The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-27
AN IRON BOX.
The Excitement Created BY ITS Dis
cOyery at Peeksk'll.
WHAT DID 1T CONTAIN ?
Those Who Dug 1t Up Refuse
to Tell.

The nourishing town OF Psekskui, on tho HUDSON,
brides itself iss wnterworEs which, during tho
past year, has supplied them with wholesome drink
ing water; and tho good Sisters of ST. Francis Con-
vent situated Townsend Hill just outside OF the
TOWN, made the necessary arrangements some time
ago 10 have tho brought into their grounds
For that purpose line was traced along the sIopng
ground adjacent to the dig the ditch,
where tho new Pipes were to be safely en-
sconce and furnish the Sisters and their pupils with
good and wholesome water worKmen were engaged
10 attend to tho job, ana two men servants Of tho
adjoining farm forming part OF the religious inssitu
lion, detailed to assist
A prscovEEY
me work progressed wtnout the Toast interruptions
for several days. when Monday OF last woek, after
The had already assumed considerable proper
ION John Shaughn sssy Of the laborers while AZ
work with his shovel, suddenly exclaimed. "Hao
here Is a box.n Looking once more closely into tho
hole he dug into tho earth he added Boys here's
something for all OF us" Only two other mon were
at work with she time and those werc tho two
servants above mentioned, Valentine and John Huber
brothers, who had been engaged on tho farm OF tho
convent ever since tho present Indy Superior took
charge OF Institution years ago. John Huber
said, in broken English, swell. that looks like some
thing; we may find some more" and with eye to
business, before the box was lifted from ITS
hiding place. said, .Jm, what shall We do--dvide all
we and or let each man keep what he finds Y" Tho
two others Immediately replied, LET US divide"
II was so agreed and box lifted up tho hill.
This occurred Monday Of last week. Now. what
became box since that time is the anabsorbng
question ag.atng the minds Of the good Inhabitants
orPeckskil and HERALD reporter yesterday endeav-
ored to solve that problem He nrst called upon
sister Buenaventurr the Lady rioress OF the st.
III really know very little about tho affair."" she
said .rhe men emDloye on the grounds can tell
you all about Il. will call them Tor you"
.'rhen some sort OF a treasure has been founds"
II nrst Thought whom they told OF It that 1t was
Joke; but believe there Is someshing IN II, after
Going toward the door she repeated. ~ Will call the
mem they viii tell you oil about it,"
About this time, while standing with the Lady
Supcroress on the piazza OF tho convent which
affords magni ficent view not only OF PeeksklL but
also the broad Hudson, several ladies, said 10 be
pupils OF the Academy OF Our Lady OF Angels which
forms part of the ST. Francis Convent, surrouLoet
their chief and said valentine 10 just coming IN"
Valentine Huber having been one Of the men present
when the box found, told tho following story,
very poor German, English being still, worse -s'0h,
II does not amount 10 any'hing l 40 NOT Know Why
people Mould make a fuss about H. Inere wero only
sNow, Valentine. mover mind she FUSS" said tho
reporter. .reil mo about The box"
'.We, Il was vii rusty, and xc knocked Is to pieces"
ssWhai became OF the p,eccsY"
Valentine here stoicaiiy gnted mis- pipe ana SAID,
"wh.t was tho sze OF the box7,
s.About tour inches Whereabouts. II was . small
twas It moi larger than tbats"
s.Pernsps II was; don't remember don't see
Why all this should 90 Ia the newspapers"
siNevcr mind what you see or don't see What be-
came OF the coinsY'
"Iney must have fallen out into the sand other
portions Of the ditch. We only got lew CONS and
.Apa have you NOS looked around for tho coips
SINGER A box seventeen incnes long buried six loot
deep into the ground must have contained more
than three cons?" ssked the reporter.
valentine once moro lighted his pipe and said, .Per-
napsn Hethea good nataredly pulled out his pocket
in inc box The ono was copper, apparently British
pcce, with the datc 1878 perfectly egbie; tho other
coin could DO dcciphered, neither is possible
10 SEQ whether It gold copper.
john HUBER brother OF the mau who showed the
coin WAS round on tho farm and SAID that inc reason
wuy hey had no, looked the OF the
box that must have dropped out whc being lifted up
The HILL that tnor nrst DUTY was To lay down tho
water pipes into the ditch they nal dug. Wncn few
days incse pipes were to DO covered up with earth
again iney mig possibly find the remainder OF the
treasure, ana tncy Intended TO look carefully over
cvcfy inch OF tho ground.
rRAxps LAZY TREASURE
While the reporter speaking to Huber two
tramps entered grounds Of the aud leis-
urcIy suoied along the siopng hill where tho
open ditch and mounds Of earth were 10
them quito an attraction. They appeared
lazy, however. for practical investigation, OF the
heaped up earth, and though looking sharply at the
spot believed 10 contain still more treasure, tney
left without being told 10 SO by the men, who
had lust expressed the Deliei tnat quite treasure
rux pnorLE or rxExsKILL HYsrrrIxn !.
Some oil the leading Inhabitants of PeckskiIi with
whom reporter conversod assert That tho box
not broken up by the workingmen They state that
u has safely taken caro- OF and been opened but
that the amount actually round has been kept strict
secret Even tho chaplain IN charge OF the grounds
Of the convent has not bcsn made acquainted with
the actual contents Of the box, could Mr.. Tai e.
shaner, n gentleman who has taken great interest
tnc success OF the ST. Francis Convent, obtain any
correct Information regard TO the vauaDes found.
He did receive from oil the a CON- the metal
Of which nsyeta matter OF doubt but the best in.
lar the secret has been well kept not only gold ana
silver out even diamonds have been found In tho
box, uhich vf iron, seventeen incnes long, nino
Inches wide and npo inches deep
Mr.. Dunbar, a prominent citizen OF PsckskilI, was
OF the opinion yesterday that tho box buried
that place during tho Revolutionary War and has
manned there ever since. Hc does not think that "a
triiing would been thus carefully boz cd
and hidden, and instead Of II containing hundreds
he rather inciines TO the belief that II contained
thousands
CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS.
Another gentleman sai1 that the German servants
the grounds were not at all SO stupid ms they np
pcared to be; they had cvdenty boon instructed to
tell their side OF the story IN nm innocent manner.
He called attention to the fact that thc men claimed
tina, they had broken the box up wih heir tools
hard. impossioility on tho very lace OF u,
none OF tho tools used Tor the digging OF q simple
their statement that tho box only four inches
long. instead OF seventeen, gave evidence oi as
ercpancy that added considerably TO mo mystery
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.
printer named Kelley stated yesterday that
on Sunday, whilo on ~ excursion up tho river,
ono Of the men generally employed on tho
OF beer, stated that ut lcAst 81, 500 had been
found IN the box but that those now having charge
Noboay, not the convent authorities denied that
a box with vaiuables had been found but The
OF the reasurctrovc and tho Whereabouts Of tho box
remain for the present complete mysteries