The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-31
HUNTING FOR
LOST WEALTH
CAPTAIN KIDD STORY FROM
MILES CITY.
CACHE OF PENITENT Thief
Convicted Fred Morrow Taken Back
to Show Where He Hid
His Loot.

+ rCm luGSudy s daily GaZeCLe.
from miles City comes a story of
a hunt for hidden treasure that
brings to mind the tales that are told
about the searches that have been
made along the Atlantic for the
wealth supposed to have been buried
by the late lanented Captain Kidd.
Similarity goes no further, however,
than the mere search, for the captain
is very much dead and he took his
secret with him, whereas the wealth
the Milesians have been looking for
was buried by a man still alive and
the search they have been conducting
has been carried on under instruc-
lions given by the man who secreted
the wealth they are eager to ecover.
Something I'VE two years ago
Fred Morrow, a good-looking young
fellow, was night operator and station
agent at Miles City. One night a
package containing $4,000 in green
backs directed to one of the banks
of the place was delivered to him by
the express messenger of a vest
bound train. Shortly after receipting
for the money Morrow went down
town for his lunch. After his return
to the depot he notified the police
that the office had been robbed. In
proof he showed a broken window
,,ov> o,I n 1o11r ryrn-1ho1 frNro n
ticket case. He said that he had
temporarily placed the package Of
money in the case for safety, intend
ing to put it into the safe after the
train had gone, but had forgotten to
do SO and gone to eat his lunch. He
said a couple of strangers had been
lounging about the depot and they
probably had seen him put away the
money and taken advantage of his alb
sence to steal it.
The story was regarded as rather
d%iaphanous and several detectives of
the Northern Pacific Express company
arrived in a few days and began
work on the case. While SO engaged
they secured testimony sufficient to
warrant the arrest of Morrow, but
ON another charge. 1t was found that
he had stolen a hat and some other
trifles from an express package en-
trusted to his care. He was convict
ed and given a Jail sentence. This
insured his presence for a time at
least in case his guilt Of the more
serious offense could be established.
While he was in Jail the detectives
continued their Investigations with
the result that an information fol
grand larceny was filed against Nor
row.
He was convicted and sentenced tC
five years in the penitentiary. The
money, however, was not found.
Recently Morrow told the Warden
that if taken back to Miles City he
would show the place where he ha6
hidden the money. Yesterday War
den McTeague arrived there witt
Morrow. One of the detectives thai
had been instrumental in securing hi:
conviction was on hand and with Nor
row went toward the wagon bridge
that crosses Tongue river west o
town. A crowd began to follow ant
the two men returned to town. Lat
err the detective and railroad agen
started out again, but the same in
quisitive people were around and tn
hunt was abandoned a second time
Subsequently it was found where tw'
shallow holes had been dug, bu
whether the money was recovered i
not known. 1t was believed thai
night search would be made, whel
the searchers could hope to wor]