The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-04-03

LOCAL MATTERS.
ESD OF rHx GAnnorlKa CAan.

4
ted In fhe Eastern part of the city By the an
noancemeat that a strange spaaiard, calling hin.
sell MAsukL SlEsRA, had been gerroted In the
hsase OF Mrs. Mary O. Mall. in Rockstts. and
robbed OF about $3.50 In doabloons. Sierra. when
found, was lying prostrate on bed, securely tied
ana gagged, and appeared 10 be In . dying condi
tion. As soon as he was released from his unpIsa
sant position, and partially restored, he charged
John Mobiles. Peter Y. Cavedo and Mrs Mary a
Null with garroting and robbiog him and. - (
Imprisoned. - : - :" = =
The .s mex. merning when the prisoners we're ar.
bles and Mrs Null, aud detailed the tnn,,uer n
which he bad been attacked aud rohlesl bv tksus
lie iafther stated that he was sea-farius rnsu--
that he len Mstanzas In vessel 70 get 4 load Of
aud II not then the vessel to run into Charles
ton, s. c., aud secure freight After being oot
twenty seven days, aud while in the waters Of
| Cape Henry, some thirty miles from Back River
Light House, the vessel sprung a1eak and filled 90
rapidly, that the officers aud took 10 the email
4 boats aud abandoned her. The Captain and him.
self placed 10 their boat q keg containing 5000
Spanish dollars, and boz containing $lo,ooo In
| Spanish doubloons, and started for land. Ths
small boats soon lost sight or each other The
Captain and hin self after being at sea three tiavs
csme in sight Of Back River Light House, aud fear.
Ing to take their treasure Shore sunk the boat
near the beach in three feet water rolled the key
| of silver out near, tied the two together with
bowine, brrfed the box Of doubloous under an old
log in the sand, aad he then started on In search
of spanish Consul, leaving the Captsin In the
woods near the Deach to watch the treasure until
his return. This story was told with so much
earnestness that nearly all who heard it believed
u; aad as Sierra insisted proving the truth OF
MS assertions, by visiting the beach In company
WIN police officer aud securing the treasure, the
Mayor determined last sunday to let officer Seal
take Sierra TO the place designated, ss the surest
means of confirming what he bad said. lss
on Monday morning last, officer Seal and Mr..
Antilotti left here on the steamer Glen Cove, and
arriving at Newport News took private convey.
auce for Hampton. Remaining at Old Point Mon
day night, the three LETT there he following mora.
ing Tor the beach, and on the route Sierra de-
scrihed many places, showing that he had been
along there before. Soon after reaching The beach
Sierra tied a white handkerchief around HIS hat,
rs u to attract the attention Of his Captain who
ne said was camping in the woods; aud when tho
vehicle got within half a mile of the Light House,
matt was ordered. aud the three started on foot
Sierra attci waving his handkerchief for q time
said they we're then at the right place, and an.
proaching an old log, which had been thrown
sshore by the waves, raised 1t mp aud felt for the
box OF doubioons but finding none, shrugged his
shoulders aud declared that the Captain had taken
the precious metai' and sloped. He then started
t'r the point where he said the boat had been
SUNK, anu aiier going short distance. stopped
iown and picked up two or three percussion cans
which he said his Captain had dropped ofiicer
Seal immediately charged him with throwing the
caps out OF his own pocket, which he finally ac-
knowedged.
The officer began to think that Sierra knew Of
no buried treasure aud suspectiug that his object
was escape, kept near him. They had not
gone great distance, however, when Sierra point
,eI to a place in which he said the boat aud ker
had been sunk, and stripping off his clothes waied
out into the water about fifteen feet but finding
neither boat nor keg returned to shore. expressed
himself satisfied with the search, and declared
that the Captain had taken the money aud iefs--
Mr. AutiOti then desired 10 know where the thick
woods we're in which the Captain had been con-
cealed, and where were the. marks of the camp
bnt Sierra merely smiled and said the truth of his
| statement was now doubted, because the money
could not be found Officer Seal aud Mr. Autiiotti
were both satisfied that Sierra had been on that
b'Hch before, but neither of them believed that ba
| had any treasure there.
When nioi med by the interpreter that the Off.
Ger intended bringing him back to Richmond
Sierra cooy replied that he could only do 40 by
the consent of the Spanish Consul On reaching
Norfolk, Sierra deposited in Jail for safe keep
ihg, where are several witnesses to testify In the
case of SLAYER lie had not been there long be-
fore lac told Mr. Antilottithat one Of the prisoners
francisco Vians, had given him 81 while in Jail;
ahd that another one had offeTe ed to pay 1900 to
cure his liberty; but that he refused the offer
These men he said he had known in Havana.
our readers will remember that the supercargo
OF a SLAYER escaped from the hands of the law some
time last fail, aud II is not at ell improbable that
Sierra is that man. The fact that he knew some
of the prisoners in Jail at Norfolk, is strong cir
The Mayor, after relating the evidence OF Sierra,
aud hearing the statements of Messrs. Antilotti
and Seal, promptly discharged the accused parties,
all three of whom had protested their innocence
from the first, but had always been ready 10 meet
the accusation against them. Relieving MS he did
that Manuel Sierra had perjured himself, he re-
mahded him to prison, to answer that charge.
Destructive FIRE Yesterday morn.
ing between the hours Of and = o'clock, the large
biick building sth. eet, between Main and
franklin, known as the 'old sweat house," occu-
pied lay Messrs Cosby Winfree as a tobacco fac
tory, was set on fire and completely destroyed.--
The fire was knded in the second story. and the
floors being covered with licoriee, the flames
spread with fearful rapidity, soon enyeoping and
consuming the house. Immediately after the roof
fell n the wallis gave way, aud falling on the sd-
joining buildings north and south, crushed them
IN On the south, small shed In the occupany Of
Messrs. w. * d. Gibson, and another occupied by
ir. Wilson, painter, and shoe shop, were
crushed in. On the north, the frame building for.
nerly occupied by the Hook and Ladder Company,
but now used for storing old fire apparatus, and
for valuable cases aud settees belonging to ths
virginia Mechanics Institute, was completely de-
Dlolshei. and the contents more or les injured
ny the side OF this building Mr.. Joseph y. Powell
had quantity Of timber piled up, to be used ia
the hail OF the Mechanics Institute, which was
broken and defaced Messrs. Cosby x Winfree had
an insurance. on their fixtures Of 5000, and also
an insurance their stock aud lease, in the
Wheeling, Valley and Aiexandria Offices, 3 } that
their loss i'll be small. The building belonged to
Mr.. Joseph Allen, aud no doubt fully insured
In 1910 the old sweat house the head quarters
uf the Democratic party Of Richmond, and is there
fore we'll remembered by those of our citizens
Who figured in politics Of that day.
DIED IN Prison. Anderson Brooks
afias Foster, Penitentiary convict, aud man OF
A Il.