The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-03-31
A GREAT GOLD NUGGET,
How 1t Causid Three Murders In
Moth Carolina

Long before gold was discovered in
California there were both placer and
quartz mining in North Carolina and
northern Georgia, and the Chattahoo-
chez river bed is yet worked by steam
dredgeS for float and placer gold, while
dozen new plants have been erected in
Simpldn, Hale, Harrison. Cherokee and
other counties of North Carolina since
the Atlanta exposition. This revived at
tention to an old gold field lends in-
terest to story told by L. E. Barnes,
Of Yates county, n. Y.
Some years ago" said Mr.. Barnes,
II read in newspaper something
which recalled to me visit had made
to Cherokee county, \. C., 40 years ago.
This newspaper account was to the eff
feet that the director of the Phia-
delphia mint was anxious to find an
owner for gold minted from a nugget
weighing 1876 pounds sent to the mint
by j. j. Burnes, of Pineland township,
Cherokee county, n. c. years before
and never claimed.
Gas | had been through that township
and knew it to be some 40 miles from
railroad, and as | was going to make
another trip through the state, the idea
occurred to me to look into the case. l
did so, and learned the history of the
Red creek nugget, and of the three muir
ders it caused. John Farrell was a
squatter on Red creek, Cherokee county
One day he had visitors-two men he
had known long years before. For their
entertainment he went into his bed
room and rolled out large ball of
something the color of bronze and as
heavy as lead. Gentlemen he said
here is something l found while look
ing for my cow. 1t is mighty heSvy, and
| thought it might be something more
than IRON His visitors, who were min
ers, pronounced his find almost pure
gold They proposed to help him carry
the nugget to where it could be shipped
TO the mint. He accepted their offer.
and the next morning the party started
with their prize for the railroad, some
40 miles distant.
Meanwhile the two miners had con-
ceived the idea of numbering Farrell
and securing the nugget for themselves
So, while Farrell was carrying the front
end of the pole on which the nugget
was suspended, he was Drained with
Ratchet, and his body was hidden in the
woods. But when they again took up
their march the man at the front end Of
the pole began to doubt the man be-
hind him, and stopping suddenly, said:
Il say, Mike, Farrell is sleeping behind
in the bush, and as | don't want to sleep
here we had better cut that lump of
gold in two, and each man take his half
and go with it,
This suggestion was agreed to, and
Mike took the Ratchet from his belt
and cut the nugget in two. Then, still
kneeling, he asked: Which half will
you take?' and as he spoke he looked
down at the split nugget. This was the
opportune moment for his partner, and
the next instant Mike lay dead in the
trail with Ratchet cash in his head
His body was dragged into the woods
and his half of the nugget was hidden
Around the other half was fastened a
strap, stick was run through it, swung
over the shoulder of the surviving MUIR
derer, and so it finally reached the
mint. The other half was also shipped
to the mint, both in the name of J. j.
Burnes. Then the murderer conceived
the bizarre idea of going back to Pine
land township to try to gain the atfec-
tons of Mrs. Farrell and marry her
When he came to the place where he
had murdered his comrade three armed
men sprang from concealment and
caught him. By accident his crime had
been discovered. He confessed the muir
der but refused to tell what he had
done with the gold. They hanged him
on the spot.
Il made the acquaintance of Mrs
Farrell" said Mr.. Barnes, in conclu-
sion. told her that there was money
coming to her from the United State.
mint at Philadelphia, and with my help
she got several thousand dollars ard
moved to Chicago, where she still lives. I"
N. Y. Advertiser.