Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-15


of the queerest octagon shaped gold coins
of antique design that / had ever seen.
DO you know what they are? Well, l
will tell you. They are part of the hid
den treasures of San Leon
my veins tingled at the sound.
knew the history of the country well
enough to know that in 1856, during a
temporary disturbance of revolutionary
nature, so frequent in old Mexico, the
rich treasures of the San Leon church,
amounting TO some $4,000, 900 in gold, to-
gether with valuable relics and altar
pieces, We're stolen and carried into the
mountains, no one knew whittier.
81 turned the coins over in my hand,
feeling a queer sense of stepping upon
perilous but fascinating ground. And
do you know where this treasure is?'
asked. The little Mexican placed his
hand on his heart as he said, Before God
l swear it Then, after a pause, Listen,
senor, while tell you little of my his
tory.
Ny people are from Toluca, near the
City of Mexico. | am of noble birth. but
/ got into bad company and have led a
very wild life. Ny father is dead. and
my uncles have robbed me of most of my
property. But what of that? | can earn
enough here to go back soon and lay
hands on one of the greatest treasures of
the world. | know its exact position in
the mountains. | could go there with
clay over my eyes. Shall tell you how
] discovered it?
AZ was an only son. A little peon
devil, with some of my fathers blood in
his veins, was brought up with. me. He
was of the lower order and was thrifty,
content with little. When he became old
enough to shift for himself, he bought a
little herd of goats and tended them him
self. He followed them about the noun
tain passes and was happy, for he loved
them rs his cii .dien. One day as he was
gathering them together to drive them
down the canyon out of reach of the
mountain lions he missed one. He start
cd back, calling for the missing goat.
He heard faint cries afar, but only
after great difficulty and in the closing
hour of day did he find the beast, which
had wandered in behind ledge of rock
and could not retreat. As the herder ad-
vanced the goat pushed forward till both
stood in dank and weird cave. Then
the man struck match to find his goat,
when he saw a cleaning crucifix in the
darkness beyond.
Naturally superstitious, the man was
struck with terror He finally mustered
the nerve TO advance and saw that the
relic was a real one and no more appari-
ton of saint or devil to lure him to de-
struction. In fact, the cross was studded
with diamonds and rubies, and the base
of it stood in a heap of human bones
Along on the lodges about him hung what
were os,s leather pouches, but the
weight of their load had long burst them.
and the floor of the cave was vast heap
of dust covered gold coin. Craz2l with
excitement and terror, raolo sc.ztl
handful of these coins and dashed olit Oh
the cave and thence on down the noun
tain side as if pursued by demons.
He kept his secret well for FIVE. days.
then he came to me. his one friend aud
confidant. When | saw the cons. va
crazy We planned TO 90 up TO the noun
tain canyon the next day, and we did So
j saw that the man spoke the truth. I
drove my hand into the heaps of gold.
senior, up to the shoulder. it was tho
lost treasure of San Leon without TIE
slightest doubt. We sat there in the 81
lence of the cave, surrounded by wealth
and the bones of martyred robbers, for
hours and planned to get the treasure
out. | have pistol-hcrc it is, sr!lor
You see, the hammer will not stay cock