Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-26
RICH HIDDEN HOARD.
The Sum Of 100000 of Stolen Gold
Buried Near the City of Buffalo,
OVER THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
Story Of a Famous Robbery and an Un-
aYailing Search for Treasure.
A GREAT SECRET, CAREFULLY GUARDED

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.i
BUFFALO. May 25.-Tbe secret of buried
treasure that is said to have laid undis-
turbed for the past So years within few
miles OF Buffalo came to the knowledge oi
your correspondent this week. 1t has been
kept close secret in one family during all
these years and now has descended as her
itage 10 a resolute young man who has de-
termined to unearth it. He does not choose
to tell its exact location, for fear others
might get there before him, nor yet does he
wish his name published, lest if he fail in
the enterprise he should be laughed at.
The amount Of the treasure, he says, is
100000 in gold, placed in an iron chest or
box, and the story of how it got there and
several attempts made to unearth it, is a
strange one, as told by the present custo-
dian of the secret. He said:
About IS years ago s100, 900 in gold was sent
on Central train to Buffalo, consigned to the
Holland Land Company. The express mes
senger and the gold were missing when the
train reached Buffalo. The gold was never
found. and though the most dilligent search
was made, no trace of the messenger could be
discovered. That is all the public as yet knew
about 1t. From several sources have corrobo-
ration that the money and messenger were
missing. Five years later a man named Ernst,
a German living at Black Rock, received q
letter from Germany from the missing mes
senger. The two were friends. In the letter
the messenger confesstd that he had stolen the
money, that he had buried it, made his way
to New York and then to Germany, expect
ing to return and unearth the treasure
after such time had elapsed as would make it
safe for him to dU so. But he fell sick and was
on his deathbed when the letter was written
and he told Ernst he could have the buried
treasure for the digging. He gave directions
where to hnd it mentioning a certain railroad
crossing near which 1t could be found.
THE BURIED BOX.
He said 1t was in an iron box or chest,
that it was very heavy and that he had rolled
1t out of the car door and down 6foot embank-
ment as the tram was speeding along. After
ward he got off the train and buried the box
where it lay at the foot Of the embankment
Not to be too exact about it, the spot is on the
line of the Central Railroad between 10 and 20
miles from Buffalo
Ernst decided that it was an enterprise in
which two persons could work to better ad-
vantage than one, and he come up town and
consulted my uncle, Jacob Benzino. who then
lived on Swan street. They talked it over and
agreed TO start for the spot early next morn
ing. Ernst had a long, sharp iron rod, with
which he intended to probe the earth in the
vicinity of the buried box. He left this stand
home at Black Rock. He was smoking pipe
as he walked. 1t was dark and he fell into an
open trench or sewer, partially stunning him,
and as he lay there the fire In his pipe set his
clothes in flames. His burns and injuries from
falling were SO severe that he died next day.
The letter was found in his breast pocket,
partially burned. 1t fell into the possession Of
my uncle, who eagerly examined It, only to
effaced. He could still come pretty close to
the spot, however.
THE FIRST SEARCH.
Five years went by before he gave it a trial
My father came here from the East and the
two talked 1t over together. The result was
that my uncle, aunt and father started on the
first search ever made for the gold. They
found the railroad crossing all right, and fol-
lowing the incomplete directions as well as
they could, fixed upon spot to dig for the
treasure. They failed to fnd it. Thoroughly
they gave up the quest and re-
turned home. But the thought of that gold
haunted our people My uncle died during
the war; and the secret fell to my fathers
branch of the family alone. 1t was often
talked over, and when my brothers came to be
FRIGHTENED BY AN APPARITIoN.
A second attempt was made ten years ago.
NV father, two brothers and brother-in-law
made up the party. They heard Of an old man
somewhere who had an instrument by which
be could tell where gold was located. There
was a finger in the instrument which revolTed
30 that it could point in any direction. I've
heard that some gold diggers use such things.
The party got this old man to 60 along, and the
finger pointed to spot on the north side OF the
railroad track directly opposite where the
digging was done on the first search. They
imagine that tney all felt nervous.
Myfather had gone with the lantern to- look to |
The horses, which were up the track q bit when |
suddenly a vbice was heard calling to the dig |
gers. TheyAooked up and saw man standing |
beside thef Not sound mad S toid o. OF his n;stp ap
sway in the darkness Some OF the party who |
we're superstitous thought the man was a |
shost, and being nervous enough already, the |
iearchtwas given up.
THE LAST VAIN SEARCH.
Kyear ago last summer drove out with my |
'ather and the old man to the spot and took
ook at the surroundings. We found that an
additional track had been laid, and that it
covered the burying place Of the gold. We
,ried the old mans instrument in every way, |
md every time it pointed to the spot where the |
party had dug before. We we're satisfied that
he money was there, but we hesitated about /
digging under the railroad track. Pm not sure
hat we could get permission to do so, though
{ could be done without Injuring the track.
The young man reitered his determination
% make immediate search for ;he treasure.
Did residents here remember the great robbery
eferred to.