The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-09-27
CHAPTER II.

] no NdIi awe VI tlCHty - boUloo5
ex-Prate, as Dictated on His Death
bed, in the Year of Our Lord 1859.
The good John had scarcely made
his leisurely, distinguished appearance
at his desk on the morrow when too
entered by one door and Charlie Web
ster by the other.
"Now for, the document" we both
exclaimed in a breath. ri
Here it is" he said, taking up a
rather grimy-looking roll of foolscap
from in front Of him, which, as he
pointed out, was evidently the work
of a person of very little education,
and began to read as follows:
County of Travas, State of Texas.
December 1853.
Feeling my end is near, make the fol-
lowing statement of my own free I-Sll "a
Without solicitation. In full exercise of III
my faculties, and feel that am doing my
duty by SO doing.
1 was born in the city of Liverpool, Eng
land ION the 5th day Of December 1884.
My father was a seaman and when | was
young l followed the same occupation.
And it happened, that when, on passage
lIOIn ppdln 10 luc NGSI 1llulGot Jul 9iliP
was attacked by free-traders, as they
called themselves, but they were pirates.
We all did our best, but were over
| powered, and the whole crew, except
| three, were killed l was one of the three
| they did not kill. They carried us on
board their ship and kept us until next
day when they asked us to join them.
They tried to get us to join them willing
iy, but we would not, when they became
| .lr1 49,
| dashed each one of us before the mouth
| of each cannon and told us to take our
choice to join them, as they would touch
| the guns and that damn quick. 1t is USE
| less to say we accepted everything before
| DEATH so we came one of the pirates
| crew. Both of my companions were Killed
| in less time than six months, but I was
| with them for more than two years, in
which time we collected vast quantity
| of money from different ships we captured
and we buried a great amount in two
| different lots. I helped to bury it with
my own hands. The location of which it
! is my purpose to point out, so that 1t can
| be found without trouble in the Bahama
| islands. After had been with them for
I more than two years. we were attacked
| by large warship and our commander
told us to fight for our lives as 1t would
| be death If we were taken. But the guns
| OL our SHIP WCtC LpO olLletll luL LllO Wa
| ship, so our ship soon began to sink,
when the man-of-war ran alongside of our
vessels and tried to board us, but we were
| sinking too fast, so she had to haul or
again, when our vessel sank with every
thing on board, and l escaped by swim
ming under the stern of the ship. as ours
sank, without being seen, and holding on
to the ship until dark, when / swan to a
portion of the wrecked vessel floating not
far away And on that / floated. The
next morning the ship was not seen.
was picked up by a passing vessel the
next day as a shipwrecked seaman.
And let me say here, know that no
one escaped alive from our vessel except
myself and those that were taken by the
man-of-war. And those were all executed
as pirates-so / know that no other man
knows of this treasure except myself and
it must be and is where we buried 1t until
today and unless you get 1t through this
statement it will remain there always AMI
do no one any good.
Therefore, 1t Is your duty to trace 1t up
and get it for your own benefit, as well as
others, so delay not but act as soon as
possible.
1 will now describe the places locations
| marks, etc. etc, SO plainly that it can bf
found, without any trouble.
The first is a sum of one million and q
: half dollars ($1,5O0O0O-
At this point John paused We al
, took a long BREATH and Charlie Web
ster gave soft whistle and smncket
his lips.
"a million and half dollars. VIVA
hop
Then I, happening to cast my ey'
, through the open door, caught sigh
of face gazing through the ironworl
, of the outer Office with a fixed ant
t glittering expression, face anythinl
{ but prepossessing, the face of a halt
breed, deeply pockmarked, with |
i coarse hook nose and eyil-looking eyes
unnaturally close together. It wa
t evident from his expression that h
J. had not missed word Of the reading
4 There is someone ina the outer Of
y fee" ] said, and John rose and wen
out.