Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-10
THIEVES DEN,
Robbers Gave asce the Hlbsrnatng Place
for Bears.

| the widest parts or the OZarK noun
tains is the famous Robbers Cave" of
! Southwest Missouri, which, ever since
the Civil war has attracted the eager
attention of those treasurehuntinga ad
venturers who love the traditions of
hidden wealth and who would rather
secure 81 of the lost spoils of bandit
gang than to earn ten times as much
by some prosaic process of honest toll.
There has not been found in the Ozark
country much of the ancient Span
iards' legendary silver, and the whilom
subterranean lairs of robber bands
have thus far failed to yield an ad
equate reward to the searchers who
persist in exploring them, says the
Kansas City "Times." But these tales
Of mines that once glittered to the
greedy gaze of early explorers and Of
war-won booty never enjoyed by row.
| ing free lancers refuse to leave the
romantic habitat of Southwest Missou-
ri, region that is as full of charm as
it is laden with legend and tradition.
The Robbers Cave" as it has been
called for 80 years, was one of the hi
bernating bear dens, into which the
bold nimrods of the early pioneer days
were. wont to crawl in search of the
shaggy beast, and many desperate en-
counters took place in its dark cham
bers when the dauntless frontiersmen
attacked the sleeping game with the
hunters knife. The cave has a small
outlet near the base of the mountain,
and the game would sometimes escape
through this when the hole was not
guarded
But it was during the war that the
cave acquired most fame 1t became
the hiding place of the various guer-
rilla bands that made Southwest Mis-
souri, their field of operations. The
mouth of the cavern is so large that
small troop of bandits could find
shelter under the granite roof of this
secluded retreat, and at that time the
country was wild and but sparsely set
tied. Toward the close of the war a
band of Confederate guerrillas passed
southwark near Springfield, hotly pur-
sued by troop of Union cavalry. The |
fugitives had robbed bank in central |
Missouri and were trying to escape |
with the booty. The chase had been a !
long one, and the horses of both par
ties were almost exhausted. When |
the pursuing squadron reached Yoach
um Pond, about 80 miles south of |
Springfield, they were only a few
hours behind the guerillas, but the |
horses of the Union troopers could not
the chase. A company of
militia happened to be camp.
ed at the pond and these men took up
The trail of the bandits and followed
t down into the Bear Creek country.
The guerillas took advantage of the
big bear cave, where they had, it is
said, frequently taken refuge, and here
he militia besieged them.
The guerillas, finding that they were
n trap, attempted to break out, and
made sortie in force The fight that
was desperate one, and
here were few survivors in either
'and when the smoke of battle cleared
away. The guerilla leader fell NOR
ally wounded and was taken to
Springfield along with several other
prisoners. His mother was summoned
oy telegraph to come to him, and al
most week later she arrived. The
wounded man was fast sinking, and as
soon as his mother reached his bed
'ide he told here he had some import
mt information to impart, and begged
Ter to write as he dictated.
DR.. Cheneworth, an army surgeon.
was attending the wounded prisoner,
md he heard the conversation between
he dying guerilla and his mother.
The young raider told his mother
about the fight at the cave, said that
| rich treasure in gold and silver was