The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-24

the Sprinkle dollar had higher bullion
value than the genuine dollar possessed
helped to retain il unquestioned in tha
circulation of this and adjoining counties.
This fact was also potent in screening Ja-
cob Sprinkle from the legal consequences
Of his acts Hundreds openly sympathiz-
ed with him, and the most exacting for a
long while winked at his transgressions
Many people believed that as long as
the Sprinkle dollar contained the sama
or greater proportion of silver than did
the coin from the government mint they
were doing no wrongful act, either In law
or morals. They believed that counters
felting consisted in deceiving and cheats
ing with a base metal resembling silver
Jacob Sprinkle believed this himself for a
long while, and was disiilusioned only
after a grand jury had indicted him. So
numerous did these dollars become finally
that a man, when receiving money from
another, would always examine 1t to see
how much Of IL consisted of Sprinkle doi-
lars. IL it should all consist of Sprinkle
money 1t would call forth only some joe
ular remark as the receiver pocketed the
jingling coin. To show how far the famd
of the Sprinkle dollars spread the follow-
ing anecdote may suffice:
Mai. Henry Mcdowell in 1910 took pass
sage on a steamer at Cincinnati for St.
Louis. When purchasing his ticket hd
pulled out the amount of the fare and
handed 1t to the clerk. The clerk exams
ined the money a second and then, with a
laugh, exclaimed:
Sprinkle money!
ITS all right. isn't III" queried the mas
jor.
II wish had million dollars lika
EN-"
On the day the grand jury returned in>
dictments against Sprinkle and his wife
Judge Walker Reed, who then presided
n flrdo nj "a mo "A
from his pocket and said:
Il defy the United States TO produce
from their minis dollars as good as these
hold in my hand"
Sprinkle lived in a cabin on a small
tributary OF the Kinnlconick five miles
southeast of Vanceburg. There he work.
ed, month in and month out. coming hia
money, which soon found its way intd
local commerce.
Now, where did he get the bullion out
Of which his coins were made? Could tha
writer answer this question he would re-
veal a secret that hundreds have tried ia
fathom. Hundreds of picks have risen
and fallen among the hills of Kinniconicld
In futile endeavor to crack the hull OF
this secret. That his ore came from soma
place In the Lewis county hills Sprinkle
did not hesitate to confess. but the exact
location Is a secret that died with him.
He frequently made the statement that
he would at some time tell where his
treasure was located, but AFTER he was
indicted he got angry and vowed that am
ungrateful public should never persecuta
him and then enjoy the benefits OF his
discovery.
When the sheriff, Larldn Lyles. and a
party went out 10 arrest Sprinkle, after
he was indicted, they found that hia
home consisted OF two log cabins. situat-
ed n few yards from each other. They
searched diligently through each house
to discover the dies and other instru-
ments necessary in his work, but found
nothing. Rambling about in the open
space between the two houses the ground
suddenly gave way and the men dropped
into O subterranean chamber ten feet be-
low the surface. There. after removing
much debris, the utensils used IN the
trade were discovered.
Sprinkle and his wife, Nancy, were
taken to the county seat, but at once
we're admitted to bail. They had the syn-
pathy Of the Judge, and the popular sem
timent IN their favor was all but uni-
versal.
At the next term OF court, when thu
case was called. death certificate from
a doctor was offered showing that sprin-
kie had gone to his long home. II was
untrue, Of course. He died IN California
In 1860. and With him the secret that 50
many have tolled 70 fathom.