Slow news day back home in TX

The local paper is printing pirate stories about "Gentleman Pirate of New Orleans" Jean Lafitte.

Every inlet and cranny along the Gulf Coast has a story that pirate Jean Laffite stashed his plunder there.

The Golden Triangle -- not to be outdone by Laffite stomping grounds Galveston and New Orleans -- has its own treasure tales of the mysterious pirate.

Only ghosts know if they are fact or fiction.

Laffite's cursed treasure

Legend has it that in 1820 Laffite and his crew piloted a ship heavy with jewels and gold up the Neches River near Port Arthur.

A Spanish ship intent on reclaiming the stolen treasure was hotly pursuing Laffite, according to "Buried Treasure of Texas" by W.C. Jameson.

The pirates landed and buried the booty before the Spanish could overtake them. As Laffite left his gold, he turned and placed a curse on it, vowing that unworthy future treasure seekers would be struck with unspoken horrors when they dug.

The pirates went on to battle the Spanish that day, but they lost and the ship was sunk. Laffite never recovered treasure at the mouth of the Neches, according to Jameson.

Years later, a treasure map surfaced, and a Mexican peasant found the site and dug.

Inexplicably, he returned home unable to speak and died within a week.

The man's widow passed the map to an Anglo neighbor, who also lost his voice and died a week after digging for gold.

The map -- now called the "widow maker" -- was passed to another neighbor. This man, Marion Meredith, went with a friend to the site, where they took turns digging.

Meredith was taking a break when he heard his friend, Clawson, shriek while digging.

Clawson could speak.

"I have seen hell and its horrors," he whispered. "Let's get away from this place."

The men stopped digging and didn't return to the site. Clawson would never say what he saw at the mouth of the Neches, where treasure may still be buried.

Uhhhh....so maybe my crazy Uncle Bill will actually find something with that dang ol' metal detector he's been dragging around for years?

:P

Somebody get that treasure map.....I need some $$$ and am willing to risk losing my voice.