Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-14

Naturally, as Gleason originated the scheme, ne
was elected captain, but as was the only havi
gator in the crowd, I was made first mate and the
big niger, Pango Pete second mate
after we around the Cape Gleason gave
me the latitude and longitude of the spot, ana
made for It, 1t took me two or three days of care.
full observations and calculations before announced
that were within six seconds OF the Spot, WHICH,
Is all that navigation will do. Then we dropped
anchor and began to drag. We knotted togetner
every line we had and in the middle we Paa
length Of mooring chain that would SUCK 10 tne
bottom. We kept two small boats to winch th1s
was attached, a quarter Of mile apart and pulled
on parallel lines. and at last felt drag; tnen
we pulled together gathering in the slack and
when we met, the schooner, under charge OF
Gleason came up and anchored, over the spot
II was the only there who had any diving
experience, so went down. Say, have you ever
been under water in diving suit, trusting your
life to the fellows above who pump the air into your
helmet? No? WE'LL it's curious experience.
had the feeling as went down that was mum
Der thirteen Of that bunch, and that they only
needed to shut off my air supply to make their
number twelve instead Of thirteen. But that didn't
happen; they pumped, and breathed and saw the
old galleon, the Santa Marguerite. She lay there,
beeled to starboard covered with the ooze and
the slime of the with barnacles everywhere
"The deck and rail foot thick with mud,
and the small spardeck guns could hardly be dis
tinguished I saw at once that would need help,
and signaled to be hauled up. On deck told the
news and all hands, the Jap, went crazy over
it. We got out two diving suits. rugged
bulb for EACH and Pango Peters, and myself went
down again.
"Now this isn't yarn of tho finding Of that
treasure. Anyone can invent such yarns, and I've
read dozens of them. They all wind up success
fully, with each wealthy and happy. This Is
what happened to them. So. I'll just say that we
didn't find skeleton ghost when we got
below decks All hands were up, suppose when
that ship went down. and the rush Of water as she
plunged. washed them off. We found seven big
chests in the tween decks forward of the cabin
and in them all were coins, and jewelry, and here
to ho what oiohf have han q
OPAL or some kind of jewel All the stuff was
black from the action of the salt water but we
knew we had the real thing, and hooked on tackles
We had to up to help each time we lifted
a chest for, after the chest was out of water. 1t
was too heavy for the crowd above; but at last
they were all up, and slowed snug!y on the moor
Of the cabin Then after final search for other loot
worth taking, picked up our anchor and cleared
out, not yet having decided where we were going.
1--WE were pirates under the law, and didn't
know but what all the revenue cutters on the coast
were looking for u.s. for the theft Of that schooner
But with seven millions Of bullion and jewels,
melted down, counted up, and translated into cash
in some bank, didn't for the charge Of
piracy The real trouble to get that stuff trans
lated, and while we argued we sailed due east out
into the broad Atlantic Peters, the young enthusi
asst, had been jeweer, and he told us that moth
ing short of blast of air in conjunction with the
heat of fire would melt gold and silver WE'LL
where could we set up blast furnace with not
dollar in the party? My suggeston-and I was
backed by Gleason, Peters, and old man Sullivan
was that we count out the loot separate every
York. Liverpool Rio Janeiro, sell the jewels and
get ready money with which to plan for the dis
posal of the rest; but we had to deal with men
like Pango, Christie, Pedro, and the three Dutchmen
who didn't know what they up against They
wanted immediate count up and division; then
each to go his way. The nonsense Of it did
heavy chests-each one shouldering seventhir
teenths of load that took the whole thirteen to
lift with four-fold tackle. We asked the Jap cook
what he thought, but he had no opinion.
"Its somewhat curious how the different OF
that bunch had different ideas of what they wanted
Young Peters wanted to go back to his native
cause he was poor. Pango Pedro. and the two
sou'wegians only wanted big drunk. Old Man
Sullivan wanted course in Nautical School and
first mates certificate. The three Germans want
ed to get to New York and set up in the saloon
business. Gleason wanted to study law, and
wanted to study medicine and be doctor, gen
tleman who could enter any society in the world.
The Jap didn't give out his aspirations.
"And so, growing like unhappy family in a
menagerie we sailed east, with the question un.
settled. But at last over the Dagoes and
the Dutchmen, and agreed upon New York as
port and the selling of the jewels in some Bowery
pawnshop, where no questions are asked Then
his cooking-for we had been too worried to attend
to that matter beforehand squared away before
the trade wind for Sandy Hook and market.
From jealousy and mutual dstrust, we all slept
in the cabin. There plenty of staterooms for
the crowd. though some of us doubled up. None OF
us wanted to remain away from the seven chests
OIL treasure anu the JAPANESE GUN, WIZ HiSAl
have slept in the cooks next the galley, still
showed preference for his in the cabin,
and did not contest it. But now we were million.
aires and easy-dead easy. We stood watch steered
and trimmed sail with for boss, for now
the work done, Gleason and myself and the
niger Pango gave up false positions. We were
a democracy, and loved and trusted another,
only, when reused out the watch below and
found that Old Man Sullivan did not come, and
Investigation found him stone dead in his berth
without sign of violence, we forgot our brotherly
love and began to wonder.
owe did not know what he died Of, but gave
him sea burial that day, and Gleason read chapter
from the book We concluded that the old man
had died of heart failure, old age and thought
no more about it after the day had passed. But,
when we called the watch at eight bells next
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