Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-07-15
HUNT PIRATES LOOT
Interesting Tale of Treasure
Buried in Marianne Islands.
Brigand Chose Death by Drowning
Rather Than Reveal Hiding Place
of Valuable Cargo Sought
by Lieutenant.

San Francisco.-In 1928, during
revolution in Peru, number OF
wealthy residents of Lima chartered
a brig of 800 tons, to carry to Spain
their property in money and jewelry,
and a large quantity of monastic
plate. 1t is said that there were
doubloons to the value Of two million
sterling, and vast sum in plate.
But after the treasure was on board,
and when it's owners came down to
the beach, they found the vessel gone.
An Englishman, lieutenant in the
Peruvian navy, hearing of the intend
ed flight, had gone on board with
chosen band, and had cut out the
brig within hail of Peruvian man-of-
war He steered right across the Pa
cif1c, and in course of time reached
the Marianne islands, where the treas
ure was buried.
A course was then laid for Honolulu.
But before reaching this port quar-
rels broke out among the pirates, and
the lieutenant, with his two officers
and a cabin boy, having set fire to
the vessel, got into a boat and left
the crew. One of the officers was
murdered and thrown overheard be-
fore the boat reached Honolulu There
the party represented themselves as
the survivors of a shipping disaster.
The lieutenant, before leaving Lima,
had been in love with lady, the wife
of a Peruvian officer, who was slain
in the revolution, and before taking
any further steps with regard to the
treasure, decided to send for her. The
cabin boy was dispatched as his ennis
sary to Lima, but on his arrival there
he was seized and thrown into prison,
and the lady refused to have anything
further to do with man whom she
styled detestable pirate.
The lieutenant and his sole remain
ing companion thereupOn chartered a
small fore and aft schooner, the Swal-
low, commanded by one Captain
Thompson, and proceeded to the
Mariannes for the treasure. Thomp-
son tried hard to get charter for a
specified port or ports, but the lieu
tenant insisted on a broad charter,
including any or all the Mariannes.
One evening, when they were in
sight of the islands, the lieutenant,
who was sitting on the lee rail chat
ting with his companion, was, it Is
conjectured, tipped overheard by the
latter and disappeared. The usual
alarm was raised, but the lieutenant's
body was never recovered.
Thompson, from certain scraps of
conversation which he had overheard,
having suspected the object of the
voyage, overhauled the dead lieuten-
chart of the island on which the
treasure was hidden, but with the
name omitted. Soon afterward he
sighted another brig, with the master
of which he was acquainted, and they
arranged to search for the treasure
and divide it between them, giving the
surviving pirate a share on condition
that he consented to point out the
spot, but with threat if he did not
do so he would forthwith be handed
over to the Spanish authorities.
At a concerted moment the pirate
was seized by both captains and the
conditions named. He nodded. They
asked him if he would indicate the
situation of the treasure. He nodded.
They asked if this was the island,
pointing to the nearest of the group.
He again nodded. They invited him
to step into a boat which had been
lowered and guide them to the treas
| ure. Afterward he went below and
filled his pockets with lead and iron.
! Then, going down the ladder, he
pushed off the boat with one foot from
| the side of the schooner and dropped
| feet first into the sea.
Until within eight or ten years ago
| there was alive one of the boats crew,
| who, snatching at the suicides hair
| to save him as he sank, plucked down
| his head handful of hair, but could
| not raise the heavily weighted body.
| This put an end to the treasure hunt
| ing. The chart went into the posses
sion of the Spanish authorities.
In a copy of the Japan Mail of ten
| years or more ago the statement was
made that the British schooner Nereid
| sailed from Japan as far as Guam a
| small island belonging to the Marianne
group, in search of the buried treas
ure. But while the captain, who in
| tended to sail for zap, in the Caro-
lines. was on shore the schooner was
carried off, either by his mates or two
| Japanese, or by all four, these being
| the only persons on board. Since that
| time nothing has been heard of the
vessel.