Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-25
A SOUTHERN ROMANCE.
The Long Hidden Contents of al
Old Safe.
through an Ex-COnvIet Wealth
secrefed for Years Is Found,
and Poor but Worthy PeO-
pie RAISED 10 Amuenee.

Secreted for Years is Found,
and Poor but Worthy PeO-
pie RAISED 10 Afluenee.
The correspondent Of one Of the
Cincinnati papers, writing from
jamestown, N O., says: This quaint
old place, which lies in the center OIL
one Of the Quaker settlements, was
DURING the war a favorite resort OF
refugees" by which name were des
ignated those persons whose homes in
the eastern section of the State were
inside the danger line, or in counties
already held by the Federal troops.
In this sleepy town these found a
haven Of refage, and made themselves
comfortable, TO remain while the war
lasted They brought hither their
money, and in the old fashioned bank
stored Confederate bonds and cur
rency in great amounts, The crash
came, in the lateiul 1865, and Stone
mans raiders Whirled down so near
that most Of the refugees prepared to
fly. A little later the war ended
The big old safe, as solemn as the
grave, and as chary Of its secrets, was
shut. But few OF the d~epoitors had
Withdrawn the now yAlueless cuFren>
cyl t contained.
Some of the refugees had died
others bad been suddenly called away,
others at the last moment. amid all
the excitement at the hour, LETT The
bank, a dead corporation, ceased TO
exist, dying as it had livcd-lazily
Years rolled by, each making the old
safe and Its secrets more solemn still,
as it stood cobWebbed, in one of the
lower rooms Of the gloomy old brick
bank building.
Rumors Of its contents being Of
value began 10 be created in the fertile
field. Imagination and ii was whispered
that in its deep recssses lay piles OF
solid silver, vast quantities of bonds,
jewelry worth a Princes ransom, and
finally the contents of the safe became
, a matter OF daily conjecture. Last
year the boom in Confederate bonds
began.
Sleepy old jamestown was insensible
. to boom" The word was too new
What of it? But, nevertheless, one
day two hosry headed old officers Of
! the long dead bank hobbled to it
opened the door and entered the
musty room, in a recess of which sal
the great safe. They tried the lock, il
would not open A locksmith was sem
r for, but even his efforts were uusuc'
= cessful. The old men gave up the az
tempt; but others took up the work
Keen spectators bent their hearts oil
c getting into the safe. A man, moiert
II in his ideas, said be would see that /
was forced open, but kept his Owl
counsel.
On Wednesday last another process
7 sion, if so it might be termed, entered
It the building, one of the men WI,
composed il being a man whose bulle
head aud cropped hair gave him thI
aspect of a criminal. He looked a
the safe. The others retired. Hal
an hour later there was an explosion
Returning, the party found the doc.
of the safe open. The man, a par
is doned convict from the penitentiary a
y Raleigh, who in bygone days had beel
a "cracksman," had made speed,
work concerning the antique safe
1t The old man, ex-conviot, two speoula
tors in Confederate bonds, were in ID.
room while outside was a curious crow,
II of perhaps a hundred.
= The safe was rausacked. From it
capacious depths were taken out quit
S3,000,000 in Confederate bonds, Will
nearly a million in State bonds aud a
much in Confederate and State cur
rency was also discovered.
Ie The bonds were tied 10 rolls or il
y boxes, aud the names OF the owner
= could be found in but one case. On
large roll, the largest, was found tn.
name, Adam EKum, 1863" Un
d rolled, the bundle was found to con
tain 1900 $1,000 Confederate bonds
Is What the long dead owner had pail
e full value for, aud what had for loBl
years been SO much paper only, hat
y again become Of worth BY one Of thI
strsngest financial movements o
modern times, for the bonds wer.
werth IS 80 per $1,000.
u But strange as past events nigh
q seem, future ones were even NOR
curious. 1t was found that Exun
had gone to Charleston, s. c., 0cto
Der, 1863, aud nothing has since bee.
d heard OF him His son, a soldier, Ia
i been wounded, had married after III
: war in Yirsinia. had come back t
Ie North Carolina, died in 1871, his viii
q followiDga year later, and their child
e a girl, had been placed in an orpha
l. asylum. The action Of the OK ban
e officers was prompt and just. Whe
q told about the girl, SO poor, SO desc
lac, they sold the bonds, on Whie
y were her grandfather name, an
sent the money they brought, $825C
e to a Raleigh bank, notifying the super
g intendent Of the orphan asylum wher
z the girl was being cared for.
" The case is a curious one in all il
/ aspects, and is attracting much after
5 ton 10 the State wherever knowr
The girl is intelligent and nodes
: and, though no great fortune comes [
q her, yet the s%trangeness of its comm
v gives it an interest which would no
ordinarily attach to it. The girl hs
haen apnt IN a Io.ding eoboa1