The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-14
POT O. GOLD HOAX.
There Seems to Have Been Pot, all
Right, But No Gold.
Especial to News and Observer

Especial to News and Observer
Cheraw. $. c., Sept 13.-The re-
ported find of a pot of gold containing
$4,000 contained in a dispatch from
Charlotte last night, is beyond doubt
a hoax, although there is much evi-
dence which tends to Substantiate the
Charlotte story. The facts are these:
Some time in March, Tyler Teal,
young man employed on the planta-
ton of Rivers Bros, three miles be-
low Chesterfield, told his wife one
evening after work that he and
negro with whom he had been work
ing that day had found a pot contain
ing lot of coins. He asked her to
go to a neighbor's for the night TO
give him and the negro an oppoftall~~
ity of going to the woods and count
ing it, Mrs Teal beine afraid to re-
main alone during the night.
He reported the following morning
that there was $4,000 in the pot and
that it was all very old, none of the
coins showing date later than 1890.
He also stated that the money had
been buried to keep Messrs. Rivers
from finding it out and that on the
next Sunday night ne and the negro,
viii Edwards. were to dig it up and
carry it to North Carolina The re-
port of the find became known through
Mr.. Teals wife, and when it was men
toned to Mr.. Teal he denied that he
knew anything about it,
Mr.. j. d. Evans. an amateur de-
tective member Of the Asheville
agency. took the matter up in the
interest of some parties. Mr. Evans
made the following statement today
to your correspondent;
After a careful investigation of
the whole matter ! cannot say posi-
lively that it is not true, yet l am
inclined to believe that it is. L took
the matter up in the interest OF
certain party in early April, and have
followed every clue closely. After
working on the quiet for several days
| approached Mr. Teal about the mat
ter. He told me all about it and said
that he and the negro Edwards.
buried it on the bank Of Indian Creek.
about two and a half miles from where
they dug it up. He stated that 1t
was in an earthenware pot which
held about three pecks. L went to
the place where it is said the money
was found and there were unmlstak-
able evidences of where d pot had
been removed from the ground on
the edge OF. theSditch: s11 ~ - .'st 90
''The clay above where the pot ap-
parentiy rested was as hard as brick
as if it had been burned over years
ago. / saw the print of the pot and
two pot legs in the hole. l went to
where it is said to have been buried
by Teal and the negro and saw there
in the woods q freshly made hole III
the ground and am satisfied that some
vessel resembling in shape and size the
pot taken from the ditch bank had
been placed in same. l made thof-
ough search of the woods for miles
around and have been un@ble to find
further evidences of new digging. The
negro stood UP for the story until re-
Gently, and now he and Teal deny 1t.
Teal says he started the story just to
please his wife. Said that ms VIE
had been crying d Great deal ana ne
told her about finding a pot of gold,
thinking it would please her. He said
he had no idea she would mention IT,
He makes no explanation about the
holes in the ground. Says that it is
positively not So
Mr.. r. e. Rivers clerk of court of
Chesterfield. is tho senior member OF
the firm of Rivers Brothers, and he
stated to your correspondent tonight
that they took no stock in the story.
It is generally discredited around
Chesterfield and throughout the coun-
ty. though there are some parties VINO
assert that there is something in it.
Your correspondent after carefully
considering everything is satisfied that
if is a fake pure and simple. Mr..
Teal and the "coon" would have had
a pretty hard time countin~ $50.O00
in foreign gold, about which they
knew not one thing in a single night, |
and besides it would have given the
two a pretty good load to carry two |
miles through the woods and swamps. |