Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-11-04
CHAPTER ii.

CHAPTER II.
mo Narrative Of Henry p. Tobias,
ex-Pirate, as Dictated on His Death.
PED, In the Year Of Our Lord 1859.
Inc good John had scarcely made
ms ielsurely, 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.
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 q person of very little education,
and began to read as follows:
county Of Travas. State of Texas,
December 1859.
Feeling my end is near, make the fol.
rowing statement of my own free will and
without solicitation. In full exercise of ali
my faculties, and feel that am doing my
duty by so doing.
was born in the city of Liverpool. Eng
land Con the 5th day OF December 1854.
MY rather was seaman and when l was
young followed the same occupation
Ano II happened, that when. on a passage
from Spain to the West Indies, our ship
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. I was one of the three
they did not kill. They carried us on
board their ship and kept us until next
Gay when they asked us to join them
Tney tried to get US to join them willing
iy, but we would not, when they became
enraged and loaded three cannon ana
iashed each one of us before the mouth
OF each cannon and told us to take our
cnoice to join them as they would touch
the guns and that damn quick. 1t is use
Tess 10 say we accepted everything before
ueath, so We came one of the pirates
crew. Both of my companions We're killed
In less time than six months but ! was
with them for more than two years in
which time we collected a vast quantity
of money from different ships we captured
and we buried a great amount in two
different lots. I helped to bury 1t with
my own hands. The location of which it
Is my purpose to point out, SO that it can
be found without trouble in the Bahama
Islands. After l had been with them for
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 II we were taken. But the guns
of our ship were too small for the war
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 off
again, when our vessel sank with every
thing on board. and 1 escaped by swim
ming under the stern of the Ship as ours
sank, without being seen, and holding on
n q a y uhny1 I cxxfo ~,
portion of the wrecked vessel floating not
far away. And on that / fioated. The
next morning the ship was not seen. I
was picked up by a passing vessel the
next day as shipwrecked seaman.
And let me say here, know that TO
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 I know that no other man
Knows of this treasure except myself and
II must be and is where we buried IL until
today and unless you get 1t through this
statement 1t will remain there always and
do no one any good
Therefore. 1t is your duty to trace 1t up
and get 1t for your own benefit. as well as
others, SO delay not. but act as soon as
possible.
I will now describe the places. locations.
marks, ETC.. etc, so plainly that 1t can be
found. without any trouble
The first is sum of one million and a
half dollars 81. 500, 0o0)-
At this point John paused. We all
took long breath, and Charlie Web
ster gave soft whistle and smacked
his lips.
"a million and half dollars. What
hor'
Then I, happening to cast my eye
through the open door, caught sight
of face gazing through the ironwork
of the outer office with fixed and
glittering expression, a face anything
but prepossessing, the face of halt
breed. deeply pockmarked, with a
coarse hook nose and evil-looking eyes,
unnaturally close together. 1t was
evident from his expression that he
had not missed word of the reading.
"There is someone in the outer Of
fice," said, and John rose and went
out.
"Good morning, Mr.. Saunders" said
an unpleasantly soft and cringing
voice.
"Good morning." said John, some
what grumpily. what is it you want?"
1t was some detail of account, which,
being dispatched, the man shuffled off,
with evident reluctance, casting a
long, inquisitive look at us seated at
the desk, and John, taking up the man.
uscript once more, resumed:
a sum of one million and one
half dollars-buried at a cay known as
Dead Mems Shoes, near Nassau, in the
Bahama islands. About fifty feet $50 IT.
south of this Dead Men Shoes is rock,