Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-04
SEEKING A LOST TREASURE.
Stolen Bar of Gold Which Scores of
Men Have Hunted i'm vain.

Stolen Bar of Gold Which Scores of
Men Have Hunted i'm Vain.
Phoenix tAriz.t Correspondence San Francisco Call
Harry Brown found an old revolver bur-
led under a Dusn in the northeastern part
of the city yesterday, and today there are
lot of about-town prospectors working
with picks and shovels in the vicinity, hop
ing to find half of a bar of gold that was
originally worth $32.OO0. All of which re-
calls to the old-limerS of the earliest
ard most sensational of Phoenixs TRACE
dies.
In June, 1876, the stage coach was held
up on the Black Canyon road, just beyond
a point known as Arastra HILL by five
masked men. Ore passenger was killed.
anu the treasure captured consisted of
bar OF gold bullion, big stack of new
one-hundred dollar greenbacks and the
personal properly OF the passengers. The
robbers came directly to Phoenix, where
they divided their spoil and separated, each
going TO a different par; Of the territory.
A year later began the story Of and the
search fer the famous Phoenix buried
treasure. AT different times scores of per-
sons nave come TO this city with what
they considered the correct tip on it's
exact location. How, why and where it
came to be buried was firststoid by cou-
pie of the robbers themselves, after they
had been MORALLY wounded, one by a COM
padre at Santa Maria, and the other by
peace OlllCet III tnOSniN- Inc lallGr tOlu
the best story. He. SAID the greenbacks
and half Of the bar of bullion were buried.
The greenbacks were so rare in this part
of the country at that time that their pos
session would have been Suspicious. For
the same reason the peculiar pistol taken
from the murdered passenger, which bore
the words Blood for blood engraved on
the haEile. also buried. 1t was this
pistol that was found yesterday by Harry
Brown. TIE bar of bullion was cut in two
with an ak. Why half was buried has
never been explained, but every body knows
that 1t was. The other half OF the bar was
afterward recovered by the authorities at
Los Angeles, ana upon weighing it was
found to be SO evenly divided that the
difference In the two pieces was less than
SIS.
Before the dying robber could definitely
locate the place where the treasure was
buried blood ftom his wound surged to
his throat and he died with the rest of
the secret still undivulged. Nevertheless.
a good deal of searching was done upon
the strength of his confession, but moth
ing was found.
Phoenix from Magdalena, Sonora He, too.
came to search for the robbers treasure
Its locality had been divuiged to him by a
man who died of a wound received in the
fiesta at MagdaleEa. Although the descrip-
ton given to the padre was quite definite
all the important landmarks had been
changed by the approach of civilization
Even the location of the bank of a ditch
that was named as a starting point had
been changed, and men who ought to have
been familiar with its former location could
remember il only in a general way.
Tie padre prosecuted his search for some
time. but he found nothing for his palms,
ana went away the poorer for his search
ing. Scarcely a year has passed since then
that some one has not appeared in this
city who believed himself possessed of the
proper directions.
The dying robber who made the first
confession said the greenbacks and half
bar of bullion were buried in an iron coffee
pot. Scores of treasure hunters have spent
weeks and months in secretly probing the
has often been thought that the treasure
had been found. but each time the 'rumor
proved to be untrue. Now there is more
digging and searching and probing and a
score or more Of men are hoping to strike
their pick or their probe into that iron
coffee pots
Sunday School Superintendent (severely)-
"Bobbie. l didn't see you in Sunday school
yesterday"
Bobbie !dehantly)-"No sir. was out on
How were the roadse-Life.
a
SS
Saz
50 slls u |
MMl&