The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-03-26
How Farmer Weaver Lost
Watch and Money.
The King Of COMPUTATIONS was Going TO Dig
lpa Lot OF Gold.

seemingly intelligent mulatto far
mer who lives on the China Springs
road, about a mile from Bosq1eville.
He came into the city yesterday,
and today made affidavit against
J. II. Hannibal, charging him with
theft of a gold watch ana $3.50 in
COLL.
To Sheriff Burke and several
deputies he related the following
strange n rrative, which is thought
to be pretty straight:
He was working in his field last
Thursday afternoon when he was
approached from behind and felt a
light touch on his shoulder He
turned and saw standing before him,
attired in neat-6 ting dark brown
clothes, a tall, ginger.cske negro,
evidently we'll educated, as his sub
sequent remarks showed. HIS de-
meanor was grave, aud to snper-
stitious negro, calculated to inspire
feeling of awe. Addressing
Weaver, he said
al am in this country on 8 pros.
pecting tour. | am here to tell you
that between the spot where we
stand and the Botque river, not
more than 100 yards from each
other, lie buried in the ground great
treasures 800 900 in gold all told.
l have an instrument tn at will tell
ma this exact spot and where to dig.
My Instrument is controlled largely
by the disposition, desires and
motives of the"spirits My name
and address is j. II Hannibal, of
Washington, d. c., and am a
spiritual medium
The strange darkey then com
manded Weaver to go aud get
Bible. When he returned the two
proceeded to the pasture, about a
half mile off, and stopped near a
stone. The stranger carried the
Bible in one hand and vial in the
other. Suddenly both dropped
from his hands and he remarked to
Weaver:
cit is the tremendous attraction
from underneath that caused these
things to drop. Lift up the stone"
Weaver stopped and raised the
stone. Underneath was q silver
half dollar. 1t was grabbed quickly
by the medium. He then told
Weaver that the spirits were unde.
cided yet about bringing their inf Il.
ence to bear on his instrument, and
that they wanted $500 raised for
them as a guarantee until Saturday
afternoon, when the treasure would
be dug from the ground. Weaver
replied that he could not raise more
than $3.50, and Hannibal said that
would satisfy the spirits if he would
keen it in the house one night.
Weaver came to town Friday
morning, and drew $3.50 from the
Providsnt National bank. Daring
his absence from home his wife said
Hannibal took two saucers, one red
and the other white. Both he filed
with water, and dropped half
dozen peculiar looking needles in
each saucer, holding a small magnet
in each hand, alternating the
needles, mumbling to himself, or,
az the colored woman said, working
with his 'cuujurations,' and commu.
nica,irg with spirits.
When Weaver returned home
Hannibal told him the spirits were
appeased, snd the the two
walked to the stone in the pasture.
Hannibal told Weaver that he must
let him sew the money up in
piece of red flannel and then put it
away in the house and tomorrow
they would be at liberty to get the
hidden treasure. Weaver handed
him the money, saw him place it in
the center of piece of red flannel
with his watch, and sew up the
edges, but noticed that he left
small hole at one end. Hannibal |
then asked Weaver to give him
red hand kerchief, which he did, and
the small packet was wrapped up in
il He then returned the money to
Weaver, and they proceeded to the
house.
Weaver took the money and
placed it 10 corner Of his trunk.