Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-09-20
A SOUTHERN ROMANCE.
The Long Hidden Contents of An
Old Safe.
A POOR GIRLS GOOD FORTUNE.
through An Ex.Conyict Wealth Secreted
for Years is Found and Poor But
Worthy People Raised to
Afiuence.
A POOR GIRLS GOOD FORTUNE.


\. C., says: This quaint old place,
which lies in the center of one of the
Quaker settlements, was during the war
a iavOrIte resort Of refugees" by which
name were designated those pers ms
whose homes in the eastern section of
the State were inside the danger line, or
in counties already held 10y the Federal
troops. In this sleepy town these found
a haven Of refuge, 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 currency
in great amounts. The crash came, in
the fateful 1865, and
SIOneman's Raiders
whirled down SO near that most of the
refugees prepared to fly. \ little later
the war ended. The big old safe, as
solemn as the grave, and as chary of It's
secrets, was shut. But few of the de-
positOrs had withdrawn the now value
less currency it contained.
Some of the refugees had died, others
at the last moment, amid all the ex-
element at the hour, left. The bank, q
dead corporation, ceased to exist, dying
as it bad liyed-lsziIy. 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 to be created in
that fertile field, Imagination, and it
Was whispered that in its deep recesses
lay piles of solid silver, vast quantities
of bonds, jewelry worth a princes ran
som, and finally the contents of thesafe
became matter of daily talk, Of daily
conjecture. Last year the "OJom" III
Confederate bonds began.
Sleepy old jamestown was insensible
10 BOOM The word was too new.
What Of 1t? But nevertheless one day
two hOary-hesded old officers of thelong
dead bank hObbled 10 it, opened the
door and entered the musty room, in q
recess of which sat the great safe. They
tried the lUck, it would not open. A
locksmlh was sent for, but even his
efforts were unsuccessful. The old men
gave up the attempt; but others took
up the work. Keen spectators bent
their hearts upon getting into the safe.
y man, modern in his ideas, said he
would see that it was forced, but kept
his own counsel.
On Wednesday last another process
sion, if so it might be termed, entered
the building,
who composed it being q man whose
bullet head and cropoered hair gave him
the aspect of criminal. He looked at
the safe. The others retired. Half an
hour later there was an explosion. Re-
turning, the party found the door of
the safe open. The man, a psrdOned
convict from the penitentiary at Ra-
leigh, who in bygone days had been q
'.cracksman," had made speedy work
orcIng the antique safe. The old man,
ex-conyict, TIVE spectators in Confeder-
ate bonds, and half q dozen spectators
were i'm the room, while outside were
curious crowd of perhaps hundred.
Tie safe was Iansacked. From its
capaciOus depths were taken out quite
$4,000 COO in Confederate bonds, while
nearly million in State bonds and
about as much in Confederate ard
safe currency was a''s6j discovered.
The Bonds Were Tied
in rolls or in boxes, and the names of
the owners could be found in but one
case. On large roll, the largest, was
found the name, Adam EXum, 1858"
ENROLLED, the bundle was found TO con-
tam ] 800 Sl,OUO Confederate bonds.
What the long dead owner had PAID
full value for, and what had for long
years been so much paper only, had
again become of worth by one OF the
strangest financial movements OF mod
ern times, for the bonds were worth
$3.50 per 81 900.
But strange as past events might
seem future ones were even more curl
Gus. 1t was found that Exum had gone
TO Charleston, 5. C., in October, 1908,
and nothing has since been heard OF
him. His son, soldier, had oeen
wounded, had married after the war IN
Virginia, had come back to North Caro-
lima, died in 1871, his wife following
wear later, and that their child, girl,
had been placed in an orphan asylum
The action of tue ex BANK oilcers WAS
Prompt and Just
When told about the girl, 80 poor, so
desolate, they sold the bands, ON whicn
were her grsudfat hers name, and sent
the money they brought, $3.50, to
Raleigh bank, notifying the Superin-
tendent of the orphan asylum where
the girl was being cared for.
The case is a curious one in all Its as
meets, and is attracting much attention
in the State wherever known. Inc
Girl IS intelligent and modest, ana
though no great fortune thus comes to
her. vet the strangensss of its coming
gives it an interest which would not
ordinarily attach to it. The girl hss
-, cot 20 n LEADING school