The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-14
WHOLE NO 1911

1t was but the work of moment to pace of
'us Instance, and Fox found himself by the
stone. Measuring then backwards seven PAGES
towards the tree he dropped on his knees, and
drawing bis bowie knife, commenced hesipe
in the ground with all bis might. He had not
labored long when his knife struoh against
something hard,
"Good," exclaimed Fox TO bimsely ,.I,,ah h;.
the spot exactiy, and here they ara" and with
this suppressed exclamation he gave sever,,
twists with his knife and immediately thare-
after drew forth from the hole a bottle n small
package sealed with beeswAx, and cloth DAG.
the latter OF which jingled with the sound of
money as he laid it beside the others ON the
grass. Taking the bottle he broke il, and a
number OF bank bills with which il bafh BEEN.
filled, fell dry and unhurt into bis hand. The
opening OF the package disclosed watch in as
equally good state Of preservation. Thrust
ing the bills, the bag Of coin, and the watch in
to his pocket, Fox jumped up from tho ground
speaking to himself, as he did so, while smile
OF intense satisfaction crossed his features:
'Get them now who can have theu.
money and all, safe and sound es when Long.
Birch and came down here to bury them.-
Long knew the marks l made, but Birch didn't.
II either OF them get into trouble Long NAV
peach If he pleases, and Birch If he oan. see
squall ahead and 1 can't do them any good
III take the money and part of the evidence OF
Col Davenport's murder with me and clear.
Carefully filing up the hole which no had
dug, and strewing over Il the leaves OF tbe for
est, he turned up the ravine and was sooa lost
10 view
Inc scene OF our story is again n the ravine
on the banks OF the Des Moines river aud near
to the identical black walnut tree. which Fox
as above related, had made his starting point
to recover again the treasure OF Col Oayen-
port 1t was some few days after Fox had
been there, and one day after the confession of
Birch to Bonney, IN which he described the
spot. Bonney, sheriff Wisecraft, sheriff Estes
Oh Lee county, and several others who had ac-
companied the party. were standing around
rock on which Birch, heavily ironed, Was seat
ed. IL was about the middle OF the afternoon,
and the party, evidently fatigued, seemed wait
H.
Birch appeared depressed and confused Rails
ing at length, his head which had been for
some time cast downward, he turned 70 Bon
ney and spoke In deprecating tone
"All can say is, this is the rock on which I
melted the bees-wax to put around the bottle
and the watch. AS told you, Fox went a
short distance. and buried the whole, Ldid not
see where, but it must be near this spot Yon
have found everything else as ] told and If
you cannot find the money, can't help it,
"Well, wen try again" said Bonney, and the
| whole party proceeded TO make moro thor
oush search than the one which they had Just
concluded.
An hours beating about the trees and bushes
produced no satisfactory result, and as the
night WAS coming on, Bonnev gave ND tho dis-
covery OF the watch and money as q bad job
No trace OF any spot could be found where the
booty had been buried, and Bonney gave Or
ders for the return to Rock Island with. their
prisoner. The issue of this Intellectual search,
depressed the spirits Of Birch much lower than
ever, believing as he did, that the fruitess
trouble he had caused Bonney, would be the
worse for HIM. and that there was sufficient
evidence to convict HIM on his tIial. ite there
fore. on his way back to Rock Island, made an
other confession, in which he admitted he was
par,icipator IN the robbery and murder OF
Col. Davenport, with personal knowledge OF
the whole affair.
When Bonney, with his party and tho prison.
er. Birch. reached Fort Madison, on his. return
to Rock Island he found that Old Reddin and
his SOD William H. Redden, whom we left con-
fined at the former place, had been brought
before Judge Mason, at Burlington, Iowa, on u
writ Of habeas corpus. 1t became. therefore,
the duty Of sheriff Estes. Of Fort Madison. to
take them TO Burlington. lie accordingly en-
barked with them on board the same boat In
which Bonney had taken passage for Rsck L.
| land On the boats arrival at Burlington
Estes landed to go ia pursuit OF the iailor Of
that place, leaving the Reddens IN charge Of I.
A. Walker, his. assistant. While be was gone
the boat started again, and arrived at Rock Ia
land on the following day, where the Reddens
were taken into the custody Of the Sheriff Of
Rock Island on the charge of aiding in tho mur-
der OF Col Davenport.
The next incident in thie web Of crime, the
concentration OF the unwinding Of which,
through the means Of Bonney Rock Island now
bids fair to be the scene, was IN attempt to N-
rest Jack Redden, another OF the sons OF the
old reprobate Of Devils creek. The confession
Of Birch plainly showed HIM also to DO an ao-
cessory to the murder of Col. Davenport, and
a posse was Immediately sent to Nauvoo to
take him. The attempt failed. The Mormon
gang rallied in strength, beat and wounded the
posse, and drove them off the field Jack
Redden therefore escaped, and mob law in his
case. was the victor. To add to this last dis
appointment Bonney received the intelligence
obont thus time, of the escspe Of Fox from i.
p johnson at indianapolis, on the 10th day OF
santember. On review of all the facts, Bon
new came to the conclusion that Johnson was
bribed by Fox, for he had not in any way fol-
lowed the instructions which Bonney had CIV
an him for the safe keeping of Fox.
Bonney, however, had alsrge balance Of con-
ISOLATION 10 his credit. The prisoners, Baxter
and Aaron Long, whom at the begin ming OF
This chapter, we also left on their way to Rock