The St. Louis Republic., 1903-03-15

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPCBLIc SPECIAL.
San Francisco. March 1.-THE foregoing
exactly expresses the desires of A. E. VIII
hams. but It does not tell the story OF
piracy and plank walking that is respon-
siSle for much good gold goin a-beg-
Eng Ike water-soaked dried apples at a
fire sale. The narrative belongs to Mr.
Williams. even TO the map drawn on a
Bible by dying man, and he gives it freely
TO the public. reservIng 10 himself only the
location OF the treasure. that its recovery
may hereafter round the tale and enable
him to take more leisure in its recital. Here
ii is:
I'm 1866 1 was a sailor on the United
by Captain Paul Shirley. We spent some
time coaling at an island IN the Pacific
which 1 will not mention. and then an
chored In a harbor of the mainland.
was on shore leave, and. az sailors some
times do. visited saloon. Behind the
1nQuiring as to whence they had come,
the proprietor kindly related the manner
in which they had come into his posses
sion.
STORY OF THREE SPIKES.
About twenty-five years ago, said
he, an Indian who had been gathering
breadfruit on an island off the coast
brought them to me and exchanged them
for LIQUOR. I asked him where he had
oD the ana Ne M tod not me end5 1sa II m
breadfruit. It was the same island at
familiar with h' it. @ a S few days lays afSerwaTd.
continued my host an Ecuadoran cruiser
dropped into the harbor and some OF the
ment. They saw the copper spikes, and
ike you. asked wherel had got them.
When informed them they began a search
W ran fQ
months without intermission. but he disap-
peared as If the earth had opened and
decided to abandon @ the senTch for the miss miss
ing Indian, one of them told me why they
had sought him with such persistency. The
of an immense treasure. which had been
stolen from their Government. Then one
of them told me the story OF the crime.
ACCOUNT OF THEFT.
~"rA revolution was in progress in our
country" said he, ''and the rebels were
marching against the city with the intention
OF sacklng it We had little hope Of
Governments gold and the riches Of the
churches and placed them on an American
schooner in the harbor for safe keeping.
knowing that the rebels would not dare at
tack 1t That night the Captain of the
schooner fed with the treasure, valued at
100000. and we pursued him as soon as
possible We overlook the vessel. but not
before the treasure had been BURIED We
compelled every one Of the crew to walk
where II was concealed. The captain and
mate were last. and they told where 1t
had been buried and that the place was
marked by three copper spikes. They
walked the plank then as punishment for
their crime but when we searched for the
treasure We failed to find il or the spikes.
. That is why We have searched for the In
dian. and If he ever is found he will be
Handsomely rewarded If he can guide US to
the spot where he found the three spikes 3"
But he has never been seen since
HISTORY OF THE MAP.
y But l have since learned that the cap
tain and mate were not compelled to walk
the plank. They sprang overheard and
swan toward whaler in the harbor. The
captain was drowned but the mate, named
Walker, was rescued. He was taken to
Honolulu. where he 6ied of fever. but Just
before his death he drew map of the
island upon which the treasure was hidden
and gave 1T to Captain Rowland. who had
saved his life. The captain gave i. and the
Bible upon which it was written to his
son. whoyis now in San Francisco. The
map bears no name. and i the only
one who knows where the island is. A copy
of the map is now in my possession. and
know that I can locate the treasure in a
few days, for l have an instrument of my
own invention which will find treasure IL il
is not too deeply hidden.
Il will give half OF that treasure to any
who will transport me to that island
end provide the means of carrying the
treasure away in safety"