Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-03-29
J'EEE GAZETTE.
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH ~ ~
TREASURE TROEE.

81,
"n', ire rouical exterior, came up yeSter-
Iar in the Supreme Court 1t seems t ,.,itt ~
H",' .,.,,s ,.ouutv lived a mau named Elisha
iiarr;< lie owned large farm, and was
'.a,'nsad to have saved considerable money.
~ IT, ,r.s an eccentric aud close listed lnol,
"a and lie lived entirely secluded ana
'iu""'' n Juiy 1855, he died. His admins
...o,' conld find no property beyond the Or
t i;na,.r hnnseho!d furniture, &c. According
ulu.i :.,n, they had II veudue-or, as the
country people call ia Vanooo, \ "n,oai,
". no wov. is one of the three great sources
oFnxeitenent and interest III the eIuntry-
cn,,rf week ami funerals oelhS me o'ncr
t,rn Tnc yendue was well attended: 1t DE-
inv inferred that the mo ney Whlch IL was
e,,n,,r.aa that the deceased d'ed poSSeSSeu CT,
.tol been concealed somewhere-aho olo
chests and bureaus probably never oeiore
snlJ :, we'll at an up-country SAFE well
.ona David NJ. Ilut!nacher, an honest
Dptchman. went to the sale, ana d monde
.I,.,;r,, u.rirle Of furniture was struck Oh 10
H., (nr ff,ean cents 1t was square
1I1al. If nine wood. about three feet long
"a ron mr. twelve inches square, supported
-, f,,r laos. each about loot and hall IN
1an,,r! On the tcp was Il horizontal wheel,
,.;,H an iron spinde attached to 1t. 1t was
~. ,,tI,n3isi, affair. and it might, for all we
Enn,x have come out pg the ark and been APP
,I;nf ~ .uteliluyian uses David paid his
Eftsro cents. aud hauled bis purchase home
un3 rirey II "u the w0Ouplle. IN course ot
tim, r. came 10 be split open Tor nre wood,
,,,h,n IN, i; was found TO contain S3,l34.oo
in aold and silver coin and pFomiSsory
notes. David. though poor, was honest, and
he informed the administrators OF his DIS
rnvery. The result was suit was entered
70 determine to whom the treasure should be-
lnnr. The lower Conrt decided against
Honest David, and he appealed. Such was
the case that came up yesterday, ana II "c-
casi1ned much lnerrlment.
The ease was argued by llendrck b.
Wright. ESD, for David and +. l.. Dana
ESQ. for tie estate OF Harms.
ilr. Wright contended that DAVID was
guilty Of no fraud or misrepresentation, ahu
that he was entitled to have all that lie
houebt--lor. spindle and money. lie clted
divers odd cases--Such liz that oi the bed
stead Of Richard Ill, which many years al
Ter the battle of BoSworth Field WAS sold.
and the buyer found the frame and posts
filled with gold coins: and the case OF q tro-
pical bird. sold recently in New orieans the
owner finding in IT'S craw some valuable
diamonds. We're these jewels sold with the
bird2
Chief Justice Lowre suggested no had for
rotten one case--that of the man who bought
pig in poke" Mr.. W. replied that was
an irish case and might not be considered rs
authority III oar Courts.
Mr.. Dana contended that log ANA spindle
,0ere all that David bought or that the adj
,,;ni.Irators intended to seil--~and that Dav id
could not have any more, except "n the para
dox that the administrators sold that which
7hey did not assent to the sale OF. and had
NOT offered for sale and that David purchas-
ed that which he did not hid for nor pay for
Lots OF other "%ise saws ana modern lnStah-
ces" were cited BY Mr.. Dana from Piutarch
down 10 Story. lie gave the following from
tn, lie OF SJon: Plut. Lives, p Go3--
"Nhen some Coans once were drawings net,
gonGe strangers of Miletus brought the draught
unseen and Mt a venture There CHANGED to
come up Il golden tripod, which, Helen st heT
return from Troy, on the remembrance OF an
old prophecy, had thrown IN there. The
strangers contendng with the fishers Ton the
tripod, ami the cities espouSing the quarrel
so lar as to engage i'll war. Apollo to end the
controversy advised that the tripod be pre-
sented to the wisest man. After passing
round in fruitless search from one TO another,
it eventually came back to the temple OF
Apollo, and the Court by reason OF inability
10 decide the case, became the owner OF the
subject matter OF the controversy.
Mr.. Wright said he did not wish 10 Intrnde
any sdvce upon the Court bur If they found
David's case knottv one, they conid make
short work of it by following the example of
the ancient tribunal.
The Court has the case under adviSement.
--PaUaieiphju Bulletin.
CuIlp SrulEN EY \ BECGAR NoMA$.-on
the l. I'll inst, Iw0 brothers named Ira and
Charles Chapman, while walking in the
~ e S:Ia.z S.llIr w 49,