The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-29

THE TREASURE dCLh.
good character and her business in these
sheal waters when she met her doom. A
dozen or more italian fishermen say they
have seen gold enough taken from the
wreck to sink a fishing smack.
An amount of treasure has
been taken from the old wreck by the
crew of a strange craft that dropped
into the bay a few days ago, says the
New York Press. The stranger was a trim
little steam yacht, beautifully supplied
with bright flags and streamers. Upon
many of the latter was the word "Ve-
ioce." The treasure hunter took a notion
to show her heels to several fast fishing
smacks. There never was more than
one man in this coast country who pre-
tended to know much of the wreck, and
ne was Tomas Vasquez. He disappeared
from this locality about 20 years go.
Though this Senior Tomas was a dark
Mexican, without the least education and
entirely too proud TO soil his hands with
any implement Of labor, his pockets al
ways were lined with gold and silver.
In his old age he became violently at
tached to a beautiful Indian girl. He
had a bitter enemy in a noted border
bandit and reyolutionist of the name of
Vidal. This terror Of the Rio Grande
captured the Indian maiden, and he sent
word to Vasquez that he intended to
hang her. The cruel threat grieved the
aged lover of the girl so much that he
made a desperate effort to save her life.
He succeeded in communicating with the
terrible bandit, and he offered to ransom
the maiden with her weight in gold. The
proposal was accepted, and Vasquez was
allowed ten days to collect the money.
He Immediately made a voyage alone as
usual to Mustang island, and when he
returned he went to the place that had
been designated to meet one of the subor-
dinates of the revoluIionist, accompanied
by one faithful companion, Juan Perez.
This man is still living in San Antonio.
He alone knows something of the history
of the old wreck. Old Vasquez carried
the secret of the wrecked ship in his
bosom for more han half a century; but,
while journeying with Senior Perez to
rescue the Indian girl, he became unusu-
ally confding, and in his distress he told
his companion the story of the mysteri-
Gus wreck. They met the agents of the
revolutionary party on In island in the
Rio Grande, and Senior Perez saw the
young girl seat herself on one end of a
pole that had &een balanced across a
rock, and sacks of gold were attached to
the other end until the maiden's body
rose from the ground and balanced.
Senior Perez says that old Tomas Vas
quez told him the wrecked ship was a
Spanish galleon that had sailed in 1920
from Matamoras loaded with treasure.
Her name was Senada. Laftte was at
that time on Galveston island. He was
at peace with all the world except Spain.
He had letters of mafque and reprisal
from Venezuela against his old enemy,
and he never lost an opportunity to cap
ture the richly laden g~alleons that sailed
from the ports of old Mexico. He had
set up a republic on Galveston island
and gathered about him at least 1000 of
the most desperate characters that ever
cut a throat or scuttled a ship. He own
ed a fleet of 20 swift sailing vessels, and
with these ne rapidly drove the COM
merce of Spain from the southern seas.
Tomas Easqnez was a spy in the service
Of the great pirate. and he happened 10
witness the loading Of the rich cargo on
the Senada. He learned that a revenue
officer was returning to Spain with more
than S1,00O,000 in gold for his sovereign.
N4tfA - 10 y - CNAC 81 . - lOfttlctl
with silver bars arrive at the pier. This
belonged to a rich old miner. whom a po-
litical CONFUSION had scared away from
the interior. Tomas calculated that the
Senada would sail away from the coast
Of Mexico with little less than $2.O00,O0O
in goAl and silver bars beneath her
uecRs, and ne lost no time IN carrying
the news to his chief.
When Tafffa was informed of the rich
prize that was boldly preparing TO sail
almost within sight Of his stronghold, be
at once dispatched three vessels to cap
ture her. lie would doubtless have cem-
manded the expedition IN person, but the
American commissioner had just arrived
at the island with instructions to warn
the pirate TO leave the waters Of the gulf
Of Mexico.
Tomas vasauez sailed with the pirates,
and he q they they first sighted the