luis aury ( pirate) cache of $60,000 in 1817 money on amelia island ,florida

[ivan salis]

when hunting pirate caches its best to be sure the money existed in the first place , theres lots of bogus old wives tales out there to waste your time and efforts on if your not careful.

one true tale of treasure is well documented --by no other than the US supreme court no less.

in the case of -EX PARTE , MADRAZZO , 32 U.S. 627 (1833)

The court records show that one of Aurys vessels the SUCCESSOR CAPT MOORE COMMANDING took control of a spanish slave vessel ISABELITA owned by MADRAZZO --IT WAS TAKEN TO FERNANDINA, FLORIDA (AMELIA ISLAND) WHICH AURY HAD TAKEN FROM THE SPANISH and condomed as a war prize and it and it's cargo of slaves were sold -- William Bowen bought 95 slaves from Aury in Fernandina, Florida in Oct of 1817 (reportedly for $60,000) and was taking them into western florida into us controlled lands -- the slaves were taken from bowen by us forces acting out of georgia who said they were "illegally" smuggled slaves *(the USA had passed a law in 1803 that forbid any farther import of african slaves*) the slaves were declared forfiet and the govenor of georgia sold off 2/3 of them for $40,000 and retained the rest.

when bowen sued in us court to get "his" slaves back --saying he was not in us territory but rather spanish lands --the ship owner madrazzo got wind of it and also filed claims --saying aury had no right to sell the stolen slaves --bowen thus had no title to them and that madrazzo had never agreed to have the slaves taken to america as the vessel was bound for cuba-- and that his "property" or the money gotten for the sale of the slaves should be given to him the "rightful" owner.

Aury was taken by us forces in Dec of 1817 less than 2 months after the sale --- after being held for awhile by us forces who could not figger out a legal charge that would stick to hang him on (the island "offically" was spanish --the vessels he raided were spanish and aury held letters of marquee from mexico and venezula to war with spain* and Aury never smuggled himself but rather sold to others who did) -- according to the record Aury when he when he was let loose left the island broke * and never returned --since he was told he would be hung on sight if he did.(Aury reportly died a few years later of a broken neck after being thrown from a horse on a island in the caribbean) --- since just a few years before he took over amelia island Aury had been attacked and left for dead by one of his crews--(his crew sailed off for haiti with the vessel and booty) --it was highly unlikely Aury left any his treasure onboard ship due to the fact he was onshore most of the time.--- so most likely he buried / hid it somewhere on amelia island --so most likely theres about $60,000 in 1817 era silver / gold --the slave money treasure trove of Luis Aury. well what do you say to that me bucko's ?

THESE FACTS I'LL TELL YE , THE REST I'LL BE KEEPING TO MYSELF FOR NOW. RESEARCH IS THE KEY

[dfx willy]

weres amelia island ? i have a condo in sarasota. if its close with in reasonable distance ill check it out with ya this winter some time. willy.

[superficialbob]

LET'S GO GET EM. HA HA

[tymcmurray]

I say, go get you some of that booty!

[ivan salis]

amelia island is at the northeast tip corner of florida , by the way. -- I only like to hunt for treasures that do have a great chance of really existing. thus I look for historically valid (documented) ones .--research (with a bit of luck) is often the key that unlocks the treasure vault.

[kdismuke1]

WISH YOU LUCK IVAN. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

[Burdie]

Wish I was hunting with you but can't. Good luck.

Burdie

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Good morning SWR: The court proceedings were very interesting. They simply ruled that they were not aurhorized to rule in this case since it was not within their jurisdiction.

Was there ever a ruling by any other US court that gave Madrazzo back his original property?

Merry Chirstmas my friend.

Don Jose de La Mancha

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Gracias SWR,my friend. Interesting how they regarded people back in those days and how today's Internationalists regard today's masses.

Don Jose de La Mancha

[ivan salis]

in the first case madrazzo filed lost but on appeal the state high court found that madrazzo should be paid the funds gotten from the sold slaves (supposed to be in the georgia state treasury) and the unsold slaves should be returned --(the vessel had already been seized and was returned to madrazzo) -- however the govenor was not forthcoming with the funds to pay madrazzo and did not want to pay him--so he filed to the US supreme court to try to duck paying him --the US supreme court basically said -- this case is a matter for state courts since the state has madrazzo's property and the state high court has said to "pay " madrazzo --- he needs to get from the state .
(ie--- its not proper for the US federal supreme court to force a state to act as far as payment of debt that the georgia supreme court found to be owed by the state according to the state supreme court -- the state supreme court should "force the issue" of payment with the state's govenor / treasury in other words amd make him "respect " their ruling ) ==the govenor was later forced from office over the matter.

what I am getting at is there is a actual written record that these funds bowen paid to aury existed* -- it's a rare thing to find written historically valid proof that a large sum money was at a certain time / place in a pirates hands --

now if Aury had said money paid by bowen for the 95 slaves ($60,000) * in oct of 1817 in fernandina and when he was taken prisoner in Dec of 1817 (less than 2 months later) it was not found on him or his vessels and he did not leave the island during that time by all accounts and when he was released and left he left broke by all accounts (and did not return since it was a death sentance to do so if he did and he died a few years later )--- where did that money go? --- P.S. Aury was also getting a 1/6th cut of all of the other pirates booty sold on the island as a "pirate haven / stolen goods selling port" tax so there was even more money about then just the slave money.

[Connecticut Danny]

Was any treasure found yet? I live in Bridgeport Connecticut. Look out for snakes.

[ivan salis]

if it has been no one has said anything abvout it.

[LiquidAsset]

Ivan,

I have spent some time in the books and in the field attempting to retrace Aury's footsteps. The "factual" data I have researched verifies he was a busy man in 1817. This thread is of course about Amelia, but is there a chance he was roaming the Gulf Coast Islands within that year? From Texas to Amelia?

[ivan salis]

aury was chased out of the texas gulf area in early 1817 *

thats why he went easterly along the gulf coast then down the west coast of florida around the tip of florida finally getting to the upper northeastern most coast of florida * amelia island (fernandina) florida .

[Connecticut Danny]

Best of luck to all of you.

[Connecticut Danny]

Was any treasures found?