Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-05-28
A Story Of Hidden eold-What Texan BAPTIST
Found in Beautiful vallev.

A Story Of Hidden eold-what Texan Baptist
Found in Beautiful Valley.
tBelton Ts1as) Correspondents New York SUM-
For several years past there has been
strange story published in many of
the local papers of the State in regard
to buried treasure in this part Of the
country. About twenty miles above
Bolton there is large spring whence
issues one of the most beautiful streams
in the world, which for distance OF
twenty miles meandes;rs through a rich
ana fertile valley, about two miles in
WIDTH Surrounded by range of noun.
tam, on which there are cedar brakes
almost impenetrable to man. This
valley is known far and near as
hollands Valley, and is celebrated 70,
its springs Of pure water, the fertility OF
thesoil, and its many peculiarly shaped
mounds.
About fifteen years ago an old Mexi-
can greaser named Antonio came into
this section of the country, and hired
himself as laborer to a gentleman oil
the vicinity. He was about fifty years
OF age, and one of the most eccentric
individuals in the country. Every spare
moment he could get he was prowlina
around through the mountain and
valley, apparently in search of some
thing, but when questioned he gave
evasive replies.
At that early day this country was
but thinly inhabited, and the citizens
We're troubled very much by horse
thieves. The Mexicans conduct was
so very peculiar that the citizens be-
gan to look on him with suspicion,
thinking he was spy for some band OF
thieves locating the whereabouts of the
best horses, and finding gaps through
the mountains to pilot the thieves in
and out. He was frequently absent a
day or two at time, and when ques-
toned would give very unsatisfactory
answers. Suspicion with a Texan
amounts to guilt, and a few of the
neighbors arrested Antonio for the pur
pose of compelling him to divulge all
he knew of the horse thieves. The
party proceed to administer the Lynch
law. He was hanged three times until
life was nearly extinct, but not a word
could be forced from him in regard to
the horse thieves. When he revived
sufficiently he told them the following
story: He said that about twenty
years ago he belonged to band OF
Mexican robbers, whose retreat was
about twenty miles from here, among
the mountains CD Leon river. One
day, while the rest of the band were
on an expedition, he and conrad,
conceived the bold desighn of robbing
them and hiding the treasure until the
robbers were dispersed, when they
would return and get the gold. He
said there were four cedar boxes, con
tanning one hundred thousand dollars
each, all in Spanish doubloon, which
they placed on pack mules and transpor
ted to this Valley and buried IN four
very peculiarly shaped mounds. His
partner had been killed in Mexico at a
fandango, and he had been confined in
a Mexican prison until this time. He
said he had been searching the valley
over for the place where the money
was concealed, but so many years had
elapsed that he could not find the
marks he had left to designate the
place. Very few OF the party placed
any confidence in his narrative, and
after a severe castigation he was al
lowed to go free, with instructions to
leave the country forthwith. He had
never been seen or heard of in this part
OF the country since.
Your correspondent was one of the
party who arrested the old Mexican
and was inclined to give some credence
to the story, but to turn out and seek
for the money among so many mounds
without any knowledge of the exact
locality was like looking for needle in
a hay stack. There are but few here
now who ever heard the tale, and the
oldest settlers have almost let it slim
from their memory.
FINDING THE GOLD.
A day OF two ago a citizen of this
valley was in need of some clay to daub
an oid-fashioned stick and earth chin
ney, and as clay is very scarce article
here, he concluded to open one of the
mounds and try the earth for that pur-
pose. He opened hole about three
feet deep, where he found strong &c
dar box with iron bands. The bands
were almost eaten up with rust, and
were easily removed by hand. With
the shaip point Of the pick the box was
pressed open. and found to contain
s, 25O Spanish doubloons, almost 500.
200. He procured wagon and NOV
ed the treasure to Bolton and deposit
ed it in the bank Of Sinclair q Co. He
made no secret of the discovery and the