The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-23
HIDDEN TREASURE.
A "Reminiscences Of Guerrilla Warfare
@6s. 900 In Gold aud silver
ytuenrthed,
Correspondence Cincinnati Ennuirer]
MARROW BONE, Cumberland County. KY,
Mnrnh q


MARROW BONE, Cumberland County. KY,
March 3, 1873.
During the last week sensation OF consid-
erable interest came to the surface 1t was
nothing more or less than the discovery and
recovery of vast amount Of gold, silver and
precious stones which have been buried since
the beginning of the war I'm small cave on
the farm of Robert o. Willis. one mile south
OF this town. The treasure consisted OF about
SIS, 900 In gold and silver coin, and about si0,-
600 present valuel OF jeweiry, such as dia-
mond rings, pins earrings, etc. 1t appears
that Mr.. Willis placed oil these yaluables In
an old sugar kettle, which he butied In the
extreme end of the cave. covering it over with
boards, and loose rock from the side OF the
cave. His wife alone he informed In regard
to tho precise spot whore the treasure had
been seGreted. or course 1t would have been
very imprudent to have impaired such an i'm
portant secret 10 any other person or persons.
A few weeks after secreting all this treasure,
Mr.. Willis mysteriously disappeared. 1t 10
supposed he WIS killed by guerrlllas on the
Cumberland river, whittier he had gone with
several head OF cattle To ship to Nashville
| He was never heard Of afterward. and his
wife mourned for him up until the day Of her
death. which occurred last Saturday, March
! 1. Although she was well aware that there
was q vast fortune buried In that cave, yet
she did not impart her secret to any person,
and having n good income fRm the farm,
| had no particular need Of any Of the money,
50 she thought she would let 1T remain there,
MS 1t was fully as safe rs 1t could be else
where. Grief over the loss OF her husband
and having poor health combined, rendered
her somewhat careless and Indifferent. She
| lived all alone with an old negro man and
bis wife as her servants and companions.
They were old slaves belonged to her father
and had nursed her In her Infancy, and she
was perfectly content. She had no children
or near relatives, and n few days before death
claimed her as his own, she impaired the
secret Of the hidden treasure to those old
servants also to the Rev. John ID. Hogan,
her pastor, and Messrs. Owsley Il Gore, her
attorneys, SUNNI oned to execute her last will
and testament. Tho treasure was found ac-
cording to directions, nil safe and sound and
In flrst-class condition, and it was opened In
| her presence. She bcqueathed her lewelry
and $40. 900 to her old servants, also the old
homestead n rich farm OF some 200 acres.
The remainder che ordered to be Invested
In securities for her husbands benefit,
should he turn up alive In twenty years. II
not that 1t be donated to Catholic
charitable INSTITUTIONS that may be
greatly In need OF 1t Mt that time In Louis
Vile, KY, the interest to be given from now
on yearly to the orphan asylamS there. This
vast treasure was taken TO Glasgow, KY,
yesterday, and shipped from there to Louis
Vile, where 1t will be deposited for the present
with the Safe Deposit Company. The old col
ored servants who are thus abundantly re-
warded for their devotion expressed the wish
that their portion Of the treasure be invested
for them, as they did not wish to keep 1t In
the house. fearing they would be murdered
for It, forgot to mention that Mrs. Willis
bequeathed $1,000 to her home paper, the
Glasgow KY Times, which, she asserts In hen
will, was u source Of great comfort to her IL
her sorrow, bringing weekly news from hei
old home In Barren county, KY, and thus
for once in the history of the times, news
paper Is kindly remembered in "a last will
and testament"