The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-04

Dodt ana go TO COcOS 10 neao OH cap
tain Brown and the crew of the Her
man. Gissler said:
will secure a gunboat from my
government to head OF the Herman.
which left here Sunday. If the Herman
people are allowed to Land on Cocos
they will shoot my cattle for food.
have lived on that island since 1888.
am asking $500 each from the men who
join my expedition in order to pay for
hydraulic machinery. To get the treas
ure on the island we will have to divert
the course of small stream I have
recovered some of the treasure. but it
takes machinery to get the rest
Captain Ross said there would be a
great fight if the Herman's crew at
tempted to land on CocOs.
Captain Gissler is fighter" he said.
"and he has the Costa Rican govern
ment behind him. The Herman has a
Calling gun on board, but if they try to
use it there will be blood letting. We
are anxious to hurry our expedition.
Gissler couldn't 10 ANYTHING until re-
Gently because the South African Char
tered company, of which Cecil Rhodes
was president, held an option on the
planning a schooner that will take four
months to build. Meantime the Herman
people are trying to euchre us out OF
that treasure.
1T is an open secret about that treas
ure. / don't mind telling OF what it con-
sists Its value is estimated from $780,
600. 600 to $50, 600. 900. 1t is in gold coin,
bullion and utensils. In one hole was
buried 100000 pounds of silver and silver
pesos; in another 733 bars of gold, each
by 8 inches, 2 inches thick, as we'll as
bejeweled swords, precious stones and
several kettles full of gold. This treas
ure was taken by pirates from Spanish
refugees who were trying to get to
Manila in 1921, when Mexico threw off
the Spanish yoke. The pirates buried
the treasure on Cocos Island and went
back to the West Indies to recover
treasure buried there. England was
making it hot for them in the West In
dies. Two EngliShmen, named Thomp-
son and Chapel, landed at Valparaiso
and worked their way back to England.
They informed the British government
of the plans of their fellow pirates, and
a man-of-war was sent to the West In
and the pirates were captured and hang
ed in Jamaica. Some merchants in
Liverpool sent a vessel to Cocos to re-
cover the treasure there, but could no.
find the island.
Captain Gissler got his information
regarding the Cocos treasure from de-
scendants of Chapel and Thompson
Another man, named Keaton, obtained
this information in the early days. In
1886 he went to the island and got part
of the gold. Some say he carried away
$4,000. With him was a man named
Bogue. Keaten turned up at ST. Johns
N. b., but BOgue never came back kea-
ton was tried for his murder and mar
rowly escaped conviction. Since thai
time several attempts have been made
to find the treasure on information Civ
en- by Keaton. One or two Dartie:
have started from San Francisco. and
last year the brig Blakely went dowI
there from Victoria Captain Gisslel
heard of the Blakeley's attempt to fine
the treasure and had the Costa RicaT
government send a gunboat to intercep
her. She didn't show up at the isl
ands."
The schooner Herman carries crew
of 10 men, mostly from Boston, and wa:
fitted out at an expense of $4,000. Cap
tain Brown, her master, is a hard-head
ed Whaler and is evidently in earnest
So, apparently, is Gissler. lieutenan
governor of Cocos~--Eherefore. whether
there is gold on the little island or not
there is weH-defined thirst for it,whicl
is sufficient, backed by a gatling ant
confused by a mixture of tongues. t.
furnish a lively scrimmage if the twt
parties meet.