The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-09-25
GOLD BARS WITHOUT OWNER
Worth Quarter of Million Dol.
lars The Mystery Never Cleared
Up.

| LARS - lie mystery Never Cleared
Up.
The recent theft of $50 900 wortl
OF gold bars from the mint in Sa,
Francisco and the robbery of over ;
quarter Of million OF dollars. also il
gold bars, from the Sclby Smcllnc
Works, hcar Saa Francisco, calls tC
Minu The discovery OF a large, but un
known, quantity Of gold bars IN &
house which WAS being demolished ir
Oakland, just accross the bay from San
Francisco" said a Washington cores
pOndent.
" was engaged in newspaper work
on The coast, at the time in Oakland
IN fact, and | am couycrsant with the
particulars from personal knowledge
IhouGh the discovery at the time cy-
cited but little local interest, and so re-
markablc was 1t that it was doubted in
some quarters. subsequently, how
ever, the truth was dcvcloped. The
gold bars, TO an estimated quantity of
S2oO,OOO, were actually found, but to
whom they had originally belonged, or
by whom they were stolen, is still n
mystery. AS it happened about ten
years ago | cannot lccal the names of
The parties with accuracy, though |
once knew them, every effort, of course.
beng made at the time to keep the
'hud' a secret.
"A two.story frame house on Tenth
street, la Oakland, was owned ana oc.
cUplCd by family, the head OF which
al Inc tune III question, and for great
many years, over twenty, | think, was
an cmpluyu II tn San Francisco mint.
| remember the house well. The old
man died suddenly and The house was
at once sold by his heirs. The new
owner began tearing it down. intend
ing replacing ii with business struc-
turc. In digging away the lower walls
an Italian laborcr came upon Il cold
bar hiiden in the foundations. lie
covered the bar up with earth and went
on digging, but soon uncarthcd so
many other sccrctcd bars that his find
was discovered by three ether men en-
ployed with hn.. They at once en-.
tered into secret compact TO collect the
Dars 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.
"Thc men were all laborcrs, two be-
ing Italians, think. They were sue
ccsslul IN getting the gold away from
The premises uuObscrvcd by others.
The first intimallon 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, as they all had been
very poor men. TO cut short a long
story, however, it was asCcrtalncd that
they had in fact found the gold, and
they were, under legal advice, convert
ing it into other property to prevent
the possible owner from laying claim
to hls original property.
"ln this they were all successful.
In Tact, luck appeared TO be with them.
No one came forward to clam the
hidden treasure tor the very cd rea-
son, undoubtedly that the only other
person on the face Of the earth who
had known Of It's whereabouts was
dead. One man bought a ranch in the
Genital part OF the State for SO 900.
The Italian living in Oakland bought
a fine new house, furnished IL luxuri-
ously, paying s 900 FOR piano, and
bought his wife an unlimited quantity
of diamond jcwelry.
The old adago, however, that stol-
cn 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 10
its original owners on foreclosure.
The Italian lost all of his property and
| returned To live in the little cottage i'm
North Oakland lie had vacated for his
fine house. The only thing he PIE
served to remind HIM of the days of
his lleeting wealth was Turkish rug
worth about 81 800, which he placed
on the floor of the cottage, and would
not sell when all else had gone.
"The third man dissipa.cd all of his
wealth in fast living and gambling and
died pauper in hospital in Seattle
The career of the fourth man inno
recall! accurately, but know that he
too, lost all that he had. The rancl
owner, by the way, died miserabl,
death alone in cabin on the Sacla
mcnto River and was buried by tn,
town in the potter's field.
F" The gold, of course, did not right
fully belong to the man who sccrcte,
1T III the walls of the house. 1t WA
stolen from some one, and if it ha,
been taken by the man who had for
merly owned the house his heirs put il
no claim for it for the reason that the
knew IL did not rightfully belong {
him. It was considered improbabl
that any person other than he ha
secreted it, however, as he had live
in the house for many years, had bui
it himself, if my recollection is co
rect.
Since he had been for so long q