First printed by the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway Corporation so many years ago, the
narratives dropped from sight after their initial printing and were believed lost forever. Then, through
the cooperation of a local Florida historian, an original copy of located and again made available for
your continued enjoyment. Today, those narratives are once more presented to you in the form of
“The Original Gasparilla Souvenir Brochure.”
This narrative was compiled by the writer from incidents told by John Gomez, better known as
Panther Key John, a brother-in-law of Gasparilla and a member of his crew, who died at the age of 120
years at Panther Key, 12 miles below Marco, in the year 1900. It was also from records left by John
Gomez Jr., the cabin boy on Gasparilla’s ship who was kidnapped by
Gasparilla and who witnessed the death of this pirate and all on board his
vessel. He died and was buried at Palmetto in 1875, at
the age of 70 years.
While it is almost impossible to obtain exact
information concerning this outlaw owing to the
numerous and conflicting accounts, the writer has
tried to put into readable form a few of these stories
concerning Gasparilla and has only used such
accounts where two or more sources agreed.
However, it is well to keep in mind that owing
to the long lapse of time between the death
of Gasparilla and the present year, nearly
all old landmarks have gone.
This is the Story of Gasparilla, issued
by C.B. McCall, General Passenger Agent
for the CH&N, Boca Grande route.
The romantic age of the Gulf is past, the days
when pirate bands preyed upon the peaceful
merchantman, stole his goods and carried away his
women passengers have gone, but romance still holds
sway in the minds of each of us. In the Pirate
Gasparilla we find a story that is full of the spice of
romantic adventure, that abounds with thrills and
causes the pulse to beat just a little faster at some
38 GASPARILLA ISLAND September/October 2019
The
Pirate
Gaspar
A copy of the railroad schedule used back in the day.