River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-11-02

The Peruvian authorities, of course,
did not dream that Captain Thompson,
who SO bravely Haunted the English
flag, had sailed in earlier days under
the Jolly Roger with Benito Bonitos
cut-throat crew. But with $11,000,000
battened down in his hold the old law
less spirit of his buccanneering days
famed up anew in Thompson, and he
could not resist the temptation to turn
robber again. In the night watches he
and his men slit the threats of the
guardians of the treasure, slipped
their cables and put to sea-
The Mary Dear bore up for Cocos
island and dropped anchor in Wafer
bay. Some portion of the spoil was
distributed among the crew. The re-
mainder Thompson carried in IL boat
loads around the headland which sep.
arates Wafer bay from Chatham bay
and there landed it upon the beach.
He sent the boats back to the brig,
keeping two men with him. With their
assistance he carried the treasure into
the tropical brush and slowed it In
Benito Bonito's old treasure cave.
Then he shot the two men.
He spread to the winds every stitch
of canvas and headed the brig west
ward in a mad hurry to escape pur
suit, but before the tall peaks of Co.
cos island had dropped below the no.
rizon a Peruvian gunboat hove in
sight and sent shot acros his bow.
When capture seemed inevitable,
Thompson surrendered. Perhaps his
cunning brain foresaw the immunity
that must be granted to the sole pos
SCISSOR of the key to the hiding place
Of millions of dollars. At any rate
he and the mate Of the Mary Dear
were spared that they might guide the
Peruvians back to the Cocos island
treasure. The other ten men of the
Mary Dear's crew were strung up at
the yard-arm.
The warship proceeded to Cocos is
land and Thompson and the mate we're
landed under an armed escort. But
the desperate was a man of res0urce,
and he and the mate contrived to es-
cape and kept in hiding in the caves
and underground. For four days arm
ed parties searched for them through
the length and breadth of the island,
pouring volleys into every piece of
thick scrub or likely hiding place. At
the end of this time, thinking that
perhaps the fugitives had been killed
by the broadsides with which the jun
giles had been raked, the captain of the
gunboat sailed away.
The two marooned men eked out
precarious existence on berries and
birds eggs until vessel called at Co.
cos for water Passing themselves off
as shipwrecked sailors, they were
given passage to the mainland. The
mate died soon afterwards of yellow
fever at Punta Arenas Thompson es-
capped. One story has it that he went
to Samoa where he lived under the
name of MacComber. Acc Jrding to All
other tale he made his way to Eng
land.
Nothing was heard of Thompson
again until 1914, when on a voyage
from England to Newfoundland he fell
in with Heating, who was to become
heir to the secret of the Cocos island
treasure.
Soon after Thompson had confided
his secret to Heating he died. His
death aroused no suspicion at the
time. but long afterwards in the light
Of events Heating was suspected of
having murdered him. Heating took
over Thompson's effects, including his
map of Cocos island. By Thompson's
death, Heating became the sole pos
SCISSOR in all the world of the secret of
the Cocos island treasure. How Keat-
ing lifted the treasure on two voyages
to the island already has been told.