The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-08-26
TREASURE AfLOAT
IconyrIght. ". Iy 2. .. LewIl.l

Copyright lN2, by C, n. Lewial
 We were coming down the White sea In tho Liverpool bark Silver Spray aftcr landing cargo at Russian port when we fell m with and bearded a brig which had seemingly been aban. doncd for a week or more. The fore castle and cabin were empty of bed dlnr. and no, a single article Of cloth ing could bc found. We searched In vain for thc locbook and the ships papers, nor could we tiud a scrap Of writing of any sort The iag locker was empty, but we should have known the brig to be Russian without seeing her name Her clock. chronomoter Qf she had onc). log line and officers Instruments, together with hcr charts and the com. pass from the pinnacle, had been re- moved
 We thought that we might learn something by a look at her cargo, but when we got Che main hatch or VIC found she was only in ballast We made discovery of importance In the cabin. however. She had a shallow lazarct reached by a trapdoor, and from out of this recess we hauled four largo leather sacks of silver plate. About half of the lot was church plate, while the rest had belonged to some private individual, Every piece was of solid silver. but many of them had been bent and hammered to get them Into the sucks. These latter recepta' clcs were made of c1wskin, with the hair still on. aud were laced up at the seams. lt took our united strength to haul thc bags out and on deck. It was little wonder. though. 0s there was about 400 pounds of dead weight to a sacE.
 Here was something worthy of tho name of loot, and in the course of an other hour We had the sacks aboard of the bark and had left the dcrellct to dc. fate.
 AS to the silver, lt seemed plain enough that it was the proceeds of a robbery somewhere iu Russia. It was given out that it would be taken homo with us md sold for thc benefit of tho crew. and for two OF three days we were busy figuring out our respective shares.
 Then we encountered a Swedish mer' chantmau iu distress and stood by hlm for a portion oC thc day to render as sistuucc. llc huj come out of the White sea and while c1nycrsing with our captain incidentally Inquired lf In cruising about we had ever got sight of small hr.s mWgl tlc Grodno. That brought out thc story und solved Che mystery. saJ .t also gu, our entire crew mto a peek o' trouble
 Tue GIOduJ was owned at Che port of Non. m tuc White sea. It appeared .hat whilc she was waiting for cargo a band of eight robbers plmdcrcd a church and al.o thc residence of the governor of tlc province on thc same night. In getting away from thc latter place they had fight and killed Two Of their pursucrs. They had carts in wh!ch Co carry oT their booty. but in- stead of proceeding Inland they took forcihlc possession of the brig. Only her mate and a boy were aboard but ;wo OF thrcc of tho robbers were ulsc sailors. They compelled thc mate tc put Co sea, aul ,.1.h pursued thc next day. they had ,Lc luck Co get clcm ofi
 The ldca was Co get to Enelaud witt ihc booty. but after getting around oi Che north coast it was thought better to 20 into hiding uuUl there was DC !ongcr fcor of pursuit.
 Tho island of Tau1, 0t thc entrance Of Toua bay was selected. It wes the Intention to strip Che brig Of every thing and live ashore for few months but when this had been partially 0c complished and while an hands were ashore one day thc craft broke loos, and went drifting out Co sea, to Dc boarded by us four or five days later.
 I don't know whether thc captain in tended Co put Into any Russian port oi not. but lf SO hc was saved the trouble Two days after we left the Swcde a Russian man-0f-war which he spoke md put on our track oycrhauled us and demanded the plate. When that was given up. we were commanded tc accompany him Co Rem and were vlr molly under arrest during the voyage
 When We reached Rem, every man aboard. from captain to cook, was marched or Co jal The captain was liberated on a bond of some sort after few days. but the rest of us were treated llEc dogs
 It was five weeks before we were taken before the governor and a judge to be examined Two of the robbers had been hanged one sent to Siberia and the others imprisoned at home. You will think lt a very funny thing, but these latter actually charged fs with having robbed them. While they had been convicted of robbery, they claimed the booty as legally theirs.
 One of the questions asked me by the judge wns by what authority l board cd and searched the brig. The captain was asked by what authority he or dercd and assisted in the removal Of the silver. And when be gave them . piece of his mind he was fined $50 an0 sent to jail for two days as a punish. ment. It looked for a time as lt our entire crew were to be sent to prlsoi because we had taken the plunder from the wreck. but I think the whole tEine waa sort of hlun tO prevent us put