The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-12-23
GOLD HOARD FOUND.
A TALE OF BURIED TREASURE THAT Is
EXCITING OHIO.
law Suit Reveals a Romance..'A Sea Captain
Secures Wealth Buried on an isiano
Many Years Ago, and Son OF MS .
Former Shlpmate Claims hall.

Secures WealIn Durieu VI "A
MANY Years Ago, and Son OF his
Former Shlpmate Claims Hall.
tale of buried treasure that would
cause Captain Mayne Reid OF hooer'
Ionis Stevenson to blush was made
public when a young man named HOW
ard f. Summers fled petition III the
County Court at Jackson. ONO, III
which he seeks to recover from Gap
thin Charles A. Henderson the SUN VI
So6 GEO. which, he alleges, is half OF
buried treasure which Henderson Sc
cured from an island In the South AT
Iantic. The story unfoIded in the peti-
ton reads like tale from the ARABIAN
Nights. Henderson admits that tne
story Is true, but requires that sum
ners prove his claim upon the treasure
In 1860 William H. Summers was
captain Of a clipper-built brig calico
the Lark, and for some years ne hau
been following the profession OF
smuggler with uniform success. AT
that time he met Henderson. then
Young man, at Baltimore, AND oHereu
him the position Of first mate on the
Lark. Henderson, who was born at
Jackson, Ohio, and who had run away
to sea while boy, accepted the otter,
although he did not know at the time
that the Lark was smuggler. He
soon found this out, however, but con-
tinued in the position Of first mate.
When the war broke out Summers
turned his brig into privateersman'
and, it is said, was not as careful Us
| he might have been to observe the laws
of the high seas. He met with great
success, at any rate, and at the end
of three years was ready to retire. BY
that time he had amassed nearly $115,
900 in gold and notes, which he kept in
a strong chest in his cabin. No one
knew of the existence Of this chest ex-
cept himself.
In 1864 the Lark left Rio Janerio
homeward bound, and her captain had
determined as soon as he reached home
to sell the brig and lead less perilous
! life. But off the coast Of South Amerl-
| ca the ship ran into terrible hurrl-
| cane and for over a week was driven
| rapidly to the south and west. During
all that time it was impossible to take
| an observa-i ion to determine the ship S
| position, but on the tenth day the sky
| cleared and it was found that she ship
was near the Tristan d'Acunha group
| Of islands in the South Atlantic. Land
| was in sight to the northward. and to-
| ward this the Lark was turned, for the
ships supply of water was almost ex-
hausted.
Half an hour later the lookout re-
ported q man-of-war headed straight
for the Lark. Now the captain of the
Lark had many reasons for not desir-
ing to meet q man-of-war of any ma
ton. and all sail was crowded on. But
| it was soon evident that the Lark was
no match for her pursuer, and Captain
Summers decided to run her in toward
the island, as the only chance Of cscap
ing. This was done, and as she round
ed the island they ran into a land
locked cove. Before anything further
could be done the man-of-war hove tC
outside and dropped her boats into the
water for the purpose Of continuing the
pursuit. The crew Of the Lark did not
wait for them, however, but tumbled
into the long boat and rowed madly for
the shore. The boats Of the man-of
war at once gave chase.
Captain Summers and his first mate
were left alone On the brig and the
! former determined to make an effort tC
save the money which was in the chest
below. SO he told Henderson briefly
! Of the existence Of the treasure and
offered him half of 1t IL he would helI
! him convey 1t to place Of safety
| Henderson jumped at the offer. They
! quickly lowered a small boat over the
side Of the brig away from the man
of-war. In this they placed tue chest
and then rowed quietly ashore, with
out being discovered by the man-of.
wars crew, who were intent on the
pursuit Of the long boat. AS soon Us
they reached the shore they pulled
their boat up INTO the underbrush
seized the chest between them and
made off into the woods; nor did they
stop until they had placed several
miles between themselves and the cove
They concealed the ches. and them
selves remained in hiding until the
next day, when they ventured to CREEP
down to the cove.
There was no sign Of the man-of-war
but the Lark had been scuttled and
sunk In the cove and the long boat in
which the crew had landed was smash
ed to pieces. Their own small boat had
not been discovered and was intact AL
exploration of the island showed them
that none Of the crew of the Lark had
been left upon it and hence they con
cluded that they had all been taken
| prisoners. The island was small one
and was uninhabited. Summers and
Henderson concluded that the best
thin for them to do was to try to reach
one of the larger islands of the GROUP
il their boat. They were unwilling