The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-11-22
STRANGERS SEEK
BURIED TREASURE
OF SLAIN HERMIT
Mysterious Persons Are Nightly
Digging Around Farm in
Search for Wealth.

~, =.
murder of Francis Marion Brown. 1t
his home in the western part OF Cod
ingtou county. Il short distance east OF
Clark. in which he had lived for a
period OF twentyfou years, has been
followed by one of the strangest treas-
ure hunts on record.
Brown WIS wealthy, and thos': f;lmil-
lar With his affairs are confident that
when he died he had from
$4,000 10 $6o.00O III cash. Ne
had not the slightest confidence
in banks. and as only n few huh
dred dollars have been found on deposit
in IL bank. it is fully believed That tens
of thousands of dollare have been
buried on his farm.
1t is in the hope Of finding This hid
den wealth that certain mysterious par
lies are nightly digging around the
Brown farm. Neishborins farmers tell
"f mysterious figures tlittina about at
night, and enough is known to make i.
certain that = systematic search is be.
ing made fo. The hidden gold
Brown was =. bachelor and from the
time in taking up his residence ON the
farm until he was murdered. he lived
alone He was somewhat eccsntii". but
iovial and pleasant.
Feared an Attack.
For years before his tragic death he
WAS aware that he was i'll danger of
being waylaid and robbed. but he WAS
no coward, ;lnd TO those friends who
cautioned him to be careful, he said:
Il know l ann being Watched, but
they will not get me. l Will get them"
But he never stated by whom he
thought he was being watched. Had he
done so. the authorities might have less
difficulty in running down his murder
erS.
1t is known that Brown was accus
toned to carry two pocketbooks and
these We're not. found by the
likely, however, that he carried
more than :, few hundred dollars
in the pocket books. and that the re-
mainder OF his great wealth. outside
of the few hundred dollars in the bank.
was buried on his farm. II is not be-
lleved the men who murdered him sue
ceeded in iinsii lg this hidden wealth. as
their search necessarily would he Il hur-
ried one.
Treasure Us Buried.
Because of this belief there rppcars
little doubt that Browns Cache OF
gold yet remains ON his farm. and the
to haunt the farm nightly evidently
have strong hopes OF finding the money.
The dead hermit was born in st.
Louis county, Missouri. in September
1858, and moved With his parents to Nc
Pherson county. Kansas, when in his
teens. Nearly u quarter of Il century
ago he came to what now is South Da
kota and located on the farm where
he was murdered. He had always been
4 noney-maleer. having acquired the
habit when a mere boy. He used to
act as banker and collector for his play
mates, discountlng and collecting small
accounts, and loaning money to his
chunlS ON an interest basis.
When he arrived in Dakota he had
81. 900 In cash. From the time of his ar
rival until his death he had never WIS.,
tied or been visited by any Of his rcla-
tives. The old hermit Is survived by
/ six brothers and sisters. as follows:
| William Brown. Woodward. okla: Os-
car Brown. Canton kas.; Bentley
= Brown. Hernessy, Okla; Belle Powell.
Haskey, Okla: Mary Switzer. McPher-
son. I<as Martha Welch, Haskell.
| Okla.
The murdered man left personal prop
erty valued at many thousand Of dol
lars. This consisted Of 160 acres of land
about 1880 bushels OF grain, five head
! Of valuable horses. three head of cat
tie. about sixty-five head Of 200-pound
hogs, and other farm and personal
! property.