The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-10
WON'T SHOW HIS BOX OR GOLD
BUILDER MEEHAN SAYS HE'S GOT
1T IN HIS HOUSE.
No Negotiations With the Macy Heirs over
1T Don't Know for Certain That
He's Found Any Money, says M. Ma ey

1t was just like the chest they bring on
the st age in -1he Count OF Monte Cristo,
according to Builder James F, Meeban,
and With contents such as Capt. Kidd de-
lighted to bury, this wonderful thing dug
up in the cellar of the old Bronx house.
What Is to become OF it Ia a question
Mr.. Meehan, whose brother-in-law found
1t, says it is safely locked up in his house
instead of being in safety deposit vault.
Concerning the contents he is rather reti-
cent, and he won't let the reporters see
them.
Il don't want to discuss them with rrrmors
OF a lawsuit all about said Meehan. Most
of the money is gold, coined in the United
States, France, Germany and Spain
There is some paper money OF this country,
and it is all good
ANY doubloons or pieces Of eighth
Couldn't quite say about that said
Mr.. Meehan.
What do youthinkthet treasures worth?'
That I'm not sure Of, said the con-
tractor. but l don't believe you would be
far out OF the way IL you said 500. 900.
That box was just like what you see brought
in by the faithful servants In tho third act
of the show-all covered with rust and just
crammed full OF money. As matter Of
fact. the chest was found q week ago last
Wednesday. but we did not care to make
1t public, and it did not leak out until Sum
day
1t was found by my foreman, Thomas
Cunningham who is also my brother-in-
law. He was in charge Of the work OF
excavatng the old Macy place at Prospect
I
going to put up a six story apartment house.
The excavation job was subet TO Michael
Maher and his gang Of Italians. While
Cunningham was looking over the work
he saw something peculiar near n dry els
tern at the back of the house. The Macy
place was an old one and got its water
supply from this cistern years ago.
Cunningham didn't say anything to
Maher and did not go to the place beside
the cistern until the next morning. Then
he dug up the chest and we found the money.
Although some of the money was coined
during the time that Theodore l.. Macy
lived on the place, have no reason TO think
that the chest was buried by him or that
any of the Macy heirs have any claim on
the money
Thomas Cunningham said that he guessed
the contents of the box would run 70 about
$4,000, although he could not calculate
exactly, because many of the coins were
foreign. Neither he nor Mr.. Meehan could
guess who had buried the chest.
Theodore L. Macy died about ten years
ago. He was grocer who made fortune
in New York, first at Sixth avenue and
Twenty sixth street and later on Forty
third street. AS his wealth increased he
decided that he needed a country home
and he chose the spot in The Bronx, buying
seven acres OF land about 1865. II was
then a wooded country. Macy built what
was considered at that time a very fine
house When he died he left a considerable
estate to his children and other relatives.
His heirs are I. Mortimer Macy, a builder
who has offices at 9& Union avenue and
lives at POI West Seventy-elghth street;
the Misses Marian and Isabel Macy, who
live with their brother; Mrs. Florence May
of Hackensack, a Mrs. Wheeler Of Bridge
port. Conn, and George H, Macy Of Troy.
I. Mortimer Macy IL the executor OF the
estate. 1t was reported yeste day that he
had decided TO bring suit against Meehan
for the possession of the treasure trove, |
on the ground that the deed did not convey
anything except land and houses.
i haven't decided ono way or tho other,
said Mr.. Macy last night, As a matter |
OF fact | know very little about the matter. !
l have heard the report that MI Meehan |
found this money. do not know iof Ger |
tain that he did find il.
Have you seen Mr.. Mcehan?'
Yes. | had talk with him tonight,
said MIR. Macy.
Did you discuss what is to be done with !
the money he claims to have found?'
NO. said Mr.. May, we conferred on |
other business
Have you reason - doubt that Meehan |
found this money!
i've nothing TO sGy about that. ! don't /
know whether he did or not
Have you reason TO think that your |
father secreted that money on the place."
mo, said Mr.. Macy, Il haven't. Really, |
/ don't know any more about the matter |
than YOU do. Mr.. Mcehan hasn't told me /
how much money there Is or in what form /
1t is or how long 1t must have lain where it |
was found. / haven't seen my lawyers 1
about the matter at all
Miss Isabel Macy said that abe knew |
very little about the matter AID was losing !
no sleep over IT, She was asked whether |
her father had eyer travelled in places |
where he would have been likely to accumu-
late the coins described by Meehan.
never heard that he travelled abroad
said Miss Macy -and don't know that |
familiar with the ol rouse, for | played /
around it when a g.n in the wine cellar
ald about the old cistcld. Not far away /
from the house was an indian cemetery |
where there VAS lot OF fighting before
the Revolution
Miss Macy vas asked neither she knew /
any one connected with tho family who |
might have hidden the money.
4 cannot think OF any one unless it was
servant named Barbara Hoffman who was
with us for twenty years. She was very
even intellectual and she had |
worked as a laundress for some Of the rich
est people in Germany. II Is possible that
she got the money in some way that do not
know Of and hid it there She died in the
Isabella Home many years ago and we
never heard Of her having any large amount
)f money.
The Macy place is owned by Meehan. who
bought 1t from McCarty q MACY. a firm in
which 4. Mortimer Macy is a partner
MoCarty & Macy had bought the property
rom the estate The house, which was
rather picturesque affair, was torn down
several weeks ago
vO II LEVATED IN BRONX PARK