The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-08-31

ConeerntAk Doubioon spit.
Robert Wallace. the father of Eve
lyn. was not one of the forty
miners. but he had come to Caiifor-
mia by way OF the lsthmus not
very many years later.
When he was eighteen he fell
In with an old salt named Nat
Quinn
Nat Quinn was second mate of
the Porto Rico when young Wal
lace shipped before the mast at
San Francisco for a cruise to Lama.
The crew were probably rough
specimens. but there can be no
doubt that Quinn hazed them mer-
ciIessly.
Soon the whole forecastle was
simmering with talk about re-
venge. One night three of the
crew found him alone on the deck
and rushed him overheard. The
old man was no swimmer. No
doubt this would have been the
end of him IL young Wallace,
heaing his cry for help had not
dived from the rail and kept him
afloat until a boat reached them.
From that night Nat Quinn
took a great fancy to the young
man and often limited that he was
going to make his fortune.
At last the story came out.
Quinn had been in his early days
a seaman on board the ship Mary
Ann of Bristol, which In the year
1917 was wrecked off the coast of
Peru and cast upon the rocks.
Most of the crew we're saved. IN
Guiding the captain, one Thomas
Rogers, the first mate. Bully
Evans. and the boatswain, Pablo
Lobardi, a quarelsome fellow with
whom Quinn had had a difficuity.
Most of them found employ
ment In the rich mines of Cerro
Blanco, pending the arrival OF
some ship to take them back 10
Europe.
Lobardi was the only one of
the crew who could talk Span
ish. SO that in his capacity OF in
terpreter he acquired much IN
fluence with the men. II was ne
that Matched the vile plot to rob
the mines and make their escape
on the ship which put In twice
year to carry the gold to Lima.
Everything went as we'll Tor
| the rascally buccaneers as they
| could desire. AS the treasure
| wagons from the mines filed
through a narrow gorge the SAIL
ors fell upon them. BY means
OF stolen rifles they drove away
the guard.
The pirates loaded the treasure
into boats and pulled quietly for
the Santa Theresa, a transport
which lay like a black hulk in the
harbor.
Before the sailors and officers
os the SanA Theresa realized
what was happening, the pirates
| were upon them with cutlasses.
/ Captain Rogers worked the
brig out of the harbor and set
her nose to the north. There was
need of haste. That there would
be a pursuit nobody doubted.
While the plot had been TO
| menting, and during It's execu-
tion. these scurvy fellows had
been of one mind. But no soon
er had they won success than dis
sension broke out.
On the morning of the TWEEN
| tieth day the Santa Theresa polk
| ed her nose into San Miguel Gulf
/ on the southern coast of Panama.
Tired of being confined aboard
the ship. the crew were eager to
| get ashore. This suited the plans
of Evans. As soon az the long
boat had gone with the shore
party he packed the treasure in
boxes and lowered them into a
boat. Late in the afternoon the
| tired sailors returned to the ship.
To the assembled crew Evans
made a speech, pointing out the
need of getting the treasure to
some safer place than aboard q
ship which might any day fall
into the hands of the enemy. He
intended. he said. to take three
men with him and bury the chests
on the sand pit within sight OF
Il them all