The morning call., 1893-01-05
BURIED TREASURE.
What an Attorney Found
in the Park.
THE THIEF'S FAvORITE LIE.
An Old Criminal Who Makes Living
Out of His Cunning Tales of
Buried Plumber.

night, said Police Court attorney, put
should have known better than TO take
criminals word for anything.
"a wellknown thief who was held TO
answer few days ago for burglary sent me
note asking me to visit him at the County
Jail. He had already requested me to de-
fend him, but had told him that | must
have my fee before / could do anything in
the case. He had several times intimated
that he could readily raise funds II would
secure bail for him, but | thought he meant
to commit other burglaries to pay the eX-
penses of the first. so refused to haye any
thing to do with the matter.
when | received his note | visited him
at the County Jail Then he told me that
he had money. but that he could not get at
it. If could only GO and get it l could take
my fee out of it. OF course l was willing
to 20 and get it. Then he gave me an
elaborate drawing of one corner Of Golden
! Gate Park, with instructions to dig in the
| sand In certain place and l would find
! $500 in gold in buekskin sack.
Il became suspicious and questioned him
| closely, but he protested that the money
belonged to him and that nothing else in
| the way Of jewelry or stolen property was
| buried with it.
Il asked him why he had buried money
| there if he had come by it honestly, and he
[ tOIu Iut lHHL SHORTLY ulltT Que OI HIS Uur-
| glarlouS ventures he had seen two policemen
| following him near the park, and thought
| that he was about to be arrested. lie was
| afraid they would take the money from him
and book 1t on the prison register as evil
! deuce. In that case he would be unable to
| use 1t in his defense. He explained that he
| had managed to elude the officers in the
| shrubbery OF the park and had hastily
| buried the money. While returning to the
| city he was arrested.
"Hls story didn't sound just right, and /
| continued TO question him; but he protested
| so earnestly that il was true aud that he did
not want me to do thing for him that l
finally consented to 90 ana look for it.
Last night went out to the park. and
had no trouble in locating the spot found
the fencepost be had described, and saw
that the sand beside it had recently been
disturbed. / commenced digging In the
loose sand with my hands and soon struck
some hard object. 1t didn't take long to
uncover long. well-filed buckskln sack,
and hastily placing it in my oyercoat
pocket l boarded the cars and went heme.
LAS soon as ID entered the house drew
out the sack and opened it, but instead of
gold / found nothing but lot Of iron
washers. | was mad, and / decided to tell
the fellow what thought of him.
To-day when l went to the County Jail
the first question he asked me was whether
i had found ii all right. / told him what
was In the sack. His face was study. Ii
that fellow WAS not telling me the truth he
is the biggest liar and the cieverest actor |
ever saw. He protested that he had buried
the money as described, ana declared that
II had not found it some one else had, and
had substituted the washers.
Il pointed out to him the absurdity of
anybody returning TO the spot after finding
buried coin TO replace ii with iron washers
thus running the chance of detection, but
he stoutly maintained the truth of his story,
and lntimated that had found the money
and was trying to rob him.
Then was madder than ever, but it did
me no good He declared lie had buried
money and | maintained that found only
washers, and there the matter rests. But !
will not defend him."
HE was telling you fairy story" broke
in Attorney Dudley. "a confirmed criminal
Is OF necessity confirmed liar, and when in
Jail lying IS about the only vice that he can
resort 10 for amusement.
Il remember that once notorious stage
robDer was arrested here in San Francisco
and wanted my father to defend him. He
told the same story OF buried treasure
amounting TO several thousands of dollars
He and Confederate had robbed a stage
near Auburn and buried the proceeds. He
said his partner was dead and the treasure
remained untouched. He described the
spot accurately and said The money had
been buried in a rough calf5kin about foot
below the surface
My father learned that a robbery had
been committed as described and large
amount OF money stolen, so the next day |
went up to Auburn. secured buggy and
found the spot described. / dug up about
bali an acre of ground to a depth of two
feet but found nothing. The man had
simply Lied for the lust of lying
Another time l went TO Sacramento and
dug for the proceeds of a big jewrlry
robbery. but again found nothing. Since
then | have quit digging for buried treasure"
There several old Grim m a in San
francisco who make living out of their
tales OF buried jeweiry and diamonds
One of them is Old Pea Riige,' the
notorious old thief who has served SO years
of bis 50 in the prisons of California, ana
lays claim 10 the proud distinction Of being
the pioneer convict OF the State.
pea Ridge" carefully wraps 81 oroide
watch or Iuple OF big electric diamonds In
buckskin aud buries them in some old, neg
leeted grave In tile city cemetery. Then he
hunts up some gullible individual and tells
him wild, weird tale of midnight rob-
berry IN which he or some confederate con-
fined in the County Jail has participated,
gives glowing description of the "swag"
and offers to sell IL for a trifing sum. He
always represents that he is so well known
to the police that he is liable to be searched
at any time and cannot carry the vauables,
and Tor the same reason he is afraid to at
tempt to dispose of them at a pawnshnp |
lie Is always sick and destitute and must
raise little money on them. Sometimes he |
exhibits a letter from his confederate asking
him to sacrifice them for couple of hundred
If he can't do any better.
If the individual commences inauiring
about pea Ridges" record TO find out Just
how big thief he is. he learns that the old
man Is the genuine article and OH intimate
terms with every ex-convict and thief in the
State.
That Is usually convincing and pea
Ridge" takes his victim out at night so tina.
the police will not follow them, digs up the
treasure and after exhibiting it negotiates a
sale for $40 or 500. accepting whateveF~he
can get to bind the bargain until the pur-
chaser can have the goods valued by an ex-
pert. pea Ridge" usually makes about
$40 or SIS on the trade and the victim Is not
In a position TO complain to the police