The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-13
The story Of "old Brooks"

The Story Of "Old Brooks"
A LEGESp or MoswANsIcUr.
Soon after the Revolution and years
before the birth OF village In the pleas.
ant valley OF Moswansleut. there came to
live near the borders OF that lake . man
who bore the name OF Brooks, at least he
became known to the rounding inhabi.
tsnts as "0,d Brooks" lie came here an
ontIre stranger, having no family except a
wife and a neg'o boy, and took up his
residence In a cottage house, a little way
west OF the road that leads northwsrd
along the west aide of the lake aud near
TO the present residence of Allen King
The house, In Ito latter days was known
as the Negro house" being occupied
for number of years bys negro family
named Geers. The old POND Factory"
had not yet been thought OF and Brooks
nearest neighbon were the Harris and
Mathewsons. Doubtless, also, old DR..
Benz amin Slack knew something OF its
history. lie was rather quiet man, but
romance seemed to gather around him a.
time passed. lie lived a sort of solitary
life, s.ocIatlnR little with towns people
and spending most of hi, time about
home with the exception OF an occasionsl
visit to Providence on the back OF a good
bay mare which he owned. lie engaged
In no business, not even In farming TO
any extent. but always had a plenty OF
everything he seemed TO need and bore
himself with the air Of a man who fel, en-.
tirely independent Of his surroundings.
II was rumored that he had sailed on
board a privsteer during the Revolution,
whereby he had gained an immense tor.
tune, and that the negro boy was q part
Of the property he had acquired on some
Of his voyages. Finally that he had sc.
lected this spot on account OF its solitude
and the beauty Of its scenery whereon to
spend In quiet the declining years OF an
exciting and eventlul lie.
This belief wns strengthened by the
fact that the farmers OF those days, when
money was scarce, used to 10 TO him for
loans. and after satisfactory understand.
invariably tell them TO call again the
next day and the money would be ready
Tor them, which II Invariably was. A. he
was never known TO leave home on these
oocssions the natural inference wss that
he kept his treasure concealed on or about
his premises and took this method TO
maintain the secret. Affairs passed on
In this quiet way for many years ill one
pleasant morning he mounted his good
bay mare and set out on one Of hi. usual
trips 10 Providence. Late that night the
mare arrived home rIderles and alone
Unlike Tam O'Shanter's mare she had
brought home her tail, but left her rider.
Naturally there was snKlety In the family
unil the next day when the body Of
Brooks was found by the roadside with
the neck broken.
Doubtless a meeting with some Of hls
coat him hi, life. The body wa. taken
home and buried q little way from his
house. His wife and the negro contin.
ued TO live hero Ill they too died and
were buried beside him. The three soil.
tsrY grave, may ,tlll bs sren on a little
rise Of ground short distance from the
remains Of the old cellar, oil soon to be
efseed and forgotten. Thus pat" We all
In turn. Brooks fortune vanished With
hi, life. His vile never kne- wnefe he
kept his treasure and only knew Of the
notes held for money loaned.
Since the dlsppssrsnce OF the family
many one has searched tho premises,
dug In the cellar, and d.lved Into every
place where treasure could be conceived
10 lie, but thus far "Old Brooks" shining
gold, like that OF Capt. Kidd, has proved
an Illusion. II IL impossible to tell how
much Of truth there f. In the story Of
"Old Brooks" but the following fact
which may be found upon the records, is
certainly very suggestive.
The brigsn,lns Fancy" With an srma.
nsnt Of fourteen guns and one hundred
men was commissioned az q prlvsteer al,
Providence. November 8, I776. With the
following officers! Capt. AzirIsh Whit
u.ses, FIrst Lieutenant David Brooke.
Second Lieutenant william Warner. Mas.
ter Calvin Ely.
Whs, more natural than that Brooke
should become Brooks IN the mouth Of
the common peoplel lie had been called
"Oid Brooks" 60 long that HIS fret name
vi" forgotten. ItmIght s well be David
a, any other and being second officer on
bosrd the vessel his share OF prize money
would necesssrily be large.
Now were "Old BROOKS" Of Mo,wsn,i-
cut and Lieutenant David Brooks Of the
bhgsntIne "Fsneyr one and IN. same
person, or was II sImyly a curious eoIneI.
denee' -2AiSa Sabri