Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-29
us THAT GOLD9"
A Story Of the Roekies-A Romantic
Search for Treasure aud Massacre
Of the Miners.
The ssLost Cabin" Of H0ntana-Scour'
ing the Mountains with an Insane
Man-FaII Over Precipice.

HELENA. Mon, October.-The Lndepend
| erfs reporter recently had 3 conversation
with one of party of three men who have
| spent the past summer in searching Tor The
| Lost Cabin" about which there was 80
| much discussion in this Territory several
/ yesrs ago. Il was built by party of four
| men, who in 1868 made a wonderful discov-
4 cry OF gold at point supposed to be some
| where near the line between Montana and
| Wyoming. In less than a week after the
| discovery was made a party OF hostile lu-
1 dams made descent on the discoverers and
| killed all but one Of them. The survivor, a
man named Thompson made his appearance
| in Alder Gulch and set the camp on IRE with
| the tale of the wonderful discovery which be
and his companions ad made. The discov-
ery was said to consist of ledge of quartz
several feet in width, with sfresks OF pure
gold running through it averaging from one
| 70 seven inches wide. The story was mar
| velous, and if the public pulse had not been
at that time in a feverish condition on ac-
count of the vast quantities of the precious
metal then being taken out weekly from the
placers of Alder Gulch, its truth might have
been ouestioned But under the circum-
stances no one thought Of doubling it for an
instant, especially when 1homp-on exhib-
tied several ragged chunks of gold that had
the appearance of having been broken from
a mass of the glittering metal, and this
Thorn pson asserted had been the case. The
camp was wild. A hundred men stood ready
and anxious TO follow Thompson to the spot
If he would only lead them. But Thompson
suddenly disappeared, aad afterwsrd news
came of his de ath in the Big Horn country.
l had been in California several yeaFs,
said the last searcher to the reporter yester-
day, when, in company with a friend, Wis.,
tied the State lunatic asylum. This was
last winter While going through the asy-
l.,vx, tkau Ian laA aftan tn
culiar case in his charge. 1t was OF a man
who occupied all his time in drawing rough
maps or diagrams on the walls of his cell.
These drawings were all alike, and the walls
and floor of his cell wers covered with them.
They were of some mountainous country,
with river running through 1t from the
south, and smaller stream putting into it
from the east in about the center of the map.
From the point of junction of these two
peak marked "three miles," and thence it
continued in zigzsg line in southernly
direction, with the length of each
straight line marked. At the extreme end
of the line circle was drawn with q cross
in the center. As soon as l looked at the
crazy mapmaker l recognized him. 1t was
Thompson. l was subsequently told that
after going from Montana to California he
had lost all his money and then was taken
down with fever. He was adjudged insane
and sent to the asylum, where / found him.
He had been there three years.
We stepped into the cell. / examined the
maps on the wall and asked Thompson about
them. He seemed willing enough to talk
about other matters-in a very disjointed
manner, however-but concerning his map
he would not say a word. On finding that
the an was Thompson it Immediately oc-
CURED to me that the map was intended to
show the point at which the Lost Cabin and
the wonderful deposit of gold were located,
and the questions which / asked were pro-
pounded with a view to getting a clew. After
questioning him unsuccessfully for some
time, / put my finger on the circle in the |
map and asked him:
is that goldT
His answer was to spring at me in wild |
rage. KNEW from this th at had guessed |
his secret. We all withdrew from the cell, |
and at the hrst opportunity had an inter- |
view with one of the physicians of the insti- |
luton and told him what / knew about |
Thompson. / also told him that there was |
little doubt of the existence of the deposit of !
gold, and that Thompson could lead US to it |
The physician had reviousIy informed me |
that the patient was sometimes TO all pur-
poses perfectly sane for weeks, and / now |
that the next time one of those |
lucid intervals occurred we should see what |
we could do with him. The doctor agreed. |
In about two weeks a note was sent TO my |
hotel, informing me that Thompson had en-
tered upon one of his lucid spells. / imme-
diately went up to the asylum. In company
with the doctor l entered Thompson's cell |
and commenced aconversation with him. His
Ialk was quite rational, and in the course of |
} half hours interview he appealed TO me
% get him out of the asylum. This was our
chance. The doctor Immediately offered 10
rec him from the asylum if he would show
is the way to ''that point"-indicating it
With bis finger on the map. Thompson
lesitated for moment, but presently con-
ented. This was all We wanted There
vas no difficulty in getting him out of the
sylim. The doctor certified that he was
ured, and a discharge soon followed. We
started to Montana, whence
re intended TO proceed to the Big Horn
Mountains for the purpose of hunting the
ressure. We reached Dillon the Sd OF last
une and took the stage to Virginia City.
here we QUILTED, ostensibly for the Ma
onal Park, and continued on our journey.
n few days we found ourselves 10 the park
nd we'll on our way TO the Big Horn noun
aims, in which Thompson said the gold mine
as located. In three more days we reached
,e Big Horn river and Travelled up tito the !
ruth. This was on the 18th OF June
Thompson had up to this time acted as g
as any of as lin addition TO the !
1ctor and myself we had brought along one 1
the asylum attendants). Thompson said 1
lat we would be able to reach the gold de- 7
osit the next day and we were all wild with e
Icitemeut. We csmped on the night a
the 18th in a wild place a few L
lies from the river. Aside from Thompson 8
e were all very tired and slept soundly. c
hen we arose in the morning Thompson L
as gone. The excitement had evidently \
ought on spasm of insanity and he had d
u up during The night and wandered off
TO the mountains. We hunted for him
rec days and finally found him lying,
used and dead, at the foot of a cliff fully G
90 feet high. In his delirium he had
unged over it to certain deaIh-probsbly
e night that he fed from camp. We buried
m where we fouud him, and as a search
r the treasure would be hopeless without Il
) assistance we turned back. The doctor n
d his men l left at Miles City, whence h
ey will probably go East. As fo- myself, Il
will make no further search for the Lost c,
bin" ri