The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-30
A Remarkable Confession Which
Indicates That the Famous
Treasure for Which Hundreds
of Lives Have Been Sacrificed, Was
Removed from It's Resting
Place Sixty Years Ago
Which

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 AZ Mexico. sacking the
churches and other repositories of plate,
jewels and specie until his loot amounted
TO over twenty million dollars.
In searching for spot TO bury this
treasure he came upon Cocos Island. There
he buried his share OF It in 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 And 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.
y,
other Englishman, went to the island with
large party of men. only to have them
fall desperately i'll and abandon the search.
Then, last Summer the two Englishwom.
en- started from Plymouth. A steamer with
hull and decks sheathed in steel. bristlng
WITH enough cannon and other armament
to make OF 1t a veritable protected cruiser
formed striking part Of their equip.
ment A few weeks ago this extraori,i.
narily equipped expedition returned, the
leaders and their crew worn out, discour.
aged and financially crippled
At the same time another daring expe.
dition started out from Marseilles. 1t was
headed by the beautiful French woman.
Nile Mathilde Durand. Although she has
been absent for months, not a word has
Deen heard from or Of her, and It is feared
mat she has suffered the fate of SO many
VINO have gone before her
hut While this strange fatality connected
Win the Cocos treasure is inexplicablc, 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 a white-haired.
Irosty-bearded old sea captain named
James Brown. Captain Brown is now
teen years he has been trying to estab.
llsh his claim that he alone knows the
exact location OF the buried millions.
ana MS startling explanation for the
i!uitiess enorts OF the gold hunters is
that the treasure is not on Cocos Island at
All put 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
snips at the Jamaica port to join another
vessei as mate. Although he believed this
snip was going pearl fishing, he found
later tnat the vessel was thoroughly armed,
carried crew of flfty-two men and was
nouno TOT Cocos Island to hunt for buried
The captain, Brown says, declared he
was the son OF one of the original buc.
cancers. On reaching the Island the can.