The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-02-08
The Tricks OF Misers to Conceal Their
Money.

About forty year, ago the custom of
concealing money in an out-of-the-way
place, unknown to all but its possessor,
was greatly practiced. This was occa-
stoned at that time by the very uncer-
tain condition of the savings banks and
people could not be blamed for lack
Of confidence in those rickety institu-
tons. Although the danger of failing
banks is, to large extent. a thing of
the past, the practice of hiding money
prevails in greater degree than the
general public imagine Often if the
owner of the hidden treasure should
suddenly die without revealing the
whereabouts of his money, it would be
likely to occasion great anxiety and
CONSERVATION among the relatives. 1t
would be then that the service of detec-
tives or other shrewd men would be
called into requisition, in the hope that
they might solve the mystery of the
hiding place of the money.
In the northeastern part of the city
ease of this nature occurred not very
many years ago. An old man who
lived in very frugal manner. but who
was reputed TO be the possessor of q
large amount of money, was run over
at railroad crossing and killed instant
Iy. He had several relatives through
out the State, who, although they were
somewhat diffident about acknowledge
ing the tie previous to the old mans
unexpected death. were very eager to
proclaim it as soon as they heard he had
left behind him a considerable store of
gold. The house in which the old man
had lived was a large, shaky old struc-
ture, full of old hooks and crevices
which would seem to be the very place
that miser would select as boarding.
places for the money. The house was
ransacked from cellar to garnet, every
crack and crews was explored. and the
furniture was taken to pieces, but all in
vain, for at the end of two weeks vigil
liant searching the treasure-hunters were
no nearer the object of their search than
when. they began. A consultation was
held to see whether it was worth while
to continue the search, since the task of
hunting for the money seemed a hope
less one. After some discussion, how
ever. it was decided to continue the
work by proxy, and a well-known
This Ierson looked over the premises.
and found everything that would be
likely to contain the money turned in
side out, so thoroughly had the anxious
relatives done their work. Now the
question for the professional searcher to
decide was whether the old man would
have been likely to conceal his wealth
oy burying it. To learn this, it was
necessary to ascertain the habits of the
deceased, and to determine in what par
.icular part of the grounds surrounding
The house he was most in the habit of
walking, for it is an established fact
hat person who has every thought
concentrated upon a certain place will
De very likely to visit it as often as pos
sible. The deceased had kept one ser
want, very deaf old woman, who had
been with him number of years, and
she was questioned about the habits of
her late master. She said that he rare
ly left the house, but would SIT all day
long in his library, large room on the
ground floor containing a fair assort-
ment of books. This upset the theory
Of the money being buried, and the
detective returned, rather disconnected.
10 take fresh inventory of the library.
The relatives had given their attention
to this room at an early stage of the
search. The bookcases had been
moved out from the wall. every volume
had been opened and every drawer in
'pected, so that no fresh place of con-
,ealment suggested itself to the detec-
i've. rendering upon the mysterious
natter he fixed his eyes abstractedly
Ipon the ceiling, where he saw some |
hing that made his heart thump. The
ceiling was of the usual height, but was
made of wood, put in long strips about |