The Jersey City news., 1899-12-09

ter of the clipper built brig the Lark.
At that time she was a smuggler, but
during the war she turned privateersman
and was SO successful that her captain
and crew grew rich.
The captain was especially fortunate
and succeeded in amassing fortune of
SITE, 200, says the Philadelphia Times,
ali of which Ire kept in gold and notes in
q heavy chest in his cabin. In 1864 the
bark ran into a terrific hurricane and
was blown away i.to the south Atlantic,
near the Tristan d Aeunha islands, where
she was sighted by man-of-war and
was run cshore and scuttled by her crew.
Ali of the crew were taken prisoners,
with the exception of Captain Summers
and his first mate, Charles A. Henderson,
who succeeded Ia getting the chest with
the fortune in it ashore and coneealing it.
After living the lives of Robinson Cru
soes there for some time they finally
managed to escape, but could not take
their treasure with them. On the voy-
age home Captain Summers caught the
smallpox and died, leaving Henderson
the sole possessor of the secret. Hen
derson finally reached home, but was
unable to secure the money necessary to
fit out vessel to so after the treasure.
For 33 years he labored to earn money,
eating his heart out with the knowledge
Of the great fortune that lay beyond his
grasp. After many failures it was not
until last year that he finally started
from New Orleans in the Rover. He
reached the island in April without mis-
hap and secured the money, amounting
to $173,320. He got home safely and
since that time has been living quietly,
enjoying his fortune.
It was not until a few days ago that
any one aspired to dispute his ownership
of the money. Then a man about 40
years of age, who gave his name as How
ard F. Summers, reached jackson and
after q short investigation and a confer
ence with Captain Henderson filed the
suit noted above. He asks for the sum
of $780, $50, or one-half the amount se-
cured by Henderson. He claims that
Captain Summers had wife and son at
Baltimore, that the wife has since died
and that he is the son.
His father sailed away on what was
to be his last trip in 1868, and his family
never heard anything more from him. 1t
was known that the bark had been
caught in violent gale, and it was sup
posed that she had foundered Mrs
Summers knew that her husband was
possessed of q large fortune, but sup
posed that it had gone down with him.
She died Ia ignorance of his fate, and it
was only recently that his son learned
of what had become of the money, and
BE took steps to recover his share OF it.
The island where the treasure was so
long secreted and but recently unearth-
ed is situated about half way between
the coasts of Africa and South America,
In latitude 3S deg. II min. south, longi-
tude Ga deg. 30 min. east, and has been
christened Summers island. Here was
enacted several years before the rebellion
one Of the most exciting dramas of the
high seas.
While yet mere boy Captain Hender-
son ran away from home and shipped be-
fore the mast. In 1858 he had just re-
turned to the United States after cruise
to the West Indies and in Philadelphia
fell in with Captair Summers. He said
he was shipping crew in his clipper
built brig the Lark. engaged in the fruit
and spice trade with the West Indies and
South America, and offered Henderson a
position as mate. Henderson accepted
the offer.
Just about the tispe the civil war was
opening the Ieri started homeward
<sayn q Sc-s4h Ss-or-eap cert and rcn into
Violent hurricane, wnicn Die,s ~ -
Of her course eastward and southwark
for over week During this time there
had been no opportunity Of taking an OBJ.
seryation, and Captain Summers had no
definite idea Of bis whereabouts. On the
ninth day the weather cleared. and an
observation showed that the vessel was
far out in the Atlantic. only about 80
miles south Of the Tristan d'Acunha
group. That same afternoon the lookout
discovered an American cruiser steaming
at full speed, apparently directly for
them
There were lively times on deck When