The New York herald., 1872-09-21
HIDDEN PLUMBER.
A Federal Qnartermastsr Buries $4,000 Eur
ing the War and Comes Nine
Years After to Get 1t.
A Huge Oak Guards the Stolen Treasure-A Mid
night Search After TIT is Found and
Carried Away, but by Whom "A My%
tery that May Never Be Solved. sa
sHrruERDsTows, Jefferson county, ": Va,

locality saw It's full share OF that conflict and was
disputed ground between the two armies for long
time. IL u directly across the Potomac from the
battle ground Of Antietam, and saw great deal
OF that famous fight, as well as OF many minor
ones nearer its own limits 1t Is good place to
cross the Potomac by ferry, and, therefore, was
generally selected by both armies as an available
point from which to operate.
During the summer OF 1863 1t was in the thlckest
OF the commotion OF the retreat OF our army 10
Gettysburg and subsequent retreat OF the shat-
tered army OF Lee and OF the future OF that sum-
mer's operation OF our army In this section.
There was therefore great number OF army OIL
Gers in and about the little town, and during
the Gettysburg campaign much confusion and ex-
citement prevailed. After this was all quieted by
the further removal Of the army and everything
settled to almost peace standard 1t became ru-
mored about that during the Gettysburg campaign
a auartermastcr of our army had buried In this VI
ctnity large amount OF money, varonsly estimated
mt from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars.
Prom various circumstances connected with the
report much credence was given to the rumor ana
many attempts made by people to find the treasure,
but without avail. Just after the war had closed
and the report as to
THE HIDDEN WEALTH
had been almost forgotten, young man made his
appearance In this vicinity, claiming to have been
a soldier in New York regiment OF cavalry (my
informant thinks 1t the Fifth). He remained
about for some time without any apparent
object, except to visit the battle helds over
which he had marched and fought end even
stated that this was his only purpose here. Every
day he would take long walks. frst in one direc-
tion and then another, and uniformly carried dig
ing implement with him. This excited some sus-
pcion, and
HE WAS WATCHED
by gentleman who had the story OF the buried
cash revived by his appearance and action. He was
found to walk up and down the different roads In
the vicinity scanning anxiously every tree that
stood near the roadside, evincing such an interest
in his search as was inconsistent with his story Of
interest only in the war scenes in which he had
participated. For more than week he kept up his
visits to the adjoining country, and toward the
GLOOMY AND MELANCHOLY.
One evening about ten days from the time OF his
arrival he returned later than usual from his walk
day for his Northern home. After he had eaten his
supper he called the gentleman with whom he was
visit to this country was not solely to visit old army
scenes, but to secure
s vcn4 OF yna he mAD nEES IN s
quartermaster of New York brigade, W no was an
intimate friend OF his. He said that he had been
the CLERK Of this officer who secreted the money,
and that
$e2, 2,Ooo WAS BURIED
amid the roots OF large tree somewhere IN this
vicinity. He stated that the officer who Ind the
money was then serving out term in the peniten-
tiary for embeZzlement, and il the money was not
found before it expired lie the ofiicer would
himself
RETURN FOR HIS HIDDEN PLUMBER.
He seemed much chagrined at his failure to dis
cover the spot where his defaultng friend had
sscfeted his ilgotten cash. and declared his n fear
got out OF prison 1t would be worthless lie said
the money was in greenbacks and gold, IN tin
box, and when buried was encaSed IN wooden
box.
HIS STATEMENTS
rln ar1t. .aCitt txrA fn nn NJ nf
burial that not the slightest shadow OF doubt was
ieit upon the mind OF my informant that s62 600 lie
home but where no one could tell save the one
who hid 1t. The young man who thus gave posi-
rumor Of the money burial is represented as being
young and gentlemanly in appearance, well and
neatly dressed sober and deliberate TN action, in
telligent in conversation and generally correct In
habit and department. He left for his home on the
next morning after imparting the above iniorma-
tion, and since that date until few days ago no
knowledge as to his Whereabouts or history has
been possessed by any one here.
HE RETURNS WITH A CoMPANI0N.
short time since two wei'-1Tessed. gentle
manly looking and acting meE stepped or the cars
at Keedysville a little town a few miles distant
from here, directly across the river in Maryland.
Ihey secured horse and buggy with the statement
In the late war and desired to revisit the battlefield
OF iAntetam, its cemetery and adjoining army his
oTca points ney spent time about the
but truthfuy to kill time, and by one or two per-
sons was this young man who had first come to
HIS COMPANION
Is supposed to have been him who buried the
treasure he had searched for years ago unsuccess-
fully, recently ont from prison. Toward evening
they drew near the Potomac River. crossed 1t and
spent some time there looking at It's working and
conversing with the superintendent. To him they
also told the story OF their visit 10 old army camp
grounds and their journey from New York here
70 revisit them, II was late when they left. and
Of Harpers Ferry. r. I Nothing more rel is known @ Of them
until the next morning, near daylight. when they
recrossed the ferry, and drove Oh toward Keedys
Vile, where they took the train East.
A DISCOVERY AND SENSATION
Hardly had the morning fairly dawned ere Mr..
AYERS who lives about two miles from this place, on
the road leading toward Dunied's depot Just above
the Harper's Ferry wood discovered that immense
frOm the root OF a large oak tree standing by the
roadside, few hundred yards below his house, on
the road leading toward the place. He and several
that horse and buggy had been hitched to the
fence during the night and that at least three or four
WAGON LOADS OF EARTH
had been taken out from around the roots OF the
tree BY some unknown parties, evidently In q
the mysterious pile of earth, trying TO divine the
cause Of the digging, one OF them discovered a
Two ieet In length by fifteen or eighteen inches In
width, the decayed portions Of which were scat
tered all about the opening. No sooner had this
been discovered than the story OF the
QUARTERnAsrER's HIDDEN CASH
had come and taken it away. The story OF this
discovery soon spread over the community and
large numbers o. people came TO view the spot
where for nearly ten years
SMALL FORTUNE LAY BURIED
which had been sought after for long time with
great energy by several people who did not doubt
Ne existence. went to the spot which is about
mile from town, and saw the evidences OF the truth
Of what have related. fhe other facts as re-
lated, have been obtained by careful inquiry, and
ere perfectly reliable
THE TRFE
whose branches have shaded the substance OF this
story is huge white OAK at least three feet N
diameter, standing Just inside the fence in neld
now 1lled with ripening corn. The digging was
begun Just inside the fence, and extended in
semi-crcle around the tree, the trench being about
four feet wide all the way around. The plough has
passed the spot where the treasure was
buried this season and several past ones since II
has been there without disturbing in the least It's