The Arizona sentinel., 1886-06-19
JOHN sTuMP's GOLD.
The Tenant of An old Maryland Mansion
 Suddenly Becomes Rich.

l Suddenly Becomes Rich.
 When old John Stump died m the early part of the present century at his home at Stafford, ten miles north of this place, writes a Havre de Grace 1 (Md.) correspondent, his heirs were surprised that they did not find piles of glittering gold slowed away in the little iron safe in which it was thought that he had been heaping thousands for l years. Instead they found bundles of mortgages, deeds, promissory notes and other papers which certified his fortune to be $700,000. 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 Mir. Stump's granddaughter, Mrs. Smithson, of Cecil County, the story of the buried treasure existed in the neighborhood merely as tradition.
 A few years ago Mrs. Smithson hand ed the old homestead over to the care of tenant named Wilson. He was told by his neighbors of the tradition about the buried gold. He was too practical to give credence to the stories, but they had different effect upon MT. Wilson brother Alexander, who spent his time perusing the old books and pa- pers which he found stored away in the garret. Two or three weeks ago, while MT. Wilson was looking through a ponderous old book he found slip of paper which indicated the location of hidden treasure.
 Two days later big hole was seen by a neighbor in the garden of the old Stump farm. At the bottom of the ex- cavation was a cavity from which 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 re- lated, had become so overburdened with the secret that she had to get another woman to help her keep it. And the lucky discovery which the Wilson fam fly intended should be kept secret has now become public property. They feared that the heirs of MT. Stump would claim the money and that they might be deprived of their suddenly ac- quired wealth. Mrs. Wilson said that the amount dug up was S150,000 in gold, but it is generally believed by those who have made estimates of the contents of the box that about $50, ,000 was found, and certainly not more than S75, ,000. At any rate the Wilson family is comfortably fixed and the object of their neighbors' envy.
 The slip of paper is also said to ex- plain why MT. Stump buried his money. In 1872 British fleet entered the Chesa- peake Bay, and after burning the Capi- tol buildings at Washington sailed for Baltimore. While General Ross pre- pared to attack that city he sent detach- ments northward along the western shore of the Chesapeake to burn the town and private residences. 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 Rodgers, of the United States Navy. His silver was t; ken, but before the war was over the Admiral captured British ship, on which he found his stolen silver. Gov ernor Trazen led the militia against the invaders. Old John Stump, who was then much enfeebled 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 burned it. The intended attack was never made, and it is supposed that MT. Stump was satisfied to have his treasure remain where he had concealed it, and that he died before he concluded to resurrect it. It is also thought that he feared sud- den death, and to leave some knowledge behind him of the buried money he placed the slip of paper in the book.
 Mir. Stump made his money from the four-mills which he built along Deer creek, narrow but swift stream which emptied into the Susquehanna. The farmers of Herford and Cecil Counties, this State, and of the southern counties of Pennsylvania brought their grain to the Stump mills to be ground. He was also a slaveholder and farmer on an extensive scale. During the war of the revolution and of 1872 his four sold as high as one hundred dollars a barrel. He was the wealthiest man of the sec ton, and he dispensed hospitality with an open hand. His home was the resort of the old revolutionary heroes, who gathered around his sumptuous board and related their experiences, and told how, half-equiped and poorly clad, they had cleared out the red-coats in many engagements.
 Some of MT. Stump's descendants have occupied the most prominent positions in the State His grandson, Henry w. Archer, of Bel Air, is one of its best known lawyers, and could have been elected Governor had he wished to re- linquish his lucrative law practice. An other grandson is Stevenson Archer, ex- member of Congress and now State Treasurer. Another descendant is the late A. H. Stump, president of Balti- more bank, while two others have sat on the judicial benches of the State. Miss Stump, formerly aHerford County belle, is the wife of Admiral Le Roy, of New York, and another member of the family is the wife of MT. Murray, of the same city.
 MT. Stump's surviving heirs will make no effort to recover the money which Alexander Wilson luckily found.-M r. World