END OF TREASURE HUNT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19944, 31 October 1934, Page 7

END OF TREASURE HUNT

BRITISH PARTY SENT TO GAOL RELEASE AFTER LONG TRIAL United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Cooyriabt (Received October 30, 7.0 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 29. The San Jose (Costa Rica) correspondent of “The New York Times” says: “The Cocos Islands treasure hunters were found guilty to-day on charges of smuggling, illegal entry, and usurpation of sovereignty, for which a penalty of two years’ imprisonment each and fines of 6000 dollars were imposed. The judge suspended the sentences and authorised the party to board a ship for Panama, only to rescind the authorisation ten minutes prior to the party’s departure. The judge then ordered the hunters to be placed in gaol. Five minutes later a high authority cancelled the order, permitting the hunters to sail.” Several members of the party declared that when they return to London they plan to sue the promoter of the scheme on a charge of misrepresentation. STORY OF THE ADVENTURE HUNTERS OBVIOUSLY IN DIFFICULTIES On October 13 a despatch from San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, stated that a detachment of 100 soldiers and policemen embarked for Cocos Island to force a party of Englishmen there to abandon their search for pirate treasure. The force was instructed to demand respect for the sovereignty of Costa Rica over the island. It also had orders to dismantle the camps on the island and to forbid exploration. A message from Cristobal, Canal Zone, stated that the yacht Queen of Scots, on which a party of the treasure hunters were on their way from Cocos Island to England, was li id there on October 13 by the Canal Zone immigration authorities. Officials demanded a bond to cover the repatriation of the 17 men remaining on the island and two stationed at Cristobal. Commander F. A. Worsley, in charge of the expedition, said a bond would arrive from England soon. Commander Worsley, who attracted attention when he raised the Union Jack over the tropical island and claimed it for Britain, said he had experienced no difficulty with the officials at Costa Rica. He was not aware that Costa Rica had established any claim to the island. He would return there in January with a sailing ship, having found the yacht expensive to operate. Commander Frank A. Worsley set out last year from England to seek the treasure on Cocos Island. He is a New Zealander, having been born in the Dominion in 1872, and educated at Fendalton High School, Christchurch. He entered the mercantile marine and, in 1914, joined Shackletoll’s Antarctic expedition as captain of the Endurance. He commanded “mystery ships” in the war. Then he went to North Russia with Shackleton and acted as director of Arctic equipment and transport on the Archangel front. He again went to the Antarctic with Shackleton in 1921-22 (when the latter died), and also served in a British Arctic expedition in 1925.