Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-07
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH, !,

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.l
HUNTINGTON. PA, July 6.-Csrtel
township, this county, is in fever of ex
citement over the finding of buried tr~rs
ure. consisting of gold nuggets worth 81 .666
at Canon City, Col. The Warden got tip
of the hidden wealth from a life convict
but recently dead. About Is years ago
James Hoover, a resident of Franklin
county, in this State, in order to avenge a
wrong done to his sister by a physician Of
that county, snot and killed the latter.
Before he could be apprehended, he fed,
finally locating at one of the numerous
mining camps in Colorado. There he met a
man, George Simpson, of Ohio, and the two,
after joining fortunes, finally struck it rich.
When they had amassed a considerable for
tune in gold-dust and nuggets, Simpson fell
i'll. and during his sickness, Hoover, his
partner, decamped with all their wealth.
Fearing to remain longer in that part of the
country, Hoover decided to come East
again and brave the chances of being ar
rested.
SEARCHING FOR HIS PARENTS.
Hearing that his parents had moved from
Franklin county to near McConnellstown,
in this county, he came here in search OF
them. His search, however, proved un-
availing, and as nothing could be learned OF
his parents, he left the neighborhood of Nc
Connellstown and started north in the drec-
tion of Alexandria, u miles distant. When
half this distance had been covered Hoover
became very weary with the weight of his
treasure, and, stopping by the wayside on
the farm of Michael 7. Branneman, he hid
his gold nuggets under the roots of white
oak tree.
He then made careful draft of the sur
rounding country, entering into the
minutest details, and after familiarizing
himself with the Surroundings, he resumed
mis- journey. Hoover's truitless search for
his parents continued until the latter part
OF the year 1873, when he returned to Colo
RADIO without taking with him the gold mug
gets which ne had buried on the Brenneman
farm. On his secend visit to Colorado he
encountered Simpson, his former partner,
whom he had robbed, and at first sight both
opened fire on each other, resulting in the
killing of Simpson.
For this Hoover was arrested, tried and
sent to the State Penitentiary for life, and,
after serving ten years there, he died last
month.
A CoNYICT's WILL.
Besides the mark of the place where he
had hidden the gold in this country IL years
previously, Hoover left an autobiography
and a will in which he bequeathed to
Warden Hoyt, of the Canon CITY Peniten-
tiary, and to his own father, should the
latter be found, all his possessions. which con-
sisted principally of his buried gold nuggets.
Armed with the necessary papers, Warden
Hoyt came East, found Hoover's father in a
remote part of Franklin county, and a week
ago the two arrived in this city in search of
the hidden treasure. Going to McConnells-
town, they followed up the route taken ten
years ago by James Hoover, and by careful
inquiry located in a general way the place
where the gold was hidden.
On Tuesday of this week they reached
the home of Michael T. Brenneman, and
upon exhibiting to him the map of the
ground found to their joy that their search
was about to be rewarded, for Farmer Bren-
neman instantly recognized the map as
diagram of his property. Leaving Mr.
Brenneman, as he says, stupefed by their
startling recital, Warden Hoyt and the old
man Hoover repaired to the foot of the
white oak tree along the roadside, and there
beneath its overlapping roots, but little
covered by the soil, they unearthed the
golden treasure which II years before James
Hoover, the fugitive, had hidden.