The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-09-26
GOLD BARS WITHOUT OWNER
Worth q Quarter of a Million Dol.
1ars-The Mystery Never Cleared

Up.
"Thc recent theft of $50 900 wortl
Of gold bars from the mint in SaI
Francisco and the robbery of over
quarter of a million of dollars, also il
gold bars, from the Sclby Smrllna
Works, near San Francisco, calls tt
mind the discovery OF a large, but un
known, quantity OF gold bars IN 6
house which was being demolished in
Oakland, just across The bay from San
Francisco" said Il Washington CORES
pondent.
"l was engaged in newspaper worl;
on the coast, at the time in Oakland
in fact, and | am convcrsant with the
particulars from personal knowledge
though the discovery at the time cx.
cited but little local interest, and so re-
markablc was it that it WAS doubted in
some quarters. subsequently, how
ever, the truth was developed The
gold bars, TO an estimated quantity of
$3.50 900, were actually found, but to
whom they had originally belonged, or
by whom they were stolen, is slill Il
mystery. AS it happened about ten
years ago | cannot recall the names o!
the parties with accuracy, though |
once knew them, every effort, of course,
being made at the time TO keep The
| find secret.
| "a two. story flame house on Tenth
street, IN Oakland, was owned and oc-
cuplcd by Il family, the head OF which
III the time in question, and FOR Il great
many years, over twenty, | think, was
| ~, h,
| remember the house well. The old
man died suddenly and the house was
III once sold by his heirs. The new
owner began tearing 1t down, intend
ing replacing it with a business struc-
turc. In digging away Me lower walls
an Italian laborcr came upon Il gold
bar hidden in the foundations. lie
covered the bar up With earth and wen,
on digging, but soon uncarthcd sc
many other sccrcted bars that his fine
was discovered by three other men en-.
ploycd with him. They at once en-
tered into secret compact to collect the
bars themselves and inform no one
else, especially the contractor and The
owner, OF the great and unexpected
wealth with which they had So suddenly
| become possessed.
"The men were all labolc two be-
ing Italians, think. They were sue
ccssful in getting the gold away from
the premises unobscrvcd by Others.
| The first inlimallun that something of
an unusual nature had happened to
these four men was that they quit work
for good and made heavy Investments
in real estate. Their purchases cX-
cited suspicion, rs lhcy nll had been
very poor men. TO cut short lony
story, however, it was asccrtaincd THAT
they had in fact found the gold, and
they were, under legal ADVICE, convert
ing it into other property to prnvcn,
the possible owner from laying claim
TO his original property.
L" In this they were all successful
In Iact, luck appeared to be with them
No one came forward to clam th,
hidden treasure for the very & ,od rea
son, undoubtedly that the only 0thc
person on the face Of the earth wht
had known Of Its whereabouts was
dead. One man bought q ranch in tn,
central part of the State for $50 900
The Italian living in Oakland bought
a fine new house, furnished IL luxuri
ousIy, paying s 900 FOR piano, anc
bought his wife an unlimited quantity
of diamond jewelry.
"The old adagc, however, that st0l.
en- gold brings to its posscssor bad
luck in the end proved true. In less
than five years the ranch owner was
bankrupt, and the ranch reverted tt
it's original owners on foreclosure
The Italian lost all of his property anC
returned to live in the little cottage il
North Oakland he had vacated for ms
fine house. The only thing he pc
= served to remind HIM of the days o
: his ilceting wealth was Turkish rug
worth about 81 800, which he placed
Oh the floor OF the cottage, and woult
: not sell when all else had gone. -.
"Thc third man dissipa.cd all oithi
wealth in fast living and gambling ant
died a pauper in a hospital in Seattle
The career Of the fourth man cnnu
,, recall accurately, but | k jw that he
too, lost all that he had. The rancl
owner, by the way, died il miserable
death alone in a cabin on the Slcla
= mGnl0 River and was buried Dy tn
town in the poLtcr's field.
, " The gold, Of course, did not right
| fully belong to The man who sccrrtc
} it in the walls OF The house. II wa
= stolen from some one, aud if il ha
/ been taken by the man who had fOl
4 mcrly owned the house his heirs put i
t no claim for it for the reason that the
:. knew it did not rightfuily bulong
: hlm. 1t was considered improbab
|, that any person other than he ha
l. sccrctcd il, however, as he had live
IS IN the house for many years, had bui
II it himself, if my rccoIlcction is CO
t. rect.
y "Since he had been for 50 long
employc OF the mint the general il