The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-23
QUEER STORY
OF THE HERMAN
How Treasure Hunting Scheme
Was Launched in San
Francisco.

Back of the treasure hunt of the
schooner Herman, which has already
resulted in more pilikia than falls to
the usual lot OF vessels calling at this
port, is the story of an interesting
romance and of sickness which caused
which had been silent for fifty years
While Ill the Captain told his story
and out of gratitude to the man who
was responsible for his recovery the
aged mariner permitted him to accom-
pany him on the voyage to share the
spoils of sixty millions worth of treas
ure. But at Honolulu he fired his bene-
factor off the vessel.
Four years ago Captain Brown be-
came i'll in San Francisco. He was
cared for at hospital where it was
Luce a daughter of DR.. Luce of San
Francisco, was one of the nurses of this
hospital When the hospital doctors
gave Skipper Brown up the kindly
nurse told her doctor-father that she
thought that Captain Brown might
| have a chance to recover were he re-
moved to a private house where he
would receive better treatment. DIR.
Luce saw Brown. He decided to permit
the man to be taken to his own home
and during a long convalescence there
~ r,i,;r +aII cfa Of hic
life of seventy years, spent in reckless
and yet profitable roaming over every
lsea on the face of the globe. Miss Luce
was fascinated. The Doctor saw a
chance for fortune one day in state
ment of Brown.
Brown read a San Francisco paper
which gave details of cruise to search
Cocos Island for the lost sixty millions
of Spanish treasure.
| why the foolsl" said Brown. There
is no treasure of any kind on Cocos
1850. L helped to do it. I am the only
man alive today who knows where it
is" Later the Captain showed docu-
mentary evidence concerning the treas
ure and thoroughly convinced DR.. Luce
that there was really millions in gold
on an island, not on the charts and
only known to Captain Brown. Brown
told a long story of how ;lle party in
1850, who secured the treasure, had an
exciting voyage to an island west OF
Tahiti where the treasure was again
buried and of murders, mutinies, sui
cides, and other tragedies that event
ually disposed of every man of the par
ty except himself leaving him as the
sole owner of the sixty millions. He
declared that he had refrained from
seeking the treasure as he thought the
curse of God was upon it and upor
everyone who attempted to secure it.
DR.. Luce persuaded him to make ar
effort to get it and the Captain de-
cided to do so, at the same time keep
ing the exact location of the treasure {
secret. DR.. Luce finally assisted thu
Captain in getting up the expedition
to go for the treasure. Eastern mer
who became interested in the scheme
sent G. w. Sutton, a business man o
New Rochelle, n. Y, to represent thei
interests on the cruise. John Chetwoot
represented the interests of San Fran
cisco men. Hoffman represented tn
. interests of the owners of the schooner
/ Sharratt put in big pile in the ventur
and is representing himself. DR.. Luc
s came along as medical attendant O
Brown and was told that ne would ge
: a large slice out of the treasure.
But at Honolulu the cruise resulted
in trouble. Hoffman was treasurer o
the outfit and became involved in mis-
understandings with the other mem
bers of the party owing to the schoone
being libelled here.
Now Sutton, DR.. Luce and Chetwoo
are left behind in Honolulu and Wi
: probably return to the Coast on tn
Alameda. 1t is expected that they wi
bring the affair into the courts on ar
e rival there.
In the meantime the little schoone
: is travelling towards the South. n
one knows how many shooting scrape
there have been aboard of her alread
:, but serious trouble is expected betwee
= Brown, Hoffman and Sharratt and a
: are heavily armed in anticipation of i
.