St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-17
RICHES IN A HOLE.
a Big Mound Of Gold and Silver at
the Bottom of a Pool.

A Big Mound Of Gold and Silver at
the Bottom Of Pool.
San Antonio Dispatch to Globe-Democrat.
In the early part of the present cen
tury, when San Antonio 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 $1,000 900.
The caravan was in charge of Capt
Palacio Flores. prominent and trusted
employe of the government. In addition
to the drivers Of the mule train there
were about so well-armed and equipped
guards The old and well-Worn national
highway through San Luis POtOSi and
Monterey was taken, and the dangerous
mountain defiles south of Saltillo were
passed without any attack OH the train
being made. The Rio Grande river was
crossed a few miles above Laredo, and
the train made its way rapidly toward
San Antonio.
In these days the national highway
passed through what is now Dimmit
county, Texas, following the bank of
Pena creek for several miles. On the
bank of that stream was a favorite
camping place, which is now called
Brand Rock Water Hole. This hole is
located at a sharp bend In the stream,
and is of unfathomable depth, although
it evidently has natural bottom, as the
water in it does not pass into any int
rior cavity.
When this camping place was reached
Capt. Flores decided to remain there a
few days resting the mules, preparatory
to making the 100 miles still remaining
between there and San Antonio. He
considered that all the dangerous por-
ton of the country had been passed
through. and only left ten men on guard
the first night. Even this number
seemed unnecessary, as there were no
signs Of any attack, and no picketS were
posted next day.
1t was about noon on that day when
band of bMgands suddenly rushed upon
the unprotected camp out of a dense
live-oak thicket. Capt. Flores and his
men were taking their monday siesta
when the attack was made, but they did
not submit without desperate strug-
gle. The bags of gold and silver were
piled in heap near the deep water
hole. and when Capt. Flores found that
the brigandS were about to get posses
sion of the wealth, he ordered the driv-
ers to throw it all into the placid pool.
The command was obeyed, and the
brigands massacred every MEMBER Of
the mule train party with the exception
of a driver named AlejondrO Lajero.
who succeeded in making his escape,
proceeding to San Antonio, where he
gave all account of the terrible adven-
ture, record of which was made at
that time, and is still in existence here.
His story was dlscredited 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 were then made to explore
the hole, but without success. Heavy
weights have been sunk to depth of
several thousand 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 Southwest
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 supreme effort to explore the
depth of the hole in search of the $780,
600 and recover the wealth, If possible
He is now in the East superintending
the construction of devices and ma
chinery to be used in the work.