Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-01-21
BoERs' BURIED TREASURE.
Romantic Story of Futile Search and of
Ultimate Recovery.

Ultimate Recovery.
News was received at Kruegersdorp re-
Gently of the discovery in the bushveld
beyond Louis Trichardt's drift and the
Spelonken of the famous burie treasure
which was secretly removed from the
Pretoria mint just before Lord Roberts
forces entered the capital and which
formed the romantic issue in the tragedy
eliminating in the execution of eX-po!ice-
man SwarrZ. The treasure, winch con-
sists Of bar gold and coin, approximately
amounts to C0,000 ounces, and is valued
at Il quarter of a million sterling.
The story Of its burial and recovery is
sensational in the extreme. Ii is a his
tory of blood and crime. no less than six
men having lost their lives in the burial
and the subsequent search fOg the gold.
which has lasted since the declaration of
peace OF the original party which was
dispatched to hide the gold, not a single
soul is alive to-day 1t appears that some
twenty-four hours before the occupation
of Pretoria by the imperial forces, orders
were received at the mint from the late
President Kruger and Mr.. ReitZ. the
then state secretary, to remove the great
er portion of the gold, which was eX-
tracted from the Robinson. Rose Deep,
Ferelra and other mines. to secluded
spot in the bushvcld. beyond Petersburg
officials shat 2 wagon, with four mules
accompanied ny SIX specially selected
burghcrS, left Pretoria at midnight with
the gold, and vanished into the weld
The eX-p0.iceman. Swartz. and the man
whom he murdered, and for which lie
suffered the last penalty. were among
the PARTY After burying the. gold four
Of the wardens of the treasure rcjoined
the commands: but a luckless fate
seemed to have pursued them. and they
re all killed shortly afterWard For
some time the search appeared to have
died out, and it was only through second
or third hand knowledge that Kruegers-
dorp syndicate of six. including eX-Gens
Kemp and Ceiiier0 cx-pOlicp Lieutenant
cousin Of the eX-general found out that
there was state treasure buried in the
bushycld.
The party made repeated exploring
trips into the low country in the bad
season To escape observation, and most
of them were stricken with malarial fe-
yer Each member took different Girec-
ton. with the understanding that if any
found the treasure it was to he split up
into equal proportions. Only one mem
her, however. found the burial place. and
he was ex-Gen, Cellers. The site was
between two peculiar trees \ red flag,
as Il sign. was stuck up on one of the
trees. with Il carcass of mule i'll be-
tween one of the ribs of the mule being
imbedded in the ground where the gold
was buried. On returning to Petersburg
eX-Gen Celliers was Frustrated with ma
larial fever in the hospital, and while he
was lowering between life and death he
diyugCd part of his secret to the other
members of the syndicate, who. however,
after repeated searchings, failed to find
the spot. Some differences of opinion
followed and ultimately the syndicate
broke up, deciding severally to go their
own way.
The government authorities. getting
wind of the whole affair. approached an
ex-statc official residing at Kruegersdorp,
and he supplied them with certain nfor-
nation and a plan of the supposed site
While the government was acting on this
information s. J. Kemp. cousin of the ex-
general, had revived Il systematic search.
with the result of the discovery South
Africa.