Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-01
Buried Treasure i'm Lewiston.

John Clancy was an lrishman, a widower,
| advanced in years. Fora quarter century he
has been in the employ of the Franklin Com
pany in this city. As the clock struck the
hour Of five on Wednesday evening, John
Clancy lay in his cottage on Water street,
dead. just before he died he called friend
to his bedside and said to him that he should
go to certain spot in his cellar and dig, and
that there little below the surface would be
found an earthen pot. ''In that pot" says
Clancy, ''you will find thousand dollars in
gold" The friend went to the spot in ques-
ton, and after little while his shovel struck
something hard. 1t proved to be an earthen
pot. Further inspection showed that the
pot must have been there many years, for it
crumbled to pieces when removed, but out
tumbled whole handsfull Of gold coins. The
sum proved to be $3.50. 1t is thought there
must be one more 500 gold piece in the sand.
But the strangest part of this story remains
to be told. Fifteen years ago, as the story
goes, a Mrs. Howe came to Clancy one day,
and said to him: 81 have a thousand dollars
in gold, and wish you would advise me what
to do with it," "Bury it in your cellar" re-
plies Clancy. Mrs. Howesacted on Clancy's
advice, went home and buried her gold coin
in her cellar. Soon after she went to see if
the treasure was safe, when, judge of her
establishment, to find that it was gone. Some
one had found its hiding-place, and every
dollar had been fished out of it, Immediate
ly said Mrs. Howe: "Nobody but me and
John Clancy knew where the money was, and
John Clancy must have stolen it." She
brought suit to recover the money-the case
was tried in our Androscoggin COLnty Su-
preme Court about fifteen years ago.
Clancy denied the charge. The jury retired
and voted eleven for the plaintiff to one OPP
posed. That one finally concurred, and a
verdict for the plaintiff was returned. Clan
cy's cellar was dug over at the time, but no
gold was found. Clancy settled up the case,
and almost everybody forgot about it. Many
of Clancys friends stoutly persisted that the
money was stolen by a fellow who disap-
peared and fled to California, soon after the
robbery. Clancy resumed work for the
Franklin Compromising, as before,
an industrious and faithful man. Probably
few, il any would have recalled his alleged
connection with the Howe robbery. had not
Clancy made his will on his death-bed and
revealed the hiding place In his cellar of
thousand dollars in gold. Why he should
have kept it buried there (the case against
him having long ago been settled) is mys-
terry. 1t seems he was worth $1,000 to
5000. In his will he gave $50 to the fund
for the proposed st. Joseph's convent in this
city, and $50 more to St. Joseph's parish.
The balance he willed to two nieces in Mas
sachusetts.
Clancys friends say that they do not be-
ieve he ever robbed Mrs. Howe and account
for the buried gold on the reasonable suppo-
sition that he had always acted on the advice
which he gave Mrs. Howe. Surprising the
money buried in Clancy's cellar to have been
buried Is years, had it been put at interest
instead of being buried, Clancy's estate
would now be worth about So, 800 more than
il now is.-LeristOa Jou rnat.