The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-20

The people in Southwest Virginia, in
their hot pursuit of riches and the in
terest they manifest in developing their
unparalleled resources, have forgotten,
and many OF them have never heard of,
the fabulous treasure that Is buried in
some mountain crag in their midst, and
has remained there for more than half a
century, hidden more securely than
nature placed it in creation.
The Beale papers have interested
many minds, but men who have engaged
themselves in trying to unravel their
mystery have always abandoned their
project as one hopeless OF accomplish
ment.
1t Is treasure of more than half a
million dollars worth of pure gold and
silver, just as it was taken from the
mountains Of New Mexico, and thirteen
thousand dollars worth of iewelry,
which was secured with the silver, that
was burdensome to carry. All Of this is
within less than twenty miles of Roa-
noke.
The story of this mystery is one that
reads like romance and is full of adven
ture and daring. In the year 1890 a
gentleman named Robert Morriss was
proprietor Of the Washington Hotel,
Lynchburg, and in January of that wear
u man named Thomas j. Beale, in com.
pany with two associates, stopped at tho
Washington for short time. Ina few
days the two men accompanying Beale
left for Richmond. Beale having ex-
pressed his intention OF spending the
winter at Mr.. Morriss' hotel, remained
In Lynchburg. During his stay at the
washington an intimate friendship
formed itself in a strong band around
Mr.. Morriss and Mr.. Beale. At the
hotel he registered simply as Thos. j.
Beale, Virginia, and strangely enough
no one ever know anything more than
that OF his home or his birth.
In. the latter part Of the following
March Beale, with the same men who
had accompanied him to Lynchburg,
left, and nothing more was heard from
them until the year 1922, when Beale
once more made his appearance in
Lynchburg, stopping at the same hotel,
and appearing the same genial gentle
man, as before, but with darker and
swarthier complexion, indicating that
he had been exposed to the Southern
sun. In March Of that year Beale again
left, but before doing 30 gave to Mr.
Morriss an iron box stoutly made and
securely locked, and told him that it
was only through tho confidence he had
in him that he would entrust the box to
his keeping; that it contained articles of
value.
Mr.. Merriss did not have any.further
tidings from Beale until May 8, 1929,
when he received letter written in st.
Louis. This letter stated that he
(Beale) would leave in week or SO for
the "plains" to hunt buffaloes and
other wild game. The letter then gave
some instructions in regard to the box.
After again assuring Mr.. Morriss that
the box contained papers vitality affect
ing the fortunes of himself and others
engaged in business with him, the let
ter authorized Morriss, in case none of
tho party should ever call for the box,
to open it and stated that in addition to
the papers addressed to himself he
would find other manuscripts which
would be unintelligible without the aid
Olga key to assist in reading them, and
such key, the letter stated, bad been
left in the hands of friend in St.
Louis, sealed, addressed to Morriss, and
Endorsed not to be delivered until June,
1899.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr..
Morriss was at perfect liberty to open
the box in 1882 it was not until 1s45
that he decided to break the lock and
examine its contents.
When the box was opened the con-
tents were found to be just as Beale, in
his st. Louis letter, had stated them
two letters addressed to Morriss and
some other unintelligible manuscripts.
One letter, however, told tale that
has lost none OF it's interest by age. 1t
gave an account OF their business in tho
wild and UNEMPLOYED West and the
sudden and expected find of enormous
chunks of gold and silver.
About the year 1917 party of about
thirty, Beale included in the number,
determined to visit the West, their
only object being hunting and adyen-
ture. On the 10th of May, 1917, the
party reached st. Louis, whore they pro-
cured the necessary outfit and q guide
for their trip. They left ST. Louis,
Santa Fe being their objective point,
which place they expected to reach in
the following fall.
Their destination was reached in De-
cember, and nothing of interest occur.
ring the party soon tired of the little
Mexican town and longed for weather
which would enable them to resume
their wanderings and exhilirating pur-
suits.
In March some OF the party, to vary
the monotony OF their existence. deter.
mined upon short excursion for the
purpose OF hunting and examining the
country around them. They intended
to be gone only few days, but month
elapsed before they were heard from.
After leaving Santa Fe the party pur-
sued northerly course for q few
days. They were on the eve Of return.
ing one evening when they came close
upon large herd Of buiYaloes, heading
for valley q short distance away
They pursued the buffaloes into the