The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-03-22
WONDERFUL DISCOVERY.


4 BOX Of Coin. and Valuable Ornaments.
Supposed TO Have Been Buried be DE So.
to, Found Near Natchez. Mississipi-Grea
Value Of the Treasure.
From the Nacshez New South, February Is.
Many of readers will no doubt emember the
great excitement which existed about year .
60 in this vicinity. caused by the assertion Of
an old negro sorceress that quantity Of the
treasure Of the once celebrated Captain Kidd
was buried at short distance from the Nat
ional Cemetery, near what is familiary know as
the Devils Punch BOWL Quite number
of our colored citizens believing the stories Of
this old women. engaged in the work Of dig
ding for the treasure in spot which. by the
aid of the black art, she had pronounced it to
be buried.
They progressed in their "labor Of love" (of
gain) for . number Of weeks without success,
and finally gave up in despair. a heavy rain hav-
ing disconnected them to discouraging extinct.
Time passed on, and the event has perhaps
escaped the minds of nearly all to whom thu
mysterious affair was cognizant and but for
the event which we are about to chronicle,
would perhaps have never disturbed their
brains again. However, we will on to our
story, which is as strange as it is true.
Shortly after . storm, few weeks ago. a
couple Of negro boys, while hunting in the
vicinity Of the of the excavations made by
discounted treasure-seekers Of one year since
CHANGED to find q dingy, rusty old square box.
which was so bound about with metal as to al
most resemble al iron box. 1t was with diff
fculty that the two combined could not move
it. and to carry it was out of question.
While one Of them remaiuded near this queer
looking old box. the other went for his father.
The father, his wife and another colored man !,
repaired to the spot, and remembering the old
sorcerees' tale At once conc! uded they had
found at least portion OF the treasure. Events
have proved that they were not amiss in their
conjeotures. But they moved very cautiously
in the matter, least they should be discovered;
and so under the cover of the night the box
was removed to their little cottage. Up to the
early part Of this week they confined their Sc
cret to no living person, but serious affair
having occurred between the boys the matter
(being At first but vaguely limited at) came to
the ears of our reporter. lie repaired to the
house on Wednesday for the purpose OF exam :
ming the treasure found. The box in which
it was found is about three feet long by two
wide, evidently made of . species of CEDAR and
is firmly bound by strips Of iron, running
around literally and disgonally, and fastened
with long nails, clinched inside. The treasure
consists principally ofancient Spanish gold and
silver coin dated from 1850 up to 1880. and it
is adjudged there is at least $4,000 worth of
them. Besides the coin, there are several
other articles. seemingly to have been worn as
ornaments. great number Of silver orna-
4
used as some part Of their sword trappings.
1t is impossible to tell what metal any OF
the coins or ornaments are composed of by their
looks, for all have mouldy, green appearance
attestng to the lapse of time since they were
buried. A little golden cross, with an image
of our Savior, establishes the religion of the
people who buried the treasure, and from dates
on the coins it is believed that the treasure
thus unearthed at this late day was was buried
by none other than the great fernando De So
to and his followers, about the year 1910, and
it is we'll known that discover Of the mighty
Mississippi was in this vicinity about that
time and also..t that he was seriously troubled
by the hostile Indians.
A piece of parchment found in the box was
so old and musty that no characters could be
discrened upon it. As . whole, the discovery
ofths long hidden ire asure forms no inconsid>
cradle event in our history, and will throw q
light upon the adventures Of the hardy
Spaniards who frequent the spot where now
stands beautiful city, centuries ago. A
number of individuals have visited the hut and
examined the coins, and all agree with the
views of the writer as 10 whom the treasures
was buried by.
a prominent gentleman has bargained for
the box and its contents, with a view of remov-
ing them to New York, where the coins will
bring large price from antquaries.