The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-03
sess Ctcnrthing Of q Large
Amount of Buried Gold and Dta'
snautls Mysterious Movements OF u
Mysterious CoIplc of Treasure.
ssvnta~a

Amount 0f Buried Gold ana Dfas
uhs~MysteriOHs Movements OF u
Mysterious Co:srlc of Treasure.
ssunte~s. f..t5
From tlse Louisville Courier, December :s. !
The gossips Of the city we're considerably
excited Yesterday hy the report that large
amount Of buried treasure had been un-
cartied and spirited away in mysterious
manner. The story readily gained cur
rcacy. sS it is known to many here that a
number OF parties have searched for hid
dtu treasures in The same locality at vari-
Ols times. /,
About three weeks ago withered, queer
looking old man, who Said that he was q
physician. went TO tho man in charge of the
lime house belonging to the Bridge Com
pany, situated on tue south. bank of the
canal about lG0 feet above the end of the
new bridge, anil stated that lie wished to
make some chemical experiments, and
would pay literally Tor the use of certain
portion ot The house. The man refused to
grant his request, and he left. A few days
after, he WAS noticed surveying in the Vi
cinity, and carefully noting its bearings.
The next day he asked permission to use O
port;onof the ground near the canal, and
Was told that the Bridge Company had no
control over it. He then had building ma
tcrial brought 10 the spot and a shed FIVE
or six feet high and about twelve feet
square built over point which he designa-
TEX. The chinks were tightly closed, and
stout loci; placed on the door.
To the curious who asked the meaning of
such singular actions, he told plausible
storv, stating that he wished to experiment
with dye-stuits, and succeeded in decciving
them as 10 his real object. after the build
in- was completed he was seen to enter the
she'd in company with the man who built
it,. rough looking man, apparently la
borer-caTying picks and shoyels. They
remained in the shed al day, only leaving
it after nightiall, anu then returning again
in Il short time, and until late in the night
CLEANS Of light were detected through the
chinks and crannics OF the roughly con-
&tru,icd hut. About ten days ago, shortly
after night had set III. the old doctor was
Observed 10 come out, look carefully in every
direction, rcInter the shed. and then emerge
in few minutes with his companion, and
bearing between them Il burden, (;hc exact
shape OF which could not be determined,
Iut which appeared TO be weighty,) place it
| in wagon near hy, and drive rapidly
away.
The next day nor the next the myste-
riouS couple were not seen, and on Sunday
afternoon the curiosity Of those who had
Observed their actions overcamc all other
considerations, and an entrance was forced
INTO the hut. In one corner OF the hut was
hole in the earth five or Elk feet deep. At
one side Of the pit was Il post, the top Of
which came within two feet of the surface
OF the earth, and III the upper end Of which
Was driven singular-luoking brass nail.
Tie post was very much decayed, and had
evidently been in the ground for some time.
| Tie vicinity is subject to overflow in time
Of high water, and the earth on the post had
evidently been deposited by the floods. The
tools used IN excavating We're lying just
as they had been left.
! The discovery ut once brought to the me-
| morv of several residents of the vicinity
the fact that about fifteen years ago man
who greatly resembled the little old man,
accompanied by two others. spent several
weeks in searching the locality, with di-
yiniug rod and other appliances used III
discovering metals and in digging. They
were unsuccessful, and finally gave up III
disgust. Before they disappeared, how
ever, one OF the men, while intoxicated
boastcd that there was large amount OF
gold and diamonds buried somewhere in
that vicinity, and that he would find it il
it took lifetime He was piled will
more LIQUOR, and told the eager listeners
that a convict, who died in prison in an
eastern State, had contided to one.of his
| \ 4 IL o4 I,f
time, that wealthy and eccentric Cuban
had been followed from New Orleans by
the convict and a comrade and mur-
dcred on the old road leading from Ship
pingsport (,rhcre the boats all landed in
those days) to Louisville, shortly after he
left the steamer which came to New Or
leans a large sum Of money in gold and
diamonds Of an enormous value were taken
from his person, and the body stripped and
thrown into the river. Surprised and
alarmed at the enormous booty they had
secured, they at the dead of night buried
| il, and agreed to leave it untouched until
! AL risk of detection had passed. As the
! Cuban WAS an entire stranger, his disap-
pearancc excited no comment until some
time nfterward, when all traces Of him had
| been lost. The drunken man told how one
of the murterers WAS shortly atterward
killed in drunken brawl in New Orleans,
and the other recognized as an old offender,
arrested, tried, and sentenced to long
term in the penitcntiary, and on his death
bed revealed the secret to his telloW-con-
vict that when the convict was released
from prison he had entered into an agree
ment with himself and the doctor, who pro-
fcssed to have an infallible method of dis
covering buried metals, but that the search
SO far had been fruitless.
At this point in tl,e story one of the
treasure-seekers came in and spoke roughly
to him and hurried him from the house,
and they were seen DO more. Several at
tempts to discover the treasure were made
by those to whom he related this story, but
always without success, and they finally
concluded that the story was but the
chimer of drunken brain, and that there
never was was any treasure buried on the
banks Of the canal. ,-.. Y.
The return of the old Doctor, his myste-
rious actions, and the evident accomplish
ment Of his object, revived the old story,
and the discovery of the hole III the earth
and the tools which had been used in exca-
waiting. set the curious wild with excitement,
and hundreds visited the spot yesterday.
As to what was found in the hole OF. course
:, -, n,, mrs, hut fhot tho hole was