Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-04-08

In the early part OF the present cen
fury, when San Antonio was the home
Of many wealthy Spaniards and the
commercial centre OF all northern Mex
leo, mule train started for that city
from the City OF Mexico. There were
80 mules. each loaded with 5000 silver
dollars and considerable amount of
gold coin, the total amount being about
100000
The caravan was in charge of Capt.
Palacio Flores, prominent and trusted
employc Of the government. In addi-
ton to the drivers of the mule train,
there were about 30 we'll armed and
equipped guards. The old and well
worn national highway through san
Luis Potosi and Monterey was taken.
and the dangerous mountain deflcs
south of Saltllo were passed without
any attack on the train being made.
The Rio Grandc river was crossed i few
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 Dimmit
county, Tex, following the bank OF
Pena creek for several miles. On the
bank of that stream was Il IA
voritc camping place. which is
now called Brand Rock Water
Hole. This hole is located at Il sharp
bend in the stream. and is Of untathom-
able depth, although it evidently has a
natural bottom, as the water i'll it does
not pass into any interior cavity.
When this camping place was reach
ed Captain Flores decided to remain
there few days, resting the mules.
preparatory to making the one hundred
miles still remaining betwecnthere and
san Antonio. He considered 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, n
there were 10 signs Of any attack, and
no pickcls were pc stcd next day.
Ii was about noon on that day When
a band OF brigands suddenly rushed
upon The unprotected camp out of 4
dense .itc-oak thicllct. Capt Flores and
his men were taking heir MONDAY siesta
when the attack was made, but they
did not submit without Il desperate
struggle The bags of gold ard silver
were piled in heap near the deep
water hole, and when Captain Flores
found that the brignnds were about
to get possession Of the wealth he or
dcred the drivers to throw it all into
the placid pool. The command was
obeyed, and The hrigands massacrcd
every member Of the mule-train party,
with the exception of a driver named
..leiondro Laiero, who succeeded in
making his escape, proceeding to san
Antonio. where he gave an account OF
the terrible adventure, Il record OF
which was made at that time. and is
still in existence in St. Louis. Ills
story was discrclitcd until the parties
10 whom the treasure had been con-
signed made au investigation, and
found the bones Of the victims and
evidences that the bandits had tried
20 recover The wealth from the pool.
Attempts were then made TO explore
the hole, but without success. Heavy
weights have been sunk to &c p h
several thousand feet, but the bottom
of the hole has never been reached. a
few months ago James J.. Morgan, an
eastern capitalist and the owner OF an
extensive ranch in southwest Texas,
was passing through Dmmit county,
when he was told the story OF the hid
den wealth in the Brand Rock Water
Hole. lie 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 $500,
coo, and recover the wealth if possible.
He is now in the East experimenting
the construction Of devic' IS and machln-
cry TO be used in the work.-N. Louis
Globe Democrat.