The Caldwell tribune., 1905-02-25
BoERs' suRuED TREASURE,

Romantic Story OF Futile Search and
of Ultimate Recovery.
News was received at Krugersdorp
recently, according to a Pretoria cor
respondent Of the Washington Star, Of
the discovery In the bushveld beyond
Lonis Trichardt's drift and the Spelon-
ken Of the famous buried treasure
which was secretly removed from the
Pretoria mint before Lord Roberts
forces entered the capital and which
formed the romantic issue In the trag-
edy eliminating in the execution of
ex-PolAceman Swartz. The treasure,
which consists Of bar gold and coin,
approximately amounts to 10000
-ounces and Is valued at a quarter of
million sterling.
The story Of It's burial and recovery
Ia sensational In the extreme, 1t In a
history Of blood and crime, no less
than six men having lost their lives
III the burial and the subsequent
search for 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 ia
alive to-day. 1t appears that some
twenty-four hours before the occupa-
ton 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 re-
move the greater portion of the gold
which was extracted from the Robin
son, Rose Deep, Ferreira and other
mines to a secluded spot In the bush
weld. beyond Petersburg.
1t was known by the old Tranaveal
officials that wagon with four mules.
accompanied by six specially selected
burghers, left Pretoria at midniRht
with the gold and vanished into the
weld. The ex-policeman, Swartz, and
the man whom he murdered ana ror
which he suffered the last penalty
were among the party. After burylne
the gold four Of the wardens OF tho
treasure rejoined the commander. hut
luckless fate seemed to have Dur.
sued them and they were all killed
shortly afterward.
For some time the search aDnaaro
to have died out, and 1t was onIv
through second or third hand knowi-
edge that a Krugersdorp syndicate or
SIX including ex-Gens. Kemp and
Cell1ers, ex-Police Lieutenant Van Zvl
W. D. Smith and s. ]. Kemp, couctn
OF the ex-general, found out that there
was state treasure buried in the BUSH
weld
Inc party made repeated exploring
u1ps into the low country in the bo6
season to escape observation, and
most Of them were stricken wifi mo
lAr1al fever. Each member took a dif-
Ierent direction, with the understand.
Ing that II any found the treasure - |
was to be split up into several pronor.
lions Only one member, however
found the burial place. and he was
sx-Gen. Celliers. The site was between
TWO peculiar trees. A red flag, sa q |
Sign, was stuck up on one of the treas
With carcass of a mule in betwaen
'ne OF the ribs Of the mule being i'm.
osdded in the ground where the gold
was buried. On returning to Pietera-
burg ex-Gen. Celliers was prostra+ad
WITH malartal fever in the hosp,tal
mo while he was lowering between
lie and death he divulged part Of his
'ecret to the other members of tho
yndicate, who, however, after repeat.
q searchings, failed to find the snot
'ome dinerences Of opinion followed
nd ultimately the syndicate broke nm
ec1ding to seVerally go their own vav
Inc government authorities, getting