days by making notches on sapling,
but finally gave it up, and had almost
abandoned himself to despair when
the Aurora arrived.
Mrs. Brennan and Captain Hackett
were deeply interested in this relation,
of course, and after few days of con-
ference obtained this proposition from
the solitary islander:
81, Charles Hartford, have an agree.
ment with and permission from the
Costa Rican Government to search for
hidden treasure on Cocos island. l
was landed by said Government on
September %, 1896 Il think, and that
government agreed to come back for
me inside of three months. I have
not heard from said Government since,
and being in starving condition and
with no means to obtain food and no
way to get off the island, and having
located the large treasure, 7 make
this agreement with the captain and
crew of the schooner Aurora of Vic
IL. W., W iCO tuSI bdht hull VI
the treasure of whatever nature,
whether gold, silver or precious stones,
for their side of the agreement, and to
land me, Charles Hartford, at some
convenient port in the United States
with the other half of said treasure. !"
This document bears the following
Endorsement in the sailorlike hand of
Captain Hackett:
"The information we came to the
island for proving no good, we have
hunted, dug and bored, and were
about to return home when said offer
was made and accepted"
Mrs. Brennan and Captain Hackett
soon made up their minds that the
treasure was beyond their reach, and
induced Hartford to return with them
to Victoria, where their experience
was related to Admiral Pallissier, and
by him reported to the admiralty au.
thorities in London.
Hartford has not been seen al
Panama for some time, but is supposed
to be in New York organizing another
expedition.