The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-11
HUNTS FOR BURIED PIRATE
GOLD ON FLORIDA KEYS

I of treasure seekers have sought in vain
for this great store of hidden gold.
Considerable interest is felt at pres
! ent in the locality over the presence
of a party of treasure seekers from the
neighboring village of Arcadia.
There is a story extant here that an
old pirate by the name OF Gomez, who
is said to have been member of Gas
pariIla's band of cut-throats, was pres
ent when the pirate chief landed and
| buried his treasure. He never made
any attempt TO disturb or locate the
treasure during his lifetime, on account,
he said, of the souls of the dead pirates,
who spent most of their time. when
they were not bowling over the misery
| Of their fate, or playing havoc with
ships during a storm, in watching the
place where the treasure was buried in
the sand.
Gomez said that he had too much
good sense to disturb or attempt to re-
move a mass of treasure, no matter
how great, guarded by such watchers
as these. He knew the old crew of
Capt. Gasparilla too well to risk an
encounter with any of them, alive or
dead.
Gomez was aboard of Gasparilla's
ship IN the capacity of cabin boy when
the pirate landed and buried this
treasure. But he said that he knew the
exact location and could find it in the
dark, only the saints preserve him from
ever going near the place after sunset!
1t is said that he gave this inforna-
ton to Frank Richards, former resi-
dent of Manatee county. Gomez told
him that the chest of gold was buried
hurriedly and that a chart of the place
was made, but through some mistake
had been placed in the chest with the
treasurt
When the pirate ship of Gasparilla
was captured the life of Gomez was
spared on account of his youth.
A Punta Gorda man says that some
years ago two unknown young men
came on shore from a small sloop and
camped for some, weeks on an island
north of Gasparilla Island. They spent
several weeks there and then departed
as secretly as they came.
Parties who were watching the island
from distance reported that they
during the night When it was found
that they had gone for good, a party
of sponge gatherers, who haG in some
way heard of these young Men. went on
shore, visited the deserted CAM aud,
much to their surprise, found the island
pitted with holes.
Upon high ground they found one
hole deeper and broader than the others
and near it the scattered remains f
what on examination proved to be
large wooden chest. Clearing out the
sand which had fallen back into the
hole, they soon came upon the bones
of dead pirate and several pieces of
eight others.
Some weeks after that there was a
sale Of old Spanish gold coin in the
city of New Orleans. And the story
ADDS that these same two young strang-
ers eventually became wealthy.
There is a point of land on the south
ern extremity of Pinellas Peninsula
which is heavily wooded and overgrown
with shrupbery vines and creepers. 1t
is known hereabouts as Maxine Point.
1t is on this point of land, running
far down into the waters of Great Tam
pa Bay and separating it from Boca
Celia and the Gulf Of Mexico, that the
pirate Maxirno is said to have made his
home.
Maxine was an old man when he re-
tired from business. 1t was on the
very extremity of the point that he
pitched his house. overlooking the place
of meeting of the waters of Great Tam
pa Bay and the blue waves of the Gulf
of Mexico.
He surrounded his cottage with a
wealth of tropical foliage and If is said
he kept small sloop provisioned and
watered, in a near by cove, so that in
case of an emergency he could make
his escape seward. Maxine was said
to have a great store Of treasure He
never went anywhere. or spent a cent
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