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PICAYUNE ITEM, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, I960 aA
i; They now made their plaus to try to slip into New Orleans , ot contact their friends there.
| Pearl River with its many passages was dominated and controlled by one of the most dangerous gangs of criminals ever to operate in the gulf coast, area, lioney Island was the headquarters for this gang. They would make raids in fast boats into the Gulf and even into New Orleans itself, going in and out through little known and secret passages, to and from their hideouts up and
-	down Pearl River. They
1	'maintained several hideouts 1' so that if one was discovered they would have others to go to. One such hideout was said to be acro;>s the river from Nicholson.
' The leader of these criminals were Pierre Rameau who' was widely known as the King of Honey Island. He was born and reared in Scotland and came from a good family, but, as it often the case, he took the §asy w.jy tq make, money and ( became u brigand and a pirate, His real name was .McCullo'gh but he operated under the name of Pierre Rameau from Honey Island in his illegal activities. In New Orleans he maintained one of the city’s finest homes under the name of Col. Loring, who passed as a mine owner and operator from Mexico. It was common knowledge that many of the greatest fortunes in New Orleans in early times came from illegal activities.
It is said that Pierre R&meau often made raids and
pulled off robberies in Louisiana and Mississippi, one at Waveland being minutely described. In this robbery, gems of great value were taken from the owner, he was then tied up in the house and the house set on fire.
The Americans trusted by ! Jerome knew the Pearl River area well with all its hidden passways. To get by the Honey Island thieves, they had to be ; extremely secretive in their plans and the execution of these plans. They left what is now Napoleon at what they considered the most propitous moment on a black dark night in a small sailboat that was also provided with oars. Jerome and. his most trusted men had as their crew the most experienced and bravest of their men, depending on f local man with long experience in those waters to guide ithem. As day broke they hid themselves in a small cove and sent a man up a tall tree to ;reconnoiter. He could see nothing in sight to bother them. They had their sail furled and made their way with oars to prevent any detection.
Up in the morning they suUdently saw a fast boat which they knew to belong to the buccaneers come speeding out from what had apparently been a hiding place. It seemed to be coming straight at them. While they thought they had been seen, their only chance was^o assume that they had not been seen and to hide as quickly as possible. They
pulled quickly into a small passage and hid as best they would in a little clump of bushes and high grass. The larger boat kept coming at a fast clip. It had no«v been cloudy for sometime. When the pirate boat got within about one quarter mile of ,them, a heavy rain came up -so heavy they could hardly see the boat they thought was ‘pursuing them. As it neared them they watched and waited in almost breathless suspense. It passed them by - evidently they had not been seen. They were afraid to move as they had no idea when this boat would turn and come back.
They stayed bidder in the growth until about dark, while being burned by the iun and almost eaten up by m<>squitos After dark they began slowly and cautiously makirg their way. They soon saw the pirate boat, apparently anchored in the very direction ir. which they were going. They tried to find a way around but no passage could be found.
They decided their only chance was to slip by unobserved in the dark and cloudy night. They made it without being detect.*) and one night later reached their destination of New Orleans.
In New Orleans they found no enthusiasm for Napoleon Bonaparte. They had to give up their plan. It is not recorded how they made their way back to their boat hidden up a little creek near Waveland nor is it recorded whether or not they ever came
back to get the buried money.
While I know of no connection between Simon Favre and the Jerome Bonaparte expedition, I am informed that Simon Favre was a colonel in the French army and a favorite of the great French emperor and also an intimate friend of Jeremiah Henley. Napoleon grated to Simon Favre all the land between the two Pearl Rivers which we now know as Honey Island, with another grant to him of a good sized tract of his selection on the east bank of east Pearl.
As the story goes, he went up Pearl River to make his selection. When he got to the towering oaks with moss hanging from them at Walkiaii Bluft he chose that spot for his home. When the United States Government took over this area they did not recognize his claim to Honey Island but they did recognize his claim to the beautiful homesite at Walkiah, Today this land is carried on the record books as Simon Favre Claim No. 19 Certificate No. 3.
1	understand that the Favres in Hancock County are descended from this same man, Simon Favre, former officer in the French Army ' under Napoleon Bonaparte. Jeremiah Henley now has many descendents -living in this area.
Yes, the history of this section is mo.it interesting.: There’s romance, intrigue, mystery for those who want to search it out.