Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-05
A LOT OF WORTHLESS MONEY.
A Bundle of Notes Found in n Bean
in an Old House.


in an Old House.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Visions of untold wealth and life of ease
and pleasure foated through the brain of
John Shannon of Falls of Schuylkill few
days ago, when he discovered $4,000 in bank
notes, snugly wrapped up in tinfoil and a
stout piece of paper. which had been secreted
thirty-four years ago in beam in the old
Miffiin mansion fronting on Ridge avenue,
below Spencer street.
During the last summer the old mansion
has been demolished by Contractor William
Albrecht, the timber being sold to various
people for firewood Shannon purchased a
load, and had 1t slowed away in his cellar.
kindling wood ran short the other day, and.
by the persuasive influence of his wife,
Shannon was coaxed to chop up the sticks
for use.
An old joist was tackled with great en-
ergy On three sides boards had been nailed
evidently to strengthen a weak place. A
Vell-directed blow from the ak sent the
Worm eaten boards flying in all directions.
ana package tumbled out upon the cellar
floor
No more wood was chopped that day,
After Shannon had united the bundle notes
Of all denominations. from the old five-cent
shlnplasters to 500 bills, were laid down
was unwrapped his eyes bulged out with ex-
cltement. Unable to compose himself he
called for his wife to verify his discovery,
thinking that it must be dream
AFTER counting the entire lot and finding
the amount SO large, a confidential friend
was } allied in only to blast all their hopes by
stating that the entire lot was not worth a
cent, the notes being issues of the old state
banks, now out OF existence. Among the lot
We're 81 notes of the Towanda Penn) Bank
Issued In 1911; T. Dyer 4 Co.'S Bank in Lam
caster, Penn. dated 1921, bearing the name
OF Charles Bachman, cashier, and signed.
per l.. Richards" Fayetteville N. c., 1902
issue, John F. Miller and NJ Turner, cashier
and president There were S. bills of the
Bank OF Commonwealth, Richmond, Va.
~; Bank of Pittsburg, Penn, 1850, ]. NJ
Graham, cashier, and John SNYDER presi-
dent; Merchants and Mechanics, Philadel-
phia, October ., 1895. George A. Clark cash
Ter. and r. M. kell, president In the lot
were also number of $50 bills of the Cen
trail Bank of Alabama, 1916; East Bank
scrip. January D. 1916. for 121h cents each;
1a-cent scrip of the corporation of Danville
Penn. issued January 8, 1861, ]. w Holland,
president.
Out of the whole lot 81, 500 In 500 bills were
In bad state of preservation, but the bal
ance was in good order. Among the number
We're also several 500 confederate bills
After recovering from the effects of his find,
Shannon sent the notes to a broker in the
city. with the possible chance of realizing
something from them. some of the banks
are still In existence, and the notes are re-
deemable on demand.
Around the Falls it is supposed the money
was deposited in the hiding place during the
early days of the rebellion by Brewer John
stem, who lived in the mansion at that time
another theory Is that during the scare Gre
ateu by the invasion of Pennsylvania in
1S6' a fort being built at School Lane al the
time, Stein Secreted the money, with the ex-
pectatlon OF redeemng it after the war.