Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-15
A NEGROES STRANGE STORY
The Finding of Treasure Cave-Dyision of the MOney-Shot by White
 Man.

Huntsville Mercury.
 The Mercury of yesterday morning con tained an account of the arrest of Nat T. Powers of New Market, charged with shooting with intent to kill William Mor- ris. The two negroes associated with him were Calvin Douglass and Gum Powers. The story gathered from Morris is as fol- lows:
 About two months ago William Morris, an antebellum negro, moved into the vi- cinity of New Market. Like all new com CTS he heard that cave near that vil- lage contained a buried treasure, left by a fugitive from justice. who was captured and shot while trying to make his escape.
 Upon learning the location of the cave Morris set about finding the treasure and his efforts were not in vain.
 In an old kettle he found $2060 in silver and gold. Some of the coins were strange to him and he sent for his brother, who is a professor in the State Normal and Industrial school here, to help him count the money. They decided that his brother should take the money to Gadsden and exchange it for greenbacks which was done, Morris giving his brother $500 for his services. The remainder except $200, was carried back to the cave and buried.
 Fooishly the old negro told of his for tune and showed Nat Powers, a promi- nent young man of New Market, the $2O0. Powers then tried to borrow the money but would not consent for white men, in whom Morris had confidence, to fix the note, saying he did not want them to know he borrowed from negro.
 A few nights later Powers and two ne- groes went to Morris cabin and invited him out to drink some whisky, and when away from the house presented pistols and demanded the buried treasure. Af- ter climbing mountain peaks for an hour Morris halted and told Powers that they were near the money and that the ne- groes should wait for the treasure. A short distance away they came to a large fiat rock, under which Morris said the money was buried. Powers began feel ing around the edge of the rock and Mor- ris ran for hls life, but Powers shot him down.
 The old negro fainted and Powers thinking he was dead ordered a trench prepared and fagots gathered to burn the body. Morris then showed signs of life and was dragged back to the stone and threatened with death unless he showed where the money was buried.
 Morris then confessed that he had led them away from the money and being shot could not go where it was. Powers told Morris he would send him home if he would say that while stealing some chickens he was shot. This was agreed between them and the two negroes car ried Morris to his home and Powers re- turned to New Market and sent Dr. Blan- ton to dress his wounds, saying he shot him for chicken stealing. Not even pr. Blanton suspicioned the true cause of the shooting until the warrants were served yesterday Morris will go with the sher- if to the cave today and bring the money to the banks of the city if it can be found
 It is but just to Mr. Powers to state that he claimed that the negro's state ment is false in toto; that he shot the negro while he was attempting to rob his hen roost and the story was invented by the negro to escape going to the coal mines