The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-20
SEARCH FOR FABULOUS WEALTH
Jewels aid Gold of Big Value the
Object of Treasure Hunt.
Lost Treasures Disappeared q Half
Century Ago - Valuable Jewels
Stolen From the Peruvian Govern
ment-COnfession of One of the
Pirates Leads to the Search Started
by a Norfolk Woman.

III oue VI me mOSt romantic hunts
for lost treasures, jewels and money
that disappeared half a century ago,
a former Norfolk girl will play the
leading role.
h is Mrs. Roswell d. Hitchcock,
formerly a Miss Higgins, of Norfolk.
a first cousin OF the late Col. A. NJ.
higgins.
The treasure is old Peruvian Jewels
and gold, valued at $1,000, 900, and
are said to be buried on the Island Of
Cocos, five hundred miles southeast
Of Panama.
There is Il tinge of romance to Mrs,
Hitchcock's life and her golden ques,
which would do credit to the most i'm
aglnable writer of improbable re-
mances
The isle Of CocOs is said to be a YER
table treasure island, with millions
in hidden treasures in its sands. In
the waters surrounding this isle
swims schools of shark which make
life dangerous to the venturous,
The latest search to be undertaken
to find the hidden treasures of Cocos
as best told III Mrs. HitChcOck'S w
words, as she quoted in the New York
Herald: she says
| wish it distinctly understood that
| care little for money. In fact, | am
going to turn the treasure hunting
feature of the expedition over to the
Boston capitalist who is building a
ship expressly for the purpose. He
has already engaged a captain with a
picked crew of Gloucester men, tried
and true, who would not betray conf
dence or be tempted by any amour
of money. My mission to the island is
wholly scientific. l have heard so
much about the wonderful formation
there, the loveliest landscape on earth,
the rare orchids, some Of them yet to
be classified, and the most beautiful
known to bOtanists.
THREE TREASURES.
There are three treasures on the
island-first that buried by the pirate
Bonita; second the millions stolen
from the Peruvian government and
buried by the crew of the English
bark Mary Dear; third, a little baga-
telle. a million of Mexican dollars. hid
den under a certain arch on the island.
The three treasures have been vainly
searched for by expeditions supposed
to have had inside information as to
where the treasure was buried. All
have failed, but we shall succeed. We
shall be accompanied by the Klondike
nan who had the map. This, with
our other data, will enable us to find
the treasure. which will have a world
wide fame.
of course, everybody is seeking the
identity of the Boston millionaire
building the ship and furnishing the
money for the enterprise. | understand
that everyone is asking the name OF
my angel. 1t is simply a matter of
cold business between myself and a
practical man of business.
My people are all of naval stock
and though l was living in the south
during the civil war and my people
were bitterly opposed to h north, /
fell in love with Roswell D.. Hitch
cock. the son of DR.. Hitchcock, who
succeeded DR.. Adams as president of
the Union Theological seminary. SO
you see it was quite an experience for
q young girl to leave her southern
family and become the wife Of a COM
mander in the United States navy.
With my husband l sailed all over the
world
Mrs. HitchcOck'S confidence that she
will find the much sought for treasure
of Peruvian Jewels and gold is based
upOn the purpOted confession of Jack
Thompson one of the men who stole
and hid it during the wal between
Peru and Chill. This mar Mrs. Hitch
cock met on her fifth trip to klOndike.
Some time later she heard AdmiTa
Palliser allude to the hidden treasure
of COc0S. and his statement corrobOrat-
ed the confession of the dying Thonp-
son. She then determined to form an
expedition to make the search. A big
Boston shipping firm offered to back
her. which was accepted.
The confession of Jack Thompson is
in part:
In 1855, when l was eighteen years
old, 1 shipped on board the Mary Dear,
from Bristol to Valparaiso. The cap
tain died on board. We discharged
cargo at Valparaiso, then drifted to
NdIIdc, Il ISIuNldh PM. ehoI
time there was war between Peru and
Chill. The commandant of the fort,
fearing the Chilians would capture
the treasure, asked us take h val
tables aboard the boat which we lid.
MILLION SET ASHORE.
In some way we learned that our
cargo was an extraordinary rich one,
worth millions. This vas a tempta-
ton too great for the crew to with
stand. That night we slipped our
cables, hoisted sail and, with a strong
wind in our favor, put to sea. 1t was
broad daylight before the Peruvians
discovered our departure, and they
sent their fastest sailing vessels after
US, but could not overhaul our ship.
Then the problem arose how to dis
pose of the treasure, which by the way
required eleven small boats to transfer
II from orr shin to the island"