The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-08-26
North Dakota News
SEARCH ON FOR
BURIED TREASURE
Rich Cache Is Believed to Be
Near BowbellS

Bowbells Tribune: There is an un-
dercurrent of excitement quietly we'll
ing up in the breasts OF number OF
people living in this vicinity-some in
the city and others at distances south
varyinS from few miles TO twenty
mfles-over a revival Of the story OF
robbery some thirty to forty years
ago, of a paymasrer In the employ Oh
the Hudson Bay company while on
his way through the wilds of western
Canada with a big bunch of money to
he used in paying off employees of the
company at several trading posts then
sustained in that country. The Tri-
hume has been shown plat said to
have been found in the possession OF
the bold robber when overhauled and
arrested, after a long and tedious
chase. at what is now known as Big
Butte, twelve miles south OF this city.
This plat was said to have been traced
on the tanned side OF a fur jacket worn
by the bandit, and the paper SHOWN
The Tribune is said to be true copy
of the original as taken from the tan
ned leather. That this robbery did
occur is a matter of history, and that
the robber was captured at Big Butte
ia an established fact. After the cap
ture he was taken to Portal, where he
was TO have had a hearing, but be-
fore the day set for the hearing ar
rived the robber died, and the secret
of the hiding place OF the treasure died
with him, he refusing to divuIge TO
anyone, under threat or on promise
Of his being given his freedom, any
hint as to the disposition he made or
the stolen money The plat traced on
the inside of the fur coat was discoV-
cred, and TO this day many believe
that the tracing was made with spe-
cial reference to the location of the
robbers cache. Interest in this mat
ter has of late been renewed by the
fact that on the occasion of a recent
picnic held in the vicinity of Big Butte,
one of the picnicers hitched his team
to a large stone, and the horses be-
coming uneasy from the annoyance of
flies and mosquitoes, paved about the
ground and unearthed q portion of the
base Of the stone, on which was
chiseled or otherwise cut deep In the
figures "1sT7," and further re-
search in the vicinity showed several
other stones on which were cut fig
ures, arrows and other signs that are
believed to have some bearing on the
particular spot, thought not to be far
distant, where the $4,000 is cached,
Some of the inhabitants out in that To-
cality have already done considerable
digging with the hope of unearthing
the treasure, but their labors have
thus far been fruitless, and recently a
diagram OF the ground or area where
these dates, ETC., have been found, has
been made and sent to rhe headquar
ters of the royal mounted police at
Calgary, by whom it is thought the
matter will be taken up and further
investigation had.
There are some old ranchers living
across the line in Montana to this day
who we'll knew the party who robbed
the paymaster, the robber himself be-
ing a prominent and prosperous ranch
er on this side of the Missouri river
up to the time when this escapade cut
short his career and hastened his death
by lying In jail at Portal, suffering
an attack of fever and utterly neglect
ed, awaiting a preliminary hearing on
the charge Of which he no doubt was
guilty.