The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-03

l6dSL NO trace OF was ever ue>u
About three weeks after the money had
bsen placed in the garnet the chimney OF
the school house was struck by lightning
and tumbled to the ground. A farmer, who
was also bricklayer, was employed to re-
build the chimney. In so doing he found
the sachel, and not 81 Of the money was
missing. While do not give you his name
1 overhauled him in my search for the
tramp and the treasure. and he gave me the
particulars and give them to you.
HE ALSO WAS HONEST.
The farmer was ALSO an hopest man. He
had the respect and confidence OF every one
who knew him. Yet he had no sooner
realized the value of his find than he de-
termined to keep every dollar of it for him
self. He was a subscriber to a weekly paper
and he had seen nothing conceyptng the
robbery OF the paymaster. He knew
very well, though, that it was a
carefully. He decided not to let his
wife know of the find, and the money
was removed after dark to the grsnary in
his barn. He had lot Of oats in one OF the
bins, and be hid the sachel under them.
The possession Of that treasure had made
nae almost i'll. His possession of it made
him quite so. Although in perfect health
the day he found it, he had chill aud fever
the next day aud was obliged to 60 to bed.
he got a little more nerve next day, but
acted so queer that his wife wondered il he
was not losing his mind. He didn't propose
using a dollar of the money for several
months hut once day for the next week
he went to the granary to sac if IL was safe.
He had in his employ hired man named
Oscar Davis HIS was rough and unedu-
Gated fellow about "a years old. Davis
must have had his curiosity aroused, and
played the spy on the farmer 10 one of his
excursions to the gransry. On the eighth
fnrhf Df forr ia If No
treasure Davis left his bed at midnight,
went to the barn, and pried the lock of the
granary door, and he scoa had his
hands on the satchel cannot say
whether he was an honest man or
not. II so he no doubt argued as the farmer
and had done. He kHew that his employer
was poor man and 1t was easy Tor him to
conclude that the treasure was find. He
picked up the sachsl aud walked off. In the
morning when the farmer discovered his
loss and followed him he kept the trail
through the town of Jasper and for Ave
miles beyond. Then Davis seems to have
dropped suddenly out Of sight.
STUPID, BUT CUNNING.
AS told you before. tho hired man was
considered stupid fellow, but he had a
vein Of cunning in his makeup. It was
dangerous for him to be carrying that large
sum of money around the country. The
would have to open the sachel at the order
of any peace officer who might look upon
him as a suspicious character. Five miles
south of Jasper he turned to the west,
! Travelled three miles then turned to the
north, thus doubling on his trail. That was
how the pursuing farmer lost him.
| Davis wanted a hiding place Tor the
satchel, and he found it where iG had been
! hidden twice before-iu a barn. 1t was 81
| old, tumble-down affair, however, in which
even a tramp would not have sought
shelter Having put away the money he
| applied for work on the farm aud secured
it. There he remained for six months, and
the money was never removed from the
| place he first hid it in. Davis now argued
| that he would be safe in making his way
| put of the country. He had formed his
| plans to go west. He bought a trunk in
which to carry the money and his clothes,
and the farmer for whom he had worked
started to drive him to a small station on
the railroad running from Mitchell to
| Vincinnes
Now occurred another change in the pro,
| prietorship OF the money. They reached
| the station with only two or three minutes
| to spare. The trunk was checked all right,
but in the hurry was not put alb ard. This
was at o'clock in the afternoon. Thennext
| train did not pass until about midnight.
| That evening while the depot agent was
busy two tramps who had been hanging
about stole the trunk and had been gone
for two hours before he missed it.
| The fellows had no idea that it
contained anything more valuable than
! suit of clothes, as it was small and cheap
| looking affair. They followed the railroad
east and about two miles from the station
! turned off into the woods to break open the
| trunk and possess themselves OF its coutents.
| In the darkness they could find nothing
with which to break the lock, a I'd as IT was
a warm night they agreed to sleep on the
spot and get at the contents 10 the morning.
In the night one of the pair. who gave the
name of Short, got up, lifted the trunk on
his shoulder, and took the railroad track
and fastened away, determined to possess
the whole Doodle.
FHE SAME TWENTY-sEwEN.
When morning came he was within
couple OF miles of Salem and within four
mifes OF my uncle's farm. He turned aside
into thicket, and hid the trunk, and was
about to enter farm house to ask for food
when a constable " no was bunting for q
tramp who had stolen something at Salem
the night before arrested him. l was at
Salem when he was brought In. had seen
the thief the day before and could declare
that Short was not the one. He was speedily
set at liberty, and finding that be was pen
niIess paid for his breakfast and gave
him a dollar to help him on his
way. His arrest scared him bit, and.
after pledging me to secrecy ne told me
about the trunk and located it. drove
out alone TO get it. calculating to inform
the railroad authorities. 1t was easily
found, and that curiosity WHICH gets the
better of all Of US at times impelled me to
try some of my keys in the lock. The first
one opened it, and as paved over the cloth
ing my eyes lighted on those twenty-seveI
packages of Crisp, new greenbacks. They
were there without a break, not even
dollar bill having been extracted. At tdat
time couldn't figure out how the fortune
bad come back to me, and l sat there in the
thicket for good half hour bsfore could
make a move.
What did do with the money! / told
YOU long ago that was an honest man. l
took the trunk to my uncles house, told
him and his wife the whole story, and then
communicated with the federal authorities
at Cincinnati. A United States marshal
came down after the money. only told
him that had found the treasure IN the
trunk He took me by the hand and said
was an honest man and credit TO any COM
munity. The paymaster sent me reward
Of al 900, and with it a letter praising my
honesty. The papers got hold OF the item {,
and 10 my old scrap book have dozen
notices declaring thas / was oae man out OF
| IN Mona of the most honest. conscientious