The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-08-28
JOHN STUMP'S GOLD.
The Tenant Of an cid Maryland Mansion Sud
denly Becomes Rich.
New York WorldJ

ueh4I n7ceMsa hlpn.
New York WOrld)
When old John Stump 6'ed in
the early part of the present cen.
tury at his home at Stafford. ten
miles north of this place, writes a
HavIe de Grace (Md.l correspon-
dent, his heirs were surprised that
they did not fiud piles of glitter.
ing gold slowed away il the little
iron safe in which il was thought |
that be had been heaping thou
sands for years. lnstead they |
found bundles Of mortgages,
deeds, prommissory notes and
other papers which certified his |
fortune to be s7OO,O0O Satisfied
with this snug Inheritance, they |
soon forgot their disappointment
in not discovering the bags of
gold. When, twenty five years
ago, the house came into the pos
session of Mr.. Stump's grandaugh
ter, Mrs. Smithson, of Cecil Coun-
ty, the story of the buried treasure
eAi'ted in the neighborhood mere
Ia, a, an s,a1ttto,
A few years ago Mrs. Smithson
handed the old homestead over to
the care of a tenant named Wilson.
He was told by his neighbors of
the tradition about the burie d
gold. He was too practical to
give credence to the stories, but
they had u different effect upon
MI. Wilson's brother Alexander.
who spent his time perusIng the
old books and papers which he
found stored away in the gafret.
Two or three weeks ago, while Mr..
Wilson was looking through a
ponderOus old book he found a
slip of paper which indicated the
location Of hidden treasures.
Two days later a big hole was
seen by neighbor IN the garden
of the old Stump farm, At the
bottom of the excavation was a
cavity fIom which a box about
eighteen inches square was re
moved. There were no bits of
wood in the hole, and from this
fact it is believed that the box
must have been a metallic one.
Farmer Wilson's wife, to whom
the discovery of the gold had been
related. bad become so ovethnr'
dened with the secret that she bad
TO get another woman to help her
keep it. Aud the lucky discovery
which the Wilson family intended
should be kept q secret has now
become public property. They
feared that the heiGs of Mr.. Stump
would claim the money and that
they might be deprived of their
suddenly acquired wealth. Mrs.
Wilson said that the amount dug
up was 100000 in gold, but it is
generally believed by those who
have made estimates of the con.
tents of the box that about S5O,.
900 was found, and certainly not
more than $4,000. AT any rate
the Wilson family is comfortably
fixed and the object of their neigh
bors' envy.
The slip of paper is also said to
explain why Mr.. Stump buried his
money. In 1912 a British fleet en-.
tered the Chesapeake Bay, and
after burning the Capitol buildings
at Washington sailed for Balti.
more. While General Ross pre-
pared to attack that city he sent
detachmeDts northward along the
western shore of the Chesapeake
to burn the towns aud private res.
licences. A portion of this town
was reduced to ashes and several
dwellings on the outskirts were
sacked and burned. Among these
was the house of Admiral Rodg.
ers, of the United States Navy.
His silver was taken, but before
the war was over the Admiral cap
tured a British ship, on which he
found his stolen silver. Governor
Trazen led the militia against the
invaders. Old john Stump, who
was then much enfeobled by age,
learned that stories of his famous
wealth had reached the ears of
the British at this place, and that
they contemplated an attack upon
his house to rob him of his gold.
To save his money he buried it.
The intended attack was never
made, and 1t is supposed that Mr..
Stump was satisfied to have his
treasure remain where he had con.
cealed 1t, and that he died before
he concluded to resurrcct it. 1t
is also thought that be feared a
sudden death, and to leave some
knowledge behind him of the bur-
led money he placed the slip of
paper in the book.
Mr.. Stump made his money from