The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-04-04
sILVER-NOT GOLD!
$4S, OOO!-TwO Bushels and a
Half!


dent, 4" NJ Cube" in our last issue gave
the story of lost treasure that was re-
Gently found near Panther Springs, in
this county. Since that article was pub
lished, GAZETTE commissioner was de-
puted to visit the locality and report for
its readers such other facts as might be
of general interest He found the peo-
pie of that locality greatly excited, as
new and startling developments were
being daily made. From the very many
versions that have been given concern
ing the finding of the money it would
be rather hard for one to understand the
exact truth relating to the treasure un-
less he had interested himself directly in
the matter, and made every poasible eff
fort to obtain a correct statement of the
facts in the case, as our commissioner
did. He says that tits generally con-
ceded that at a later period than 1894, as
stated by NJ. Cube, probably since 1900,
some parties, whose names are now unr
known, visited the section of country
referred TO, at that time known as s'the
barrens," with the intention of making
a purchase and settling. 1t was known
that they had a large amount of money
with them, and it is believed they were
decoyed to the robbers cave and XII led
by the Pattersons. An old citizen of the,
neighborhood impaired the information
contained IN the following story: About
tho war son nv IN WOO errr tLo,., I;,r.l
at or near the old Shelton farm two bro
theirs, Joab and - Patterson. They
were the leaders of notorious hand of
rohbera who operated from North Caro-
lima to the Georgia and Kentucky lines
Among the number were the notorious
Rayless and a man who lived on the farm
now owned by NJ r. MurreIl, by name
of Broyles. There was at that time no
wagon road through the country except
the main road leading from Abingdon to
Knoxville. The robbers would meet at
Pattcrsop's still house, get supplies and
start on their Journeys, taking from one
citizen and trading to another, fearlessly
defying the then ineffective laws of the
country. They would set some out build
ing on fire and while the owner was at
the fire would rob the house of every
thing they could carry off. They would
skin domestic animals alive, or cut from
the ham of a cow five or ten pounds Of
flesh and cook IL, leaving the brute tc
wander about and for long while gave
considerable eredence to statements of
superstitious persons that "the witches
had done it,
1t was generally believed that these
men made deposits of their ili-gottoH
spoils In the nelghborhood, but no one
ever knew the exact place, though it is
described in the waybill brought by the
defendants of the Pattersons to this
country That they would kill man
for few dollars, is certainly very plausi.
bic, and that they aid on many occas-
ions, is not doubted, for when strangers
who visited the country to buy lands
were last seen it was at the still house of
the Pattersons. On a stormy night in
spring they left the place IN company
with some of the gang for Rroylt'a
house, about two miles distance. Uncle
Barnett Smith states that he heard
Broyles say that the money was in
cave not five miles from the place, he
also says that he was actually afraid to
meet Broyles at any time. To sum the
matter up, it is believed that Lambert
got some money out of the cave--no one
knows how mueh-that it was probably
the denominations of this band of ban
ditties; that the bones are those of the
strangers who were decoyed to the cave,
there killed and deposited with the mons
ey, at a time when the storm king would
better enable them to hide their nefari-
Gus crimes, when
..The fghtnings flashed across the skies,
And the thunders muttered their requiem z