The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-08

| was right, and knowing the Spanish ton
que perfectly, May began TO CLEAN infor-
nation from the Mexicans who lived at
the place.
| He found but one old man had lived
in the same adobe hut for years. and who
| remembered distinctly the time that the
American troops had crossed the stream
He gave an accurate description OF the
| event. spoke Of the breaking down Of the
| wagons. and said that the Americans
had lost some stores, though none of the
Mexicans understanding English, none
| was aware that two boxes of gold were
| among the things spilled, nor would they
ever know OF their being buried there by
| the sergeant, even had they known OF
the money tumbled out. From this old
! man May got such an accurate account;
that, by putting it with the one given
him by Pennoyer, he was able 10 locate
spot whose description tailed in every
respect with the story given by the vet
eran as the place where the coin lay.
He learned tina the troops had left
Vera Cruz for march north. and on
reaching the banks of the Guadeioupe
River, the infantry had crossed over an
and wagons went down one side 10 cross
by a ford. On the left hand Of the
bridge on the south bank was fort
and on the right hand on the other bank
was another fort. while at short die
lance stood a hill. Pennoyer had said
the wagons holding the nsoneyhad cross
ed the bridge, and in this lay his error.
The truth was thaothe horses had been
taken down about a quarter OF nile
from the bridge, and crossed where the
water was shallow. The Mexican point
ed out the ford where the wagon train
crossed and even the spot where one
wagon had broken down and lost a
wheel.
On looking about May saw at once that
It was the very spot descibed by Pen
noyer.
There was no doubt in Mays mind
that he had found the treasure at last.
But one thing stopped him-he was
watched. For days there had been men
logging his footsteps. persons who had
evidently heard Of the object Of his
search. and it. would not be safe to dig.
With men cognizant of every movement
il would have been impossible to do any,
thing or get the money out of the coun-
try, so he slipped away, coming back
here to make better preparations for
bringing home the treasure.
On reaching home May found his per-
sonal business in a tangle, his lands
wound up in legal tangles in his old
place in California, and his ships.
which had set out for trade in the Gulf
of Mexico, wrecked. Then came legal
compiled tons with the government and |
the hard times of the last two years, so |
that the captain has been detained from !
returning to the place to get the gold. |
But he has met men who verified the |
statements Of the veteran, men VINO |
fought in the Mexican war and had heard |
of the loss Of the money. The captain |
now expects to go to Mexico within a |
few weeks. and is confident Of coming |
back with the $4,000 in gold.
The captain will take with him an out
fit consisting Of a diamond drill, with
which he will prospect all about the vi
cinity Of the spot. He believes that it
will be but the work of a few days to |
strike the boxes, which were of wood,
but strapped with iron bands. Just what |
claim may be made on the money by the
Mexican government he does not know,
but there is no custom duty on coin OF
any realm being carried into a foreign
Neither does he undertake to
say what claims the United States would
present against the gold. The money was
sent to General Taylor to pay off the
troops, and its amount is mentioned in
the Oa0erS ~ rho war deoa rtreof oP that
late, the captain asserts. The fact that
is loss was not reported is accounted
for by the captain stating that the su-
perior officers simply did not report it.
is 1t was not lost in fight, but during
4 storm. and the loss was not known till
after the troops had reached Jalpa.