The Ocala evening star., 1915-02-12
GREAT FUN AT GAsPARILLA
Florida viii be Largely Represented
at the Live Tampa Festival

AT the Live Iampd FestlVaI
Tampa, Feb. 12.-Reproducing
scenes enacted during the days of
piracy on the Spanish Main and Gulf
of Mexico, Tampa's citizens will stage
today and the three succeeding days,
the tenth annual Gasparilla carnival,
which derives its name from one of
the most daring and cruel high-sea
thieves that ever "scuttled ship or
slit throat"
Many noted Americans and foreign
diplomats have attended Tampa's
celebrations in the past, and a larger
number viii accept the "Cigar City's"
hospitality this year as the tourist
season is at its height.
"Overboard with the men, but save
the women" was the command Of
Gasparilla to his crew, and many
maid and matron were held captive
by the band on Gasparilla Isle, upon
which the prosperous port of Boca
Grande is now located, while their
fathers, husbands and brothers were
forced to walk the plank" and find
rest in the coral beds beneath the wa
ters.
Ten times has the ghost of Gaspar-
lila and his phantom crew invaded
Tampa, but the ferce-visaged bri-
gands of today come in the cause of
peace and pleasure, and not for blood
or gold.
Gasparilla was originally a member
of the crew. of LaFitte, the French
terror, whose followers looted scores
of ships and then sought refuge in the
Barataria, Atchalafalya and Plaque
mino bayous and other sequestered
spots on the Louisiana coast. A de-
termined soul, GasparilIa would not
brook authority, and after a desper-
ate fight with LaFitte, he, with a
chosen few" sailed from the pirate
nest on the Louisiana shore to the
coast of Florida He located and erect
ed on Gasparilla Isle an immense but
crude mansion, from which his men
sailed after defenceless merchantmen
and brought in harvest of Spanish
gold, jewels and fair women, who re-
luctantly played the tragic roles of
beauties of the Court of Gasparilla. .
Gasparilla Isle, located at the mouth
of Charlotte Harbor, still bears the
pirates name.
Gasparilla's penchant for captur-
ing pretty women finally proved the
cause of his undoing, for the United
States, after many futile efforts to
capture him, sent a gunboat into the
gulf waters with instructions to the
officers and men that they not return
till they had captured or killed the
pirate and his men, This order fol-
lowed some particularly revolving deed
of the crew, and the gunboat, after
search covering many weeks, cor
nered the pirates in Lemon Bay,
while they were making for their
castle through Gasparilla Sound. A
desperate battle ensued, in which most
of the pirates were killed, and Gas
parilla, while bleeding from many
wounds, but fighting savagely, was
hanged to the yard arm of the gov
ernment ship This battle ended the
reign of piracy on the Florida coast
| For three years party has beer
searching, at great expense, for $11,.
900 900, which Gasparilla is said te
| have hurled in cement-sheathee
ships long boat, near the mouth Of
Coral Creek. The men are in pos
session of map, owned by de
scendant of one of Gasparilla's crew
which points out the spot where -th'
treasure was buried. They have founc
nothing, in spite of which they con
tinue the search year after year
One local contractor has spent NOR,
than. $4,000 in his quest for the hid
den treasure.