River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-07
OLD COINS FOUND IN A FIELD.
The Luck OF Five PENNSYLVANIA BOYS
--Tlie Treasure the Proceeds OF
Murder Committed seventy Wears

Ago.
Mahanoy City correspondence New York ri
This community has been greatly ex-
ercised during the past few days over
the fact that five boys named Clinton
G. Winters, Herbert Noaks, Henry and
Philip Kline and Herbert Enterhister,
found number Of old coins in field
adjacent to the borough. The coins are
mostly English, and the dates ON some
of them run back 200 years. The re-
port of their discovery spread like wild
fire, and hundreds rushed to the scene
III the hope that fortune had been
buried there. One person proceeded
to the spot, with pick and shovel, and
dug all around the spot but without
success. The history ofthe field is only
known to one person in the place, an
old man named John A. Klcckner Mr.
Kleckner is 50 years of age, keen and
intelligent. The Times correspondent
called upon him and learned the follow
ing facts: In the year 1910, when the
country for miles around here was II
vast wilderness and contained only one
house, a country inn stood Mt a point
which IS now the central part Of the
town. A Jewish person named Foul
hover was in the habit of going Oh
horseback with his wares from Reading
to Sanbury. On a particular day he
stopped at the inn in question. A hunt
er from New Jersey named Bailey, was
also stopping at the house. When the
peddler alighted, Bailey carried in his
saddle-bags for him. While doing this
he heard the jingle Of money, and rs
the bag was heavy, he came to the con
clusion that there was considerable gold
and silver in it, A desire for this money
at once preyed upon his mind, and a
murderous spirit seized his heart. He
accordingly proceeded up the noun
tain and lay in ambush for the APP
proach of the peddler. When Foul
hover was passing where he lay con-
cealed, he drew his rifle upon him and
shot him through the heart The horsC
he rode, strange to say, stood perfectly
still, and Baily ap preached and riffled
the saddle-bags. Taking all the gold
and silver therefrom he carried the
bags, with the smaller coin. to the point
where the contents were recently found
by the boys, and deposited them in the
earth. Bailey then went to Reichstor
lou, the proprietor. Seeing his hands
and clothes besprinkled with blood he
asked the cause. He replied that he
had shot a deer He then left the inn
and was not heard of for some time
Persons going along the road found the
body of the peddler, and it was inferred
by the roadside. A small mound
marks the spot to this day, and peo-
pie from adjoining places never pass
the place without referring to the fate
peddler met. Bailey was traced to New
Jersey by the authorities and arrested
He was taken to Reading, lodged in jail
and tried for the crime. The circum-
stantial evidence was strongly against
him, and he was found guilty and sub
sequently hanged Before his death he
made confession in which he stated
where he buried the saddle-bags but
the exact spot never could be found.
This case is spoken of as the first
white man murdered by another in
cold blood in the district that now com
prises Schuyler county. The field in
which the money had been found had
recently been plowed, and the coins
turned to the surface had been cleaned
by the rains, thus leading to their dis
covery. One boy holds over 800 ofthem.
All the possessors Of the coins hold
them with tenacity. The subject at pres
ent is the sole topic of conversation,
and thousand different stories are
af1oat. This is the true one, and can be
relied on.