Evening star., 1937-07-18
Blackboard Isle Lures
Vain Hunters for Gold
Mystery of Private Stronghold Has Fasci-
nation for Generations Despite Fancied
Threat, But Will Be Retreat for Wildlife.

dream faded and he failed to show
the proper treasure~seek spirit. He
made an attempt, but ran out Of
money
More recently still, just q few DAYS
ago, the bureau was called upon by a
Senator for permit for one Of his
constituents. The voter claims to
have a metal-finding device that never
fails.
AS the prospecting holes of the treas
ure hunters 60 deeper into the sand
OF the island and the excitement of
the search increases, there will, no
doubt, be other excitement also. An
uncertain intensity will settle over the
members Of the crew, for they cannot
help but recall the tales that have
been told by other seekers after the
bones OF Blackbeard's wife and the
treasure that he buried with her.
These tales are many and varied. but
all Of them are chock-full Of excite
ment.
ONE story that gained wide circu-
lation a few years ago was about
group OF treasure hunters that went
to the island from Jacksonville, Fla.
This was in 1926. They believed that
Blackboard had buried his wife in an
anchor chain box, along with the
bodies Of six Of his men and as much
gold as they could carry ashore in
sheepskin bags before he shot them.
The story of the adventure WAS told
by Capt. Jasper E. White of the Ma
rine Hospital. Savannah, Ga, who
vouches for its verify.
But let Capt. White tell his own
story. Here it is:
They (the adventurers) landed one
Tuesday afternon and went on up
through the dense jungle OF palmettos,
pines and swampy undergrowth. They
were hunting for large live oak, as
near this tree wife No. Is was supposed
to be buried in an old anchor chain
box. This was the wife who would
have nothing to do with Blackboard
He had locked her in state room and
kept her prisoner during that murder
Gus cruise. Then, when they came to
the island, Blackboard and his crew
carried her ashore. Six men accom-
panied him, all loaded down with sacks
OF gold. Blackboard led her to large
live oak and ordered his men to dig
a large hole. When the hole was COM
pleted, Blackboard shot his wife, put
her body in an anchor chain box and
then poured the gold over the body
The men lowered the box into the
hole.
Then Blackboard shot the six men
so that there would be no witnesses
and put their bodies in the hole with
that Of his wife. He then covered the
hole himself. This was the story told
to the leader Of this particular group
OF treasure hunters. whose informant
said it was told to him by a descendant
OF one Of the crew who had spied on
the proceedings.
They found the tree and found an
anchor chain around it. They began
to dig. Just then vivid fash OF light
ming and a terrific crash Of thunder
almost knocked them down, but they
kept on digging toward the end Of the
chain, that extended into the ground.
They then heard a lot OF piercing,
blood-curdling screams all about them.
BY this time they had gotten the top
OF the box uncovered ana Just then
it seemed that the whole universe ex-
ploded. Their hair stood up-then
they saw the mem Six Of them, all
headless, with flaming swords in their
hands, ready to strike them down
The treasure seekers did not wait for
more. They ran
They were relating their experience
in the lobby of certain Jacksonville
hotel when a man overheard them and
asked for directions to Blackboard
Island. He said he had a divininp
rod and four friends who were not
afraid of any ghost.
"REING told how to get to the is
land, he got his friends together
and set out. 1t was dusk and a clear
sky was overhead when they landed
on the island. The divining rod quickly
located something and they followed
it up They soon came to the old
stockade the pirates had built. Some
OF the walls of those old fortifca-
tions are discernible today. They pre-
pared to dig. Everything was quiet
and calm, with gentle breeze coming
IN from the ocean. An old barred owl
rumbled his query from a nearby tree:
'Who-who are you, who-who are
you-al?'"
The leader of the party, somewhat
angered at this interference, an
swered:
"1'll show you whoH" and fired his
pistol in the direction Of his owl
friend
Just then they looked toward the
beach and what they saw made their
hair stand on end! An enormous bull
was coming toward them on the run.
Streams Of fire spat from his nostrils
and vivid flashes of lightning shot
skyward from his tall. His bellowinqs
shook the island like an earthouake
The men held their ground until the
fire from the bulls nostrils burned
the shirts from the backs of two Of
the men and scared the face of the
leader. That WAS all they could stand
They ran for their boats as fast As
their torn clothes and lacerated bodies
would let them"
And to add credence to his story,
Capt. White concludes with the fol-
lowing:
IT you are ever in Jacksonville you
may see man whose face has been
horribly burned. He was the leader
OF the treasure-seeking party that
night"
VET, armed with all the parapher-
MALTA and the blind faith of the
treasure-seeker, searchers lay little
store by the old superstitions. These
dreamers are willing to face six head
less cutthroats who guard the bones
Of Blackbeard's unsociable wife. They