The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-11-15
Hidden Doors Guard Places
Of Kidding.
OlDFURN|TURE HOLDS SECRETS
Owners Will Open the Com.
partments.
Some of the Hidden Places have al
ready Yielded up Valuable Articles
Which Have Been Kept Secret For
Many Years.

Peculiar interest Is attached TO
wooden display case, the property o
Messrs. clifton Lower and Jane
Messenger, proprietors of the Gen
! pharmacy on West Center street
4 A case used in the earlier days IL
America when valuables were store,
away in secret compartments ii
household furniture, is this relic o
| the local men and 1t is probable tina
| there are very few pieces of furniture
I which posses so much value as a rclii
/ The old case contains more than on,
! secret compartment and the mystery
which attaches, is due to the fact thai
the secret of gaining entrance to them
has been lost.
This case has been used in the Local
! pharmacy as show case and 1t has
often been seen by customers there
/ Very few however, are acquainted
with the fact that an unusual history
| Is behind 1t and that 1t bears un-
usual significance as relic of earl.
| days in America. According to the
STORY, as II has been handed down
from one owner to the other through
the early days. 1t Is known to have
been the property of q pioneer family
settlers in the southern part of the
state in the early days OF the colon
iZation of America. In those days,
as is well known to all of the older
settlers, valuables which were held
by the family were stored far away
in the dlstan compartments of a
I. y. Ia ~
them. This was previous to the ad-
vent of the modern safe. This old
case had in its rear large compart-
ment which. by reaching spring,
could be thrown open and its con-
tents revealed. Around and above
the compartment at the rear were
smaller compartments and in these
also were hidden valuables of that
day. r'
AS civilization began to spread over
America the case was sold and trans
ferred from party to party and fin
ally few years ago came into the
possession of parties in Marion.
For many years 1t was in the hands
of company Of drug dealers and be-
gan to be used much as display
case in the stores. Some few years
ago DIR. II. J. Lower purchased the
case and placed 1t in his pharmacy
at the corner Of Olney Avenue and
West Center street. When this store
was purchased by Messrs. Lower and
Messenger the valuable property
passed into their hands.
A few months since the new owners,
overcome with curiosity, determined
to open by force some of the hidden
compartments and see IL there were
not in them some of the valuables of
the former days. When by force a
dozen of the smaller spaces were
opened, there was revealed a number
of the valuable articles of the pion-
eers. There was a merchaum pipe,
handsome in the extreme, and one
which the owners prize most highly.
There was comb, of a delicate con-
,structiion, II chamoisi and q number
of coins In all a collection of odd.
tiles was found which bears no little
value itself. The compartments
(which were opened forcibly were at
the rear of decorative panels and to
all appearances there was no hidden
space there. "A hollow sound, how
ever, betrayea the fact that there, was
something usual in these small spaces
and the efforts OF the owners at gain
ing entrance to them were fully re-
warded. r..-
Having found an interesting col
lection of relies in these spaces which
have been opened, the new owners
have decided to open the larger COM
partmcnts at the rearThat there arc
valuables in these larger spaces Is the
conviction of the owners and within
! the next few weeks 1t lis planned To
forclbiy open them and bring to light
the secrets within. To the rear of the
case there Is hollow space giving
the sound of the smaller ones before
they were opened and the portion OF
the case used for the display of art
icles Is small in comparison. Over
and above a huge mirror, which
graces the center of the big case
| there are also believed to be other
secret compartments which also give
evidence of containing valubles.
! Since the owners have obtained
such an unusual collection of relics
and oddities from the compartment
which have been opened they have
reason to believe that collection o.
unusual value will be brought to ligh
| when the contents are disclosed.
The display case Is very similar I,
those commonly used In stores toda,
and is quite large. on either sid,
OF the large mirror are what appeal
to be solid wooden pieces and to tn,
psiideis of these are doors which, whei
opened, show the case to extend bacl
but few inches, while the body o
| the case extends back to the wall
nearly seven inches. 1t Is evident
therefore, both when the sides ar,
sounded and from the measurement
that there is a large vacant spac,
there which cannot be opened, unles
the secret be found,
The walnut is OF great value an,
previous owners have hesitated /,
mar II.
When Messrs. tower and Messenee,
open the case 1t is expected that the,
will find much of value. silk no doubt
opium and quinine. money, valuabl,
instruments and without question
1 there Will be collection of the re-
slices of the early pioneed days wei
n worth the seeing.