The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-16
RIOaES IN A hole.
At the Bottom OF Texas Pool is
100000 In Gold and Silver.


From the st. LOUIS Globe Democrat
! SAN ANTONIO, March I'm the early
part OF the present century, when San An
tonic was the home OF many wealthy
Spaniards and the commercial center Of all
Of Northern Mexico, mule train started
for this city from the City Of Mexico.
There were thirty mules, each loaded With
5000 silver dollars and a considerable
amount OF gold coin, the total amount being
about S300,00O.
The caravan was in charge Of Capt.
faIaclo Flores, a prominent and trusted
employe OF the government. Ia addition 10
the drivers Of the mule train there were
about fifty well armed and equipped
guards. The old and well-worn national
highway through San Luis Potosi and Mon
terey was taken, and tie dangerous mount
ain dehles south of Saltill0 we're passed
without any attack Of the train being
made. The Rio Grande river was crossed
fe" miles above Laredo, and the train
made its way rapidly toward San An
tonic.
In those days the national highway passed
through what is now DlmuiIt county, Texas,
following the bank of Pena creek for sew
eral miles. On the bank OF that stream was
q taVorlte camping place, which is now
called Brand Rock water hole This hole
10 located At a sharp bend in the stream aud
IS OF unfathomable depth, although it evil
GENTLY has a natural bottom, as the water
In II does not pass into any interior cavity.
w non this camping place was reached
Capt Flores decided TO remain there few
DAYS resting the mules, preparatory to
making the 100 miles still remaining be
tween there and San Antonio. He consid-
cred that all the dangerous portion OF the
country had been passed through and only
left ten men on guard the first night. Even
this number seemed unnecessary es there
were no signs of any attack and No picksts
were posted rext day.
IL was about noon on that day when a
band Of hrigands suddenly rushed upon the
unprotected camp out of dense lve-oak
thicket Capt. Flores and his men were TAX
ing their MONDAY sie,ta wien the attack
was made, but they did not submit without
desperate struggle. TIE bags OF gold and
silver were piled in g heap near the deep
water hole, and when Capt. Flores found
that the brigands were about to get posses
sion OF the wealth, be ordered the drivers to
throw IL oil into the placid pool The com
mand was obeyed, and the brigands m8ssa-
cred every member of the mule train party
with the exception Of driver named, Ale-
1ondro LalerO, who succeeded in making his
escape, proceeding 10 san Antonio, where
he gave an account of the terrible adventure.
a record of which was made at that time,
discredited until the parties to whom it had
been consigned made an investigation, and
found the bones Of The victims and evidences
that the bandits had tried to recover the
wealth from the pool.
Attempts we're then made to explore the
hole, but without success. Heavy eights
have been sunk to a depth OF several chou
sand feet. but the bottom OF the hole has
never been reached. A few months ago
james l.. Morgan, an eastern capitalist and
the owner OF an extensive ranch in South
west Texas, was passing through Dimmit
county, when he was told the story OF the
hidden wealth in the Brand Rock water hole.
He visited the mysterious spot and became
so deeply interested in the remarkable tale
that he decided to make a supreme effort to
explore the depth of the hole in search of
the $500 600 and recover the wealth il pos
sible. He is now in the east experimenting
the construction Of devices and machinery
to be used in the work.