The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-06
ETHELWOLD CALLED TREASURE SHIP NOW NEW RUMOR THAT SHE WAS BOUND FOR COCOS ISLAND TO HUNT FOR S6O, ,OOO, ,OOO HID-
 DEN LOOT
Cargo Search Postponed
Loeb Started One, But It Was Called Of Pending Threatened Action by Insurance Companies.

The little British steamship Ethel | to sail for a South American port last Wednesday, is still in Erie Basin un- der guard of two customs inspectors from Collector Loeb's office, and there is no telling when she will sail now. Rumors that the small ship with the big British flag is held up because in her cargo there may be a lot of dan gerous playthings for the use of trou- blemakers in some South Atlantic re- public will not dcwn, and Friday ad- ditional color was given to them when a delegation of customs men went to Erie Basin to take a look into the cargo hold of the Ethelwold.
 While the old rumor about contra band goods will not down still another one--not nearly so dangerous sounding has cropped out. This is that the Ethelwold is about to sail, provided Collector Loeb says ''yes," for the lit cific, about $50 miles southeast of Guatamala, where lies hidden, accord ing to seafaring yarns now nearly a hundred years old, a fortune in loot that would yield its finders $60, ,O00,- = OOO
 It. is said that Capt "Jim'' Brown, the veteran skipper of the Ethelwold, has been after this alleged treasure DefOre, ana one rumOr Friday was that the Ethelwold had been bought out right by a Dr. Dennis. O'Hagan, to make another search for the hidden wealth of Cocos Island. Dr. OHagan, who up to a few weeks ago lived at the Hotel Gotham, isn't there any more. and so this rumor could not be verified at first hand. At the Gotham it was said that the doctor hailed from the Pacific Coast. and is now cruising in his yacht in Southern waters.
 At the Grand Union, where "Jim'' is staying. he refused to talk. He said that he was not in the habit of being interviewed and wouldn't say a word in regard to contra band goods, GUS toms inspectors. or CocoS Island
 A year ago news came from Boston that capitalists of that city had fi- nanced an expedition for Capt. James Brown of Providence" who, it was said, declared that he was in a posi-, tion to locate the long-lost treasures of the little Pacific island The loot was said to consist of gold, silver, and precious stones from ancient Peru of a value variously estimated at from s30, ,000, 900 to $60,000,000. Among those who, it was said, would go with Capt. Jim were Messrs. G. M. Faulkner and H. A. Harrington of Boston and W. M. Harrington of Providence.
 The searchers incorporated the un- dertaking under the laws of MaSSa- chusetts, and it was announced that an option had been obtained on the
 
 Brown, it was said, had searched for the treasure on several previous occa- sions, one of the earliest expeditions being in 1850. What success attended the Massachusetts effort can be in1ag ined. e4but failure apparently did not dim the CocoS aspirations of Capt. Jim; for in. February of this year news dispatch from San Francisco an nounced that he had sailed again for CocoS Island.
 Four weeks ago Capt. Brown arriv-. la test episode of the Ethefweld. As Friday it was said that the collec- tor had decided to end once and for all the mystery about what was in the hold of the Ethelwold- With this ob- ject in view a picked detachment from the local secret service bureau was sent to Erie Basin with instructions to overhaul the little ship and find out everything in her from the shippers razor to the alleged contraband for the South Atlantic.
 The inspection of the ship started, but before it had gone very far, Col lector Loeb received word from the Lloyds that the insurance on the ves- sel and cargo was being protested on the ground that she was overloaded with 15,000 cases of oil.
 When the unloading of the vessel comes off the collector Weill have in spectors on hand to watch the removal of the cargo and to see that nothing contraband is aboard.