The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-15
WAS IT MONEY?
Mysterious Actions of Two Men
and a Woman
In a Graveyard at Washington
at Midnight.
UNDER A MONUMENT
They Dig and Carry Away an
Unknown Treasure.
Landlord of the Central House
Tells the Story.
UNDER A MONUMENT

Washington, Kan, Oct. 15.-Wash-
ington has a mystery of the most mys-
FERROUS kind. About three nights ago
about IL o'clock a farm wagon drove
up to the Central House and man
carrying several grips got out and went
into the hotel. He asked to see the
register and said he was looking for
woman whom he expected to find there
but did not appear at all disappointed
when informed that no such person had
taken room or been there. After
some common place conversation he
went out stating he would take a room
for the night About O'Clock in the
morning he returned, this time accom-
panied by another man and a woman.
Mr.. Robertson, the proprietor of the
hotel then remembered that there was
a lady stopping over night and began
telling about her. The man who came
first stopped him peremptOrily with the
remark, pointing at the woman No,
this is the woman I want" He then
said he would take rooms for all three,
but that they would not occupy them
at once. He then desired Mr.. Robert
son to order buggy and team which
he did and at the same time he re
quested that he be provided with a pick
and spade. These were furnished and
the two men got into the buggy and
drove off south and the woman went to
her room.
OF course Mr.. Robertson thought this
was rather curious proceeding and he
sat down on the front porch to think
about the matter. The night was quite
cool and the air very clear and he
could hear the buggy when it crossed
VOLTS bridge and the patter of the
horses feet far beyond that place. Then
1t flashed into the hotel prOprietor's
head that his mysterious visitors had
gone to the grave yard. About 5
o'clock in the morning the two men re-
turned and putting up the team asked
for rooms and to be called in time for
the Central Branch morning train. The
81 1vrn1 4
and went over to Sheriff MitchelPs
house and got that official out of bed,
and with bated breath related to him
the transactions of the night. Mitchell
was sufficiently interested. The sheriff
and Mr.. Robertson at once decided to
go to the grave yard, and ordering
team, drove there. As they returned,
when it was fully light, it was easily
walked to the grave yard and back. as
the track could be plainly seen, the wO-
mans in the centre. upon the soft dust
in the middle of the road. This ex-
plains the absence of the first man from
IL to 2 o'clock and why the woman did
not go in the buggy. 1t only took a
few minutes to discover that the earth
about the monument of Mr.. and Mrs.
A. Walter, in the eXreme southeast cor
ner of the ground, had been disturbed,
and a closer inspection revealed the
fact that it had been dug around upon
three sides and the earth and sod care
fully replaced. The graves were I'M
touched. Here was a mystery What
could be the object of digging under
monument They proceeded to invest
igate, and beginning on the south side,
soon found that nothing had been ta-
ken out or deposited there. The same
result was the reward of an investiga-
ton of the east side, but when the loose
sod was removed from the north side
there was both revelation and a SEN
satiOn and their eyes were greeted by
the sight of a deep hole directly under
the center of the base. Their first
thought was that something was bur-
led there but they could find nothing
and so closed up the opening the way
they found it and returned to town.
At half past eight in the morning the
two men and the woman took the Cen
trail Branch train and left town, the
latter having first been recognized as
the wife of George 5. ElwOod-Of course
the Identification of Mrs. ElwoOd gave
rise to the theory that George, in his
prosperous days, had buried money IN
der the monument and that being now
in trouble he had sent his wife and
friends to dig it up Another theory Is
that George ElWoOd is under arrest
somewhere and that the men who ac-
companied Mrs. Elwood were United
States marshals whom George had COR
rllpted with the promise OF hidden
treasure The truth about the matter
is that one of the men is a deputy Uni
ted States marshal named A. j. Tom
IinsOn of Hastings, Neb., and the other
one is named Lapinsky, and is city mar
shall of the same town. Since the events
of the night in question 1t has trans
pired that they all came here on the
| B. & NJ train but did not get off until
| they got to Morrow where they hired
a wagon and drove back, and the play
! of asking for the woman at the Central
/ House was only a blind.
In this connection it might be remark
ed that George Elwood was in this
] county about five weeks ago.
To Sheriff Mitchell the men stated
/ that the reason of their visit and oper-
/ ations at the grave yard was to search
+ for a set of burglars tools alleged to
4 have been hidden there and which it
| was desired should be used in evidence
! in a case to come off at Lincoln, Neb.,
soon.