759 Page – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

Here is the translated text as follows:

Pedro Gibert and Others

Jean went ashore at Nazareth by Captain Trotter's orders to search for the hidden money. Two of the prisoners guided us, but we found no money. The prisoners were accompanied by an English officer, to whom they were obedient. They showed him the place where it was first buried but could not tell where it had been taken to. The English captain got some money, but I don't know how much; he took it away from Captain Gibert at Cape Lopez. I was a prisoner but not in irons. I never shipped for wages on board the Curlew, nor did I do any work, except for odd jobs for the men, for which I got a few coppers. I don't know whether Custom House officers came on board at Prince's Island, for she set sail the very day I came on board. I think she had been lying about a month at Prince's Island. There were several other vessels lying at Prince's Island at the same time. I heard that the Curlew was on the other side of the island. I saw a steam vessel of war near the island.

I do not know the consignee of the Panda at Prince's Island. I do not know whether the governor of the island was the consignee. Captain Gibert was frequently at the governor's house. Bernardo de Soto was sick and told me he had been lodging at the governor's house. Everything that came on board the Panda came from the governor's. When the Panda left Prince's Island, she went straight to Cape Lopez and then to the River Nazareth. When they sailed from Prince's Island, a Custom House boat came and took the guard away; I never saw but one guard. The Panda was not chased from Prince's Island to Cape Lopez. When she reached the latter place, she came to an anchor the first day and got underway the second, upon which occasion she touched on the bar—she did so by accident. The captain went on shore and took his trunk with him; I do not know what it contained, but two negroes carried it for him. The third mate was aboard at this time and had a quarrel with the boatswain, whom he stabbed in the arm. The former went on shore shortly afterward, and I never saw him again.

They did not fire on the Panda when they took her; all the firing that took place was in the evening when the Panda was surrounded by natives in their canoes. The English fired the pivot gun at them; the gun had no shot in it—nothing but powder and wadding; it was fired by Captain Trotter's orders. Captain Trotter did not flog anyone for firing the guns. There were some men flogged after the Panda had got out of the river—but they were flogged because they had been drunk. When the English boats were seen coming, the carpenter of the Panda said he would blow her up, and one of his comrades said, "Yes, blow her up, blow her up." There was much confusion on board, and all the crew ran for the boat. I saw the carpenter with a keg of powder and a chunk of fire, but the English were so close that he could not use them, and he threw them overboard; he then got into a canoe and went ashore. I am not sure as to the number of the English—I think there were about thirty; they went ashore the same day to pursue the crew.