Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-11
Story of Buried Treasure
MURDERED MEMS 1T ELDUEs GENERATIONS


Connected with almost all the small
islands in the Mexican Gulf and the
Caribbean Sea there is some treas
urc story" but perhaps none so we'll
autho ntieatcd as that of the Mu-.
gueres Island
pirates exploits and their buried
piles of gold ana gems are the mex
haustiblc source ~ all the romantic
stories thai the fishermen love to tell
on moonlight nights, seated on the
bottom Of some boat turned up on the
beach. They suspect that others
dream of treasures as much as they
do, for strangers are closely watched.
Whichever way we Strolled some one
kept us in view.
When we mentioned this To Don
Pedro Pobedano. enc Of the oldest In
Labitants, he said They think you
have come for tie treasure. Which
thre would never allaw II be taken
tyy u stranger" 50 We invited Don
Pedro tn tell us about il and he say c
it to us as follows:
NEARLY all Of us are from falla-
In. on the opposite coast ~ ucatanl.
bat We always come here to fish,
was a little shaver when my uncle
first hrou@ht me. Vet | remember
everything. one morning a schooner
hove in sight; it soon cast anC'l": IN
the bay. There were armed men on
board. They came ashore. but seemed
not to notice us. We watched ana
saw them look all around. one even
ing when We returned 10 our camp
we missed some Mexican bread and
could not find cut who had taken II.
Next day the same thing happened
and so the next; then boy was set
to watch. He hid himself saw an old
! man steal rom the bush, snatch some
bread and quickly retreat
MY uncle resolved to capture t'e
thief. Next day we started in our
| boats as usual but soon anchored III
| a small cove near by ana walked 10
the camp. where we hid ourselves. :"
| let the old man enter the nut, theii
we surrounded him and learned that
| he had come on board the schooie'
! to show the others where treasure
was. he having seen it buried. over
| hearing a conversation to Kill MN
| when the treasure was unearthed SO
| that he might not demand his snare
he ran away and hid in the WOODS
| watching for our absence to procure
food. He seemed greatly afraid OF the
| conpanions he had left; so my uncle
| told him he was welcome to share
with rs. but ne had better keep out
of sight until the other schooner had
zone. Very soon the treasure seekers
went off in their ship, no richer than
when they came, probably believing
the old man dead: but he was hale
and hearty with all his wits about him,
| thouph 20 wears old. Concerning nm
I self he said: When quite young l
WAS kidnapped and taken on board a
pirate ship, where | was made caplh
bow. One day the crew entered city
on the coast and sacked it. taking
lots of gold coin and precious things
| from the churches, and the Bishop $
levels. What a glittering pile it was.
They put it all in boxes covered with
lead and brought them here. landed
on the north end of this island, where
they dug a trench in the sand sixty
steps from the waters edge. In the
trench they laid the treasure. ana
covered it with a piece of tarpaulin
and light eating of sand. Then the
| captain asked for volunteers to guard
/ it.
| 1.-Two negroes stepped forward ana
| were instantly shot by the captain.
who ordered their bodies to be thrown
| on the boxes. saying that they would
| take better care OF them oeao ti'ai'
alive, because anyone finding bones