Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-12-05
BURIED TREASURE ON BULL CREEK
A Queer Story Related to n "Chieftain''
Reporter.


A strange story was told the report
er yesterday Of an incident which came
under the direct observation of his in
tormant, aud but a night or two ago at
that during the present full moon.
The speaker stated that one night, just
after the moon arose, he observed a
man in a rather secluded spot in Bull
creek bottom who appeared TO be dig
ging for something. At the time he
thought little of it but next night in
passing the same place he saw him
again and saw by his actions that he
was endeavoring TO keep as we'll as
poss; bic in the shade OF II tree. After
watching some ten or fifteen minutes
lie determined to go over aud ascer-
tain what the'man was about. Lest IL
an opportunity was presented the noe
turnal laborer might evade him, our in
formant slipped along the creek bot
/ tom and came out upon the man unex-
pectedly. lie was taken at a complete
disadvantage and after giving two or
three very family explanations of his
object in digging there, he finally sat
down, and lighting a pipe, told what
I he stated TO be the true purpose Of his
search and the story connected there
with.
Some years ago he hal been n stock
keeper on one of the western stage
/ lines, at an isolated station, aud one
day there rode up to his cabin man
who was suffering greatly from gun
shot wound and was very weak. Al
though 1t was evident he was ques-
tionable character there was nothing
10 be done but take him in and minis
ter TO his wants as best could be. All
possible attention and care was be-
slowed aud for time he rallied, bu' o.
relapse came and one night the MAJ
icet became cold and then his limbs,
and he began TO realize that his jour.
ney lover the range" was close at
hand. Calling his benefactor he told
/ him that beyond the horse (which WIS
n stolen one) the saddle and siy-
shooter. he had nothing 10 give him in
payment for his kindness. lie could,
however, tell him where a large sum of
gold and silver coin were buried, the
booty derived from a raid into Texas %
good many years ago. lie then drew a
rough map of the country and located
the place in the Indian Territor
some twelve miles west of the military
road, near the bank of small stream
between the two Cabin creeks aud not
far above their confluence. His con-
federates and himself, the dying man
explained, were coming up the militia
rs road when they were run onto by
a detachment of regulars, driven from
the trail aud hotly pursued IN a
westerly direction for an hour or two.
Finally it became evident that to
/ make good their escape the coin which
I waGvery burdensome, must be disposed
Of. Accordingly, when the east fork Of
Cabin was reached his companions
made a stand and engaged the sol.
dicrs, while he went ahead and secret
ed the money. He rode, so he said +,
after crossing the stream il question,
through break in the hills, or n VA.
ley aud stopped on the bank Of half
dry branch. Finishing his work he
marked the spot as best he could bv
natural objects and also to aid his
memory made diagram Of the iocali-
'ty, but this had been lost. Subse-
quently, and before the pursuit was
abandoned, four Of his pals were
killed and the other, who escaped with
him, was drowned in crossing the Ar.
kansas q few weeks later.
The amount Of the deposit he estimat-
ed at some SS0o0,much of which was in
old Spanish doubloons Tae coin was
in sacks, aud about the sacks he had
placed rocks. to preserve them as much
as possible, hoping he would be able
to return in few weeks and secure
the booty. But he had never gone
back. His companions were taken
away so quickly lac had suporstitious
dread of the place and so the money
had never been disturbed by him orits
hiding place disclosed.
For some purpose the outlaws had
carried long cedar pole on pack
horse and to aid in direcun nm TO
the place the dying man said he had
buried this pole at right angles with
the stream and one end touching the
treasure, the other protruding short
distance through the creek bank.
Within q short time the man died and
was buried with what little ceremony
the surroundings warranted. At first
the speaker said he had been inclined
to doubt the whole story aud to look
upon II as fabrication, but on learn
ing something OF the geography of
this locality he became convinced that
the fellow had been here at some time
or other and so determined to investi-
gate. lie had gone up and down all
the intervening sections between Biz
aud Little Cabins and finally fixed up
on thespot where our informant found
him.
lie was stranger, so he said, but hc
hoped he was breaking no law nor IN
iuring anyone's properly. After con-
yersing with him at some lclsth our
friend satisfied himself that the man