Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-08-06
A TERRIBLE NIGHTS WORK.

always had a happy faculty for get,
ting along well with those with whom
came in contact, and when | became book
keeper of the asylum for insane at c.
was we'll prepared to begin the task of
acquiring the good will Of the small army
of officers and employees attached to that
institution. With quick eye for any
thing out of the ordinary, my attention
was very soon attracted by the pecullarit-
les of the colored coachman, Peter Cride.
When told by the Superintendent who
and what was, he gave me searching
look, passed his hand across his eyes two
or three times, and flattered and startled
me at the same time by saying: "You be
good man, sab, and you'll have a heap
> friends Leah: but, sab, when you die
ycu'll die in big crowd, an be killed in
to de bargain, suan." The announcement
was not incompatible with my feelings
then, for was wild and reckless, nor with
th3 surroundings, for it was on wild,
an asylum for insane is ever a grewsome
spectacle to the uninitiated after dark,
even on the brightest night.
As | started to my room to retire the
doctor smiled and said: PETER is a seer,
came true; don't worry over his foolish
predictions" promised that | would
not, but the words rang in my ears after
| was alone and ! sat down to talk to
myself awhile before trying to sleep in
my new quarters for the first time. When
ever occasion offered | showed Peter such
consideration that in a week | had won
his confidence and affection. Little by
little he took me lAtO his secrets, and at
last told me that there was legend that
many years before two men had robbed a
bank IN great city in an adjoining state
and escaped, but, being hard pressed by
officers, they had buried $24 900 in gold
on what afterward became the asylum
grounds, expecting to come back some
time and eXhume it. The story was that
they were soon afterward killed while re
sisting arrest, and that their secret as tC
where the money was died with them. He
took NE secretly al night and showed me
numerous places where long before, he
claimed, persons had dug great holes
searching for the hidden treasure. Peter
firmly believed III dreams and that he pos
Bessed the gift of second sight. AS with
all such persons, he was profoundly super
stitiouS and suspicious.
He INDUCED in many wild fancies about
hidden gold conjured the black art for aid
In It's discovery, and dwelt upon the
theme so much that to find the treasure
became the ruling passion of his life. He
secretly had a steel rod turned into d
handle at one end and sharpened at the
other, and armed with this he would &C
about the premises late at night, searching
for evidences of old excavations. He
searched also fer monuments marking the
coveted spot; and on different occasions
took me out to have my opinion on clues
he had found, IN marks on stones and
trees and fragments of rock, peculiarly
located. At last he took me into the re-
hottest corner of the basement one day
and told me that he had certainly located
hidden treasure IN several places through
the medium OF dream and other occult
powers; but admitted that the supernat-
ural forces were opposed to his securing
the wealth and said that when he had dug
down almost to The vessel holding it the
vessel would either sink beyond his reach
or some strange being, the like Of
which he had never seen before, would
come and order him away, so that he al.
ways failed.
He said further that on the night be-
fore lie made a long search, but had re-
turned near morning without accomplish
ing anything. Falling asleep, he received
Il communication from the spirit world,
which told him the entire $4,000 in gold
was buried in one spot less than 100 yards
from my window. He proposed that if
would 90 with him that night between l.
and | o'clock we would surely find the
money and would divide it equally.
! L - g., IL 81 o
sary tools. This | could easily do, for
when | asked him for his key to the store
rooms, asking him to say nothing, he
handed it over without a word.
In the great kitchen two silent figures
might have been seen stealthily creeping
toward a little walnut tree, under tht
branches of which it was believed there
lay fortune. Signals of recognition were
given, and he begun work at once. | could
easily sink Peters steel staff into the
ground four feet over a space more than q
yard In diameter, and it was there, he
said, we should begin. | broke the frs
ground while Peter stood guard. Being
unused to that sort of work | soon tired
and Peter relieved me. His he1culear
frame worked like d steam dredge, anC
stimulated by the hope of rich reward
and the excitement of the occasion, he
soon had an immense hole opened. Twice
we stopped and lay down as the night
watch passed too close for US to work II
safety. Soon after the second Interrupt
tlon the quick ear. of the negro, caught
the sound of breaking weed stalk some
yards away
His face Immediately assumed an as
pect Of awful horror, and be gasped
For Gods sake Mr.. Dalton, what an
dat?"
| told him it was nothing, and called
his attention to the fact that had rotioeC
hollow sound under him as he worked
and suggested that he was surely coming
for the coveted treasure. Taking bis stat
In his trembling hands he sunk it abou
substance. What, could it be the lid O
the vessel containing the gold? Shove
and pick flew through the air like lightn
ing. Neither of US spoke, and we hardl,
dared to breathe. So intent did we becom,
that we thought no more of the cause o
the breaking weed until it was upon US
Suddenly with a fearful cry such as neve
heard before, and such as hope never t.
hear again, the terrified negro, who's
head was almost on level with the surfac
of the ground, beheld Immediately befor
him two eyes of burning fire flashing iron
the head of a weird, mysterious being. tn
neither looked like man nor beast.
The screams of the poor niger causet
the supernatural being to retreat some oil