The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-06

citizens, realizing how feeble was the pro-
lection afforded by their banks and the
affairs Of their churches, entrusted it to
the captain of an English vessel. This
man weighed anchor and sailed for Cocos
Island, where he buried the treasure.
amounting to twelve million dollars.
The balance Of the treasure was buried
on the island by no less a character than
the notorious pirate Benito Bonito, who
with loyal crew Of cutthroats did an i'm
mense amount Of damage In the western
Atlantic from New York to Rio Janeiro
in 1857. Bonito then doubled Cape
Horn and ravaged the Pacific shore of
America as far as Mexico, sackng the
churches and other repositories Of plate,
jewels and specie until his loot amounted
to over twenty million dollars.
In searching for a spot to bury this
treasure he came upon Cocos Island. There
he buried his share OF 1t in a cave, while
his officers and crew chose other hiding
places. The following year the pirate and
his crew were captured by British cor
yette and slain.
Twice Earl Fitzwilliam tried to find the
tabled fortune
In 1904 he landed there only to have a
premature blast fracture his skull and
wound sixteen Of his men.
In 1907 he tried again. but lost his ship
In gale off Honduras, and was nearly
drowned
That same year Harold W. s. Gray, an
other Engl1shman, went to the island with
large party OF men, only to have them
fall desperately III and abandon the search
Then, last Summer the two Englishwom-
en- started from Plymouth. A steamer with
hull and decks sheathed in steel, bristIing
with enough cannon and other armament
to make of 1t veritable protected cruiser,
formed striking part of their equip.
ment few weeks ago this extraordl.
narily equipped expedition returned, the
leaders and their Grew worn out, discour.
aged and financially crippled.
AT the same time another daring e1pe-
dition started out from Marseilles- 1t was
headed by the beautiful French woman.
Mile. Mathilde Durand, Although she has
been absent for months, not word has
peen heard from or Of her, and 1t is feared
that she has suffered the fate OF so many
who have gone before her
But while this strange fatality connected
with the Cocos treasure Is inexplicable, a
very good reason why the treasure has
never been located Is now advanced II
comes from the quaint little town of Cedar
grove Maine. where lives white-haired,
frosty-bearded old sea captain named
James Brown. Captain Brown is now
nearly eighty years old. For the last If
teen years he has been trying 10 estab-
hsh MS claim that he alone knows the
exact location of the buried millions.
And his startling explanation for the
fruitless efforts of the gold hunters Is
that the treasure is not on Cocos Island at
all. but was removed by him and others
TO another island fifty years ago!
In 1851 he was in the harbor of King
ston on vessel from Halifax, but changed
snlps at the Jamaica port to Join another
vessel as mate. Although he believed this
snip was going pearl fishing, he found
iater tnat the vessel was thoroughly armed,
carried a crew OF ffty-two men and was
pound TOT Cocos Island to hunt for buried
me captain, Brown says, declared he
"as pne son OF one of the original buc.
Seneers- on reaching the island the cap