The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-07
TREASURE IN THIEVES DEN.
A ROBBERS CAVE THAT WAS ONCE THE
HIBERNATING PLACE ron BEARS.
A story OF Treasure Hidden In the Wids
Of the OLlrks BY a Guerrilla Bandat tho
Time OF the CIV War-Nas II Recovered

Time OF the civil War-Was IL Recovered
From TIE Kansds C,ty Times.
SPRINoFIELD, Mo, Sept. 20 In the eastern
part OF Stone county, on White River, and
located In one OF the widest parts OF the Ozark
Mountains, is the famous Robbers Cave
Of southwest Missouri, which, ever since the
Civil War, has attracted the eapor attention
Of those MISUNDERSTANDING adventures who
love the traditions OF hidden wealth and who
would rather secure 81 Of the lost spoils OF a
bandit gang than 10 earn ten times q, much
by some prosaic process OF honest toll There
has not been found In the Ozark country much
Of the ancient Spaniards' legendary silver.
and the whilom ~subterTanean lalrs Of robber
bands have thus far failed TO yield an adequate
reward to the searchers, who persist in ex-
ploring them. But these tales OF mines that
once glittsred to the greedy gaze Of early AK
plorsrs and Of war-won booty never enjoyed
by rowing FREQ nncers refuse 10 leave tie ro-
mantle habitat OF southwest Missouri, a region
that Is rs full OF charm a. II IL laden with legend
and tradition.
The Robbers Cave" as II has been called
for thirty years. was one OF the alternating
bear deus. into which the bold nimrod, II ths
pioneer days were wont 70 crawl la search
Of the shaggy beast, and many desperate en-
counters took place in its dark chambers when
the d%auntless frOntiersmen attacked the sleeps
ing game with the hunters KNIT. The cave
has a small outlet near the base Of the noun
tain, and the game would sometimes escape
through this when the hole was not guarded.
But It was during the war that the cave 40
CURED most fame. II became the hiding
place u the various guerrilla bands that made
southwest Missouri their field 81 operations
The mouth Of the cavern is SO large that a small
troop of bandits could find shelter under tha
agrppita roof Of tlig g4.1uI..l v.f,.uf ,Yl ..
that time the country was wild and but sparsely
settled. Toward the close Of the war a band e
Confederate Ruorrillas passed ]sOuthvlrd near
Springfield. holly pursued by a troop IT Union
cavalry. The f~Igitives had robbed a bank
In central Missouri and were trying 90 escape
with the booty. The chase had been a long one.
and the horses OF both parties were a!most
exhausted When the pursuing squadron
reached Yoachum Pond, about thirty miles
south Of Springfield, they were only q few hours
behind the guerrillas, but the horses Of the
Union troopers could not continue tho chase,
A company Of mounted militia happened TO
be- campcd at the pond. and these men took
up the tran Of the bandits and followed 1t down
into the Bear Creek country The guerrillas
took advantage Of the big bear cave, where
they had, II is SAID, frequently taken refuge,
and here the militia beslegcd them.
The Eu"frllldS. finding that thcr were In
a trap, attempted 10 break OUT, md made a
soriir In force. Tie fight that followed was a
desperate one. and there were few -rrvivors
IN either band when the smoke Of battle cleared
away The guerrilla loader fell mortally
wounded and was taken 10 Springfield along
with several other prisoners His moticr
was summoned by telegraph to come TO him,
and almost a week later she arrived Tie
wounded man wa fast sinking. and as soon
a. III mother reached hi bedside le told her
he had some important information TO impart,
and begged her 70 write a he dictated.
pr ,thcncworth, an army surgeon. was
attending the wounded prisoner, and he heard
the. conversation between H." dying guerrilla
The ,youns, raider told his mother about
t the iI n s1la At a }n9 . GIEyS, S s9,a nm Ilfs III a in 5if ,ho t reao
and gave her minute directions how 10 find the
money. The woman wrote tie direction on
slips torn from the surgeons prescription book,
there being no other paper AZ hand. There
we're marks On the trees at the mouth OF tho
cave and 7ignScu on the rocks that the prisoner
The guerrilla died and his mother went baok
home Dr. h%enew9rth Key, the story of the
the cave and search for the money, but sudden
changes in the fortunes Of war took hrm awnY
about the close Of the war. settled In Boston.
shortly atterward the mother OF the guerrilla
cave and the written directions to ind the
buried money as q legacy 70 her younger sons.
several years after the stick OF the Coufed-
crate rocket struck the earth behind the hills
Of AppomtttoN one OF these sons heard 81 DR..
CheqTwortY presence IN B1SLon and went to
account of the hidden wealth, and til" cv-arny
surgeon remembered the story vel, and rrcog-
The two cuaCrecd 10 hunt for the treasure and
to share equally tho wealth found.
,,D When l1yo tn, aI, ,ln S6 eg GGS,6r upon c9nld Tor 5o ne b. 't T,Tr 70
The brother Of the guerrilla at once suspected
his partner had PLAYED hin false. and he set
tho cave He went down on Beaver Crock.
est Of For,yth and inquired ttor the cave,
T4ucy count, and made known the object OF
bis visit ki-See knew all the caves In tho
county and tod We stranger there was no
sought must bc the noted Stone county boar
den. The Treasure hunter was directed TO the
Brlr Greek country. Here he found an old
set Ter by the name Of Nctthoruan. who had
iu year. gone ly killed many bear IN the cave.
IL knew oi tie light Of the g]uerrilll~ and
militia at the cave, but had not heard OF the
hidden wealth
The stranger was eager 10 get at the cave
divide any Treasure found With q guide who
would show him NE cave; ne oId bear hunt,E
but chceriullv agreed to conduct the advCn-
turer 10 the cave 1t was nearly dark by tho
Weathermau, and yet be- could hardly be 7er-
suadcd to wait I'LL morning before setting out
Early the ncNt morning thev started out
and by 9 O'Clock We're IN the gloomy entrance
OF the cavern. They found all the marEs and
randIm, took measures as directed. and finally
came to the place where an excavation had
had anticipated them. after a little futile
search, the young man and Weath"frdn vent
To- the house OF a settler near by and there
learned that "A party of strangers hau visited
the ctve some weeks before, but n thoy had
made their explorations at night, lac could
not say what tioy had done nor whether they
hal found anything. The young man believed
that the doctor had given him the Sip and
had made a search for the treasure. The
money might have been found
The amount OF the treasure was supposed
to h1vc been about $4,000. Since the story
of the cave treasure became a common rumot
many persons have hunted for the money,
and tho settler, who lives near tho cave. has
srcut many a welcome dollar received tor lodg-
ius and boarding advCnturars who have sought
shelter at ms house while searching for thA
guCrrilla's booty. >. h. SNYDER