The San Francisco call., 1910-05-02
RARE find REVIVES
PIRATE HOARD TALE
Discovery of Curious Pewter
Pot Stirs Traditions of
PIum Islanders

The recent discovery by a surfman
at the Knobs live saving station on
Plum island of a curious pewter por-
ringer Of a bygone age has once again
given rise to the tradition so long cur
rent in Newburyport concerning a cache
Of treasure somewhere in the sand
dunes of the island.
For the porringer find by Gardiner
Lettime is only one of many similar
discoveries Of late, in which silver
buckles, gold coins of the early Span
ish regimes strange household utensils
Of silver gold and pewter and valuable
jeweled ornaments have been brought
TO light. evidently through the action
OF the waves along the shore, says the
New York Herald.
TREASURE TROVE CACHE
oddly enough-and this is q fact that
strangely comedies with the oft repeat
ed story of a great Captain Kidd
treasure concealed here-these finds
have all been made within a short dis
tance OF each other on the shore, and
near a high bluff, where it is impossible
TO tell whether the different objects
- have been washed up by the action of
the waves from the bottom Of the sea
or whether they are gradually being
unearthed from a place in the shore
line which. once before the waves had
eaten away the sand, stood much far
ther back and afforded seemingly Sc
cure cache for q treasure trove.
in fact, so frequent Of late has been
the discovery Of odd valuables of a
date long gone that there is no little
interest now evidenced among two
groups Of life savers. those at the Plum
island and at the Knobs station, con-
cerning the mystery Of these treasures.
Moreover, not few secret excursions
have been made along the shore by na-
rives with q view to locating some
huge" chest or iron bound box that
might hold millions in rubies. pearls
and stolen wealth plundered from off
the seas by some rowing band Of old
time maraUderS.
In fact. the growing frequency of
these discoveries on Plum island has
changed what originally only passed
as a rumor into a well credited tradi-
zion relative 10 the reason for these
finds
TRADITIONS REVIVED
-. The story goes, and indeed, there
are those who assert that ii is based
.upOn fact handed down from the early
I'd - Oh ALE AO-l-LAllE u -NGff Jul y poA l.
that one misty morning, when Plum
island sat apart from then then prim-
itive village which is now Newbury-
port and when only a few scattering
settlers occupied humble cabins in the
town. huge. high decked galleon lit
orally swarming with swat faced men
put madly in toward the shore and
suddenly came to anchor.
During the progress toward the
beach. which was indeed a risky place
for such a huge vessel TO approach,
there had been the continuous sound
of firearms aboard the vessel. Some
sort Of . battle was in progress on the
decks, il appeared TO the few settlers
who witnessed the advent of the
strange vessel. In fact. so near to the
land did the vessel approach before
she cast anchor that those hidden in
the woods thought that she was going
10 be run upon the beach. After the
anchor was dropped the fighting,
swearing and shouting continued
aboard the ship nearly all day, during g
which time scores of men were seen to
fall or be thrown into the sea Finally
the commotion gradually ceased, and,
much 10 the amazement Of those who
had watched as best they dared the
strange actions aboard the vessel, when
the fog lifted there appeared to be only
a handful Of men left alive from the
entire company
That night a settler who had re-
mained on the island to watch the
vessel and notify the villagers if any
thing threatened from that direction,
IS said TO have witnessed a strange
nocturnal expedition from the ships
side to the shore Of the Island trip
in which three pirate boats brought
ashore half a dozen great iron boxes
and chests.
When the boats returned to the yes
sells side after several hours delay
ashore they appeared to be empty save
for the men who rowed them back,
cursing as they did so.