The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-10-22
TREASURE.TROVE.
-"0f all sad words Of tongue or pen.
The saddest are these: 1t might have bee.

The saddest are these: It might have been. ;"
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: On a Sun
day morning the Union fleet left Fortress
Monroe for Norfolk, the troops having
gone the night before by land. When
our ships were approaching Craney Island,
that vessel was blown up by the COnfed-
crates themselves, thus ending brief but
notable career. Soon thereafter, when
some of our boats went ashore we found
the remains Of a breakfast the rebels had
left they having retreated in hurry.
On the following Thursday, myself, then
a Boatswain, and Charles Stevenson,
Gunner, went ashore at Norfolk. where
l was well acquainted, having been there
often before the war;; However, my nu-
merous friends of aald Bang syne were
now uncompromising rebels, who ignored
me, invariably looking theother way when
l passed by. To while away the time,
Stevenson and l hired adteam and drove
to the Confederate batteries back of the
town. These batteries were composed of
a miscellaneous lot OF ships guns that
had been stolen from the Navy Yard. Hay
ing inspected them to our satisfa ction,
we amused ourselves by firing at a target
put up against the ruins of an old brick
house. Our revolver practice attracted
the attention OF two soldiers. One of them
left his quarters and coming to where we
stood, said: ~
'There is a corpse near BY"
"Where?" said l.
Conducting US about 20 yards distant,
he pointed to an old brick vault that had
square aperture in front. Just above
the entrance was written in black letters
the following:
DO not disturb the dead"
Looking down into the vault, which was
very dark, l saw something bright, shining
like silver or FURNISHED tin. When l re-
moved my. coat and cap, preparatory to
entering the sepulchral cavern. the SOL
der exclaimed: w... -.r
"For the love of the Virgin Mary. don't
go down there!'
Paying no attention to the supersti-
tious and Mortified soldier / entered the
vault feet foremost. encountering some diff
ficulty in working my way through the
hole in the wall. Having entered the sep
ulcher, l was in darkness, and could not
stand erect. Striking match, saw in
closed in pine box a coffin covered with
black cloth. On the silver plate was en-
graved the following simple inscription:
Elizabeth Vimmo, aged &c years."
shall never forget that name. The
border Of the top of the coffin was en-
beliished by a German-silver edging.
which l had seen shining before l had en-
tered the vault. l noted the strange fact
that no dust had accumulated on the cloth
covering the coffin, and nat the inscrip-
ton had only recently been engraved. AL
though Twas strong man, found could
not lift one end Of the coffin. l was much
surprised and marveIed that l could not
lift one end of a coffin containing the NOR
tai remains of an old woman. Having
made an Intellectual attempt to remove
the lid, l crawled out of the vault. and,
leaving Stevenson there drove hurriedly
to Norfolk for implements with which to
remove the lid OF that mysterious coffin.
Having fully equipped myself with the
when l arrived within 200 yards OF the
vault saw Stevenson quietly sitting on a
fence, and just beyond him were two
mounted guards. who promptly halted me
when | attempted to pass them. In vain
l expostuated. They inexorably barred
the way to the vault.
About week after this incident, Ste
vensOn and l were ashore again, driving
around to see the sights. AT a point on
the road we were accosted by an ordinary
looking soldier who, perched on the fence.
was calmly smoking long German pipe.
He wore blouse and fatigue cap, and
spoke with German accent, The follow
ing coiloquy ensued:
DO you belong to the navyY"
Yes; we belong to, the U. 8. s. San
Jacinto." D" -
"Do you know the two men who visited
the vault near the Old Plantation House?"
yes" said l; "the man who went into
the vault is myself
"Well, you were very foolish to say any
thing in the presence OF the soldier"
Laughing quietly, our German interlocu-
tor then said: -
II suppose you do not know met"
mo" II on
"Well, 1 am Gen. Max Weber, and the
big house back there is my headquarters
That coffin was full of Silver plate and
jewelry. When you went away to find
tools with which to open it. the soldier
promptly reported what you had said and
done. and what YOU stiff intended to do.
The valuable coffin has been removed from
the vault. 1t seems to ME that you gen
tlemen unwillingly let riches take wings
and fly away."-JoHN NJ >RLEY. a Naval
Veteran since 1919; p. O. Box 227, Athens,
Pa