The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-23
THRILLING SEARCH
For Trcnsurc-An American Starts to
Seek u Boatlond of Money and jew
cIs nuried l,y u s,,Jt,v

For Trcnsurc-An American Starts to
Seek u Bontload of Money and jew
els Buried by Il sultan
CHADRON. Neb.. March 22.-In a
letter from Hong Kong to his brother,
John Enloe, of this place, C. H. Enloe
tells of sensational search for treasure
on which he was Just embracing at the
time Of writing. The wealth is said to
have been concealed on the island of
Sulu, one Of the smaller OF the Philip
pines. by Capt. Jorge de Ovando. a
former commander of the Spanish gar
rison there. C. H. Enloe is a young
American civil engineer who went to
China from the Black Hills gold mines
several years ago in the employ OF an
English syndicate with a concession in
the orient.
I'm starting on this venture" he
writes, after few preliminary remarks.
ION the /say-so of u Chinuman named
Foo Haou-che, former merchant at
Manila. His word Is the only guaran-
tee I have that 1t isn't wild goose
chase. The story certainly sounds tlshy,
but believe 1t. In the first pldce, I've
checked over part OF It and found that
the facts are just as he represents
them. In the second, he's willing to
back the expedition with his own coin,
10 risk the dangers we are sure to en-
counter, and has maps purportlng to
show the exact location Of the cache.
So 1t looks US IL he thinks the yarn
true himself.
Prior to Admiral Dewey's capture of
tho phillnpInaG Gnpin al int nIpaI n
small garrison at Sulu. But the Span
ish commandments control was little
more than nominal. The real ruler
was Moro chief, or sultan. as the ma
tlyes call him, for all the Sulu Islanders
are Mahometans. These chiefs wInked
at any amount OF piracy and brlgand-
age among their subjects and their
plumber was frequently exceedingly
valuable. The lions share naturally
went to the sultans and in the course
OF years they were supposed to have ac-
cumulated enormous wealth.
"One Of the main sources Of the Span
ish governors revenue was the system
Of blackmail levied on the native rulers
Among the foXlest OF these Spanish rob-
bers was Capt. Jorge de Ovando, who
bossed the island during the latter SOS.
Foo says he gathered in $1,000 or $780,
600 In n couple OF years. Toward the end
OF 1889 he seems TO have scented n ma
tive uprising. for he arrested lot OF
Moros. strengthened his garrison and
placed himself generally on q war foot
ing.
1T wasn't convenient for him to re-
move his wealth to safe place at the
time. and Foo Is certain that to protect
II he planted II with his own fair hands
In an out-of-the-way place among the
mountains. The uprising failed to ma
terialize, but before Ovando had time to
communicate with his superiors Mt Ma
Mia, one OF the Moros assasslnntcd him.
Prior to the murder Foo had been In
business at Manila and according to his
own account. had been mixed up in n
good many shady transactions with the
Spanish officials. uvando was one of
his best customers. The Chlnaman had
acted as his broker In disposing of the
plumber squeezed out of the Moro sui
tan. and. by using his eyes and ears MS
only Chinaman knows how 10 use
them. had learned more than Ovanda
suspected concerning the latter's at
fairs.
HE was in Sulu for conference
with his principal ut the time OF the
killing, and was actually waiting In the
captains house to talk with him when
the corpse was brought In. Among
other InklIngs that he Ind was one to
the effect that the Spaniard had con-
cealed his treasure on the Island. and.
taking advantage Of the confusion fol-
lowing the murder, he ransacked his eff
fects and stole n bundle OF papers which
struck him ms being OF possible value.
But he couldn't read n word OF any
language but his own and the charts
and directions were useless to him with
out the aid OF an interpreter. In view
Of the circumstances under which they
We're procured the subject was deli
cate one to breach to another and for
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