In 1898 a man named Kenneth Ransom wrote
that he visited with Gomez on his island and
found him there with a young girl. When asked
how old he was Panther Key John said, “If I live
until Christmas as I hope I shall be 123.” He was
described at that time as being “short, thin, with
a clear voice. He had black eyes and gold hoop
earrings in both ears.”
According to one story John’s body was found
on July 13, 1900, after he became entangled in
his own nets. His body purportedly was taken
back to Panther Key and buried.
According to documents registered with the
Library of Congress, provided by researcher
Corinne White Lamme, an historian named
Thomas Gonzalez (also a grandson of one of
Lee County’s first pioneer settlers) documented
some of his Panther Key John information. He
wrote that John confessed to him that he had
witnessed “no less than 100 people walk the
piratical plank, blindfolded, into eternity.”
The majority of Gonzalez’ information syncs
with that of his obituary, and includes the fact
that the location of Panther Key was outside
the Ten Thousand Island Group, about 15 miles
from Marcy in Collier County.
Gonzalez also wrote that Capt. W.D. Collier, a
retired sea captain who came to Fort Myers in
1870 and lived on Marco Island, had a story to
tell as well. In 1931 Collier told the News Press
he knew Gomez from Clearwater, before the
Civil War.
“He was 75 then,” Collier said, “but I saw him
take two bags of salt on his back up a hill ...
those bags weighed 200 pounds each.”
Collier said Gomez told him his story of
escape on a rowboat, but told him he had been
to Cuba with a filibustering expedition. They
were near Morro Castle when soldiers gave
chase to them, and he escaped by hiding under
the seat of the boat.
In 1928 an article was published in Mr.
Foster’s Travel Magazine, and it was the first to
mention Gomez as “the last pirate.”
The article mentioned the six hiding places
for treasure on local islands, and how Gomez
was the only one alive who might know where
those spots were. It also describes life on
Panther Key for Gomez and his wife.
“The old man is bright and active, and makes
his own living by fishing. He has a wife much
younger than himself, perhaps 50 years old, but
the old man is the smarter of the two. On the
morning I left the island he was going off fishing,
and remarked that he would like a boy to go
with him. His wife said,’Why don’t you take
Celment?’Celement was a man living on an
island and was apparently 30-40 years of age.
‘Oh!’ said John. ‘He's too slow.’
“It looked like a lonely, sad life, but I don't
know that in all my wanderings I ever saw a
happier couple than old John Gomez and his
wife on Panther Key.”