Treasure Hunt On Cocos

Island

Mutinous Crew and Mad Boatswain

STORIES of adventure, based on a fruitless hunt for the Peruvian trea sure believed to be buried on Cocos Island fin the far eastern Pacific) have been published in the “P.1.M.” in past years. Here is the latest, as reported from Hollywood, U.S.A., in January.

An amazing tstorv of mutiny and vio lence during a South Sea treasure hunt is being unfolded before the Federal grand jury here.

The principal witness is Captain Ro bert Hoffman, of the schooner “Metha Nelson”. The vessel left San Pedro last

September with a crew of amateurs and sailed for Cocos Island, where the trea sure was supposed to be buried.

Countess Dorothy di Frasso, a well known member of the film colony, and Mr. Marino Bello, stepfather of the late Jean Harlow, were among the treasure seekers.

After weeks of fruitless digging every one lost their temper, Captain Hoffman said, and the ‘“Metha Nelson” became a “real hell ship”. Drunk for three days, the boatswain, Rolf Barrman, terrorised the ship with a gun.

Plied with gin, and incited by two of the “guests”, the crew defied the captain’s authority.

“I knocked some discipline into them.

I shackled some to stanchions”, said Captain Hoffman, who added that the Countess di Frasso asked him to shoot Charles Segal, one of the ringleaders, be cause she feared he was planning to seize the ship and hold her to ransom.

Captain Hoffman revealed that he mar ried Mr. Bello to Evelyn Husby, the ship’s nurse, a few days after the voyage began.

Finally, the schooner, with its mut inous crew, was towed back to port.