The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-03
SAYS He CAN FIND
TREASURE ISLAND
$780, 900 Offered to Fit Our
Expedition to the
Place.
SPIKES MARK THE SPOT
Booty Stolen From South American
Revolutionists; WIKI Had
1t in Safe Keep
ing.
SPIKES MARK THE SPOT
~
The foregoing exactly expresses


desires of A. E. Williams of San
Francisco, but it does not tell the
story of piracy II plank walking
that is responsible tor so much good
gold goin' a-begging like Water-soaked
dried apples at a fire sale. The mar
rative belongs to Mr.. Williams, even to
the map drawn on q bible by a dying
| man, and he gives it freely to the pub
bic, reserving to himself only the loca-
ton of the treasure. that it's recovery
may hereafter round the tale and en-
able him to take more leisure in IT'S re-
,cital. Here it is:
In 1886 l was a sailor on the United
States man-of-war ,Suwanee, COM
handed by Captain Paul Shirley. We
spent some time coaling at an island IL
She Pacific which l will not mention,
and then anchored in q harbor of the
mainland. l was on shore leave, and,
as sailors sometimes do, visited a sa-
loon. Behind the bar l saw three ships
spikes of copper, the proprietor kindly
related the manner in which they had
come into his possession.
Story of Three Spikes.
"tAbout 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. l asked him where he
had found them, II he told me that it
was on the island'-I will not mention
it's name-where he had been gath
ering breadfruit. 1t vas the same is
land at which we had just coaled, and
I was very familiar with it. A few
days afterward,' continued my host,
an Ecuadoran cruiser dropped into the
harbor and some Of the officers visited
the place seeking refreSnment. They
saw the coppe spikes, and, like you.
asked where l had got them. When I
Informed them they began a search for
the Indian, which they kept up for
months without intermission, but he
disappeared as If the earth had opened
and swallowed him up. When they
finally decided to abandon the search
for the missing Indian, one of them
told me why they had sought him with
such persistency. The three spikes
had marked the hiding place of an i'm
mense treasure, which had been stolen
from their government. Then one OF
them told me the story of the crime.
Account of Theft.
"'A revolution was in progress in our
country" said he, "and the rebels were
marching against the city with the in
tention of sacking it. We had little
hope Of a successful defense, so we
took all of the governments gold and
the riches Of the churches and placed
them on an American schooner in the
harbor for safekeeping, knowing that
the rebels would not dare attack it.
That night the captain of the schooner
lied with the treasure, valued at S7,000,-
600, and we pursued him as soon as
possible. We overlook the vessel out
not before the treasure had been buried.
We compelled every one of the crew to
walk the plank when they refused to
tell us where it was concealed. The
captain and mate were last, and they
told us where 1t had been buried and
copper spikes. They walked the plank
then as punishment for their crime,
but when we searched for the treasure
we failed to find it or the spikes. That
is why We have searched for the Indian,
and If he eve is found he will be hand
somely rewarded if he can guide us to
the spot where he found the three
spikes. But he has never been seen
since"
IL History Of the Map.
But I nave since learned that the
captain and mate were not compelled
to walk the plank. They sprang over
board and swan toward a whaler in
the harbor. The captain was drowned,
but the mate, named Walker, was res
Eued. lie was taken to Honolulu,
where he died Of fever, but just before
mis- death he drew a map Of the island
upon which the treasure was hidden
and gave it to Captain Rowland, who
had saved his life. The captain gave
1T and the bible upon which it was
written to his son, who is now in San
Francisco. The map bears no name,
and I am the only one who knows
where the island is. A copy Of the map
is now in my possession, and 1 know
that I can locate the treasure in a few
days, for I have an instrument of my
own invention which will find treasure
If it is not too deeply hidden.
II will give half of that treasure to
anyone who will transport me to that
island and provide the means of carry
ing the treasure away in safety"