The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-11-29
Buried Treasure Unearthed.

Excitement has run high in town for the
past week over a kettle found buried in the
ground two feet, containing several hundred
dollars in gold, silver and copper coins.
The kettle had three legs and an iron cover,
on which was a stone four feet long and
two inches thick. The coins are Americ an,
Mexican, Bolivian and South American
their dates ranging from 1888 to 1915. They
were found on the Weltou farm by Frank
COrruth aud William Kief, two miles from
the village These gentlemen were walk
ing in the field with mineral rod, and it
pointing to this spot the hidden treasure
was found. Some of the coins do not look
genuine, 50 people connect the find with a
c0unterfelters gang captured in GrOton in
1900. The gang came from Boston, except
ing Ephraim Lowe, Peter Paul and McLain
Marshall of Groton. Ephraim Lowe went
to Boston and came back with William II.
Warburton, alias Bristol Bill, Christian
Meadows, and fellow known to outsiders
as English jim, They moved to the west
part of the town in January and said that
in the spring they were intending to buy a
place. Bristol Bil's business WAS to 90
around and break into banks and get the
paper money. The gang had stamp, 50
they could change the denomination of most
of the bills. Christian Meadows was the
engraver and usually went with Bristol
Bill English Jim " was a powerful man,
and had weapons that, If it came to the
p
XII every time. When they were captured,
English jim was away, and IL is said if he
had been there the gang would never have
been captured alive. In March, Bristol
Bill went to Wells River to get some tools
at the depot, where guards had been placed
in several places suspecing that the parties
al Groton were couuterfeiters or burglars.
The pc ice at Boston, who well knew this
gang had been notified that they were at
the end OF some railroad. Col. Kemp,
Henry Slack aud Samuel Page We're at
Wells River when Bristol Bill went 10 the
post office. BY means of letter which he
tore up and threw away, they discovered
that he was the man they were after They
followed him to Groton, and the next morn
ing went to the house where the gang was
living All were arrested, and the crowd
was so large ut Groton the hearing was adj
journed to Danville, where it lasted three
days. They We're sentenced to prison for
ten years Marshall and Paul turned state g
evidence, and Bristol Bill received an addi-
tional ten years for an assault on State s
Attorney Davis. Meadows was sentenced
for ten years, but after his release he was
| obliged to stay in Windsor. Low died in
Jail, and it is thought by some that if the
| money is counterfeit, it Is possible that Low
| buried the coins, and did not live to dig
them up. The WATCHMAN reporter saw
several interesting coins among them three
half dollars dated 1913, 1928 and 1927, and q
Bolivian coin which had many curious
marks Two gentlemen from Topsham lay
| claim to the treasure. They fay they
buried the money, but cannot prove the
property, or tell where it was found. The
| finders are very reticent, and at first re-
| fused to talk to the newspaper men. Rather
than have any untrue rumors published
| they say that as soon as they receive ad
J vices from some OF the coins they have sem
! away, and know that the property belongs
| to the finders they will show the WATCH
MAN reporter the kettle and the coins
THE police of Algiers have recently Learned
| that anarchists arc using that city and sur
| rounding villages as bases for spreading thei
pernicious doctrines. The police secured
large number Of pamphlets and documents
a perusal OF which revealed the fact tina
the anarchists were engaged in a wide
spread conspiracy. AT one rendezvous sew
eral loaded bombs OF the most dangerou
kind were found, together with larg
quantity OF dynamite and other explosives
The discovery has caused great excitemen
| in the city, and the residents demand tina
the authorities drive every anarchist ant
person suspected or anarchistic tendencie
out of the place. Threats have frequentl.
been made TO blow up the French courts
aud also the mosque in which Moorish an,
Arab civil cases are heard. Little attention
Was paid to them, az 10 was thought tina
they were only the yaporings OF the dissolut
aud discontentrd classes. Extra guards will
be stationed about sll the public buildings.