Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-03-10
Conterfeiting Once Carried on in
Mendon Retreat.
Old Cvapper Recalls stories O Their
Dcprcdnt MISUNDERSTANDING Was Finally
Driven out By Posse Of Irnte
Farmers

named beers Leap" and which three
quarters OF q century ago, guided des-
perate gang Of robbers and un,erfeit
ers by marking the Whereabouts of n big
cave that was their haven when tracked
by angry farmers whom they had de-
Few persons now living recall the de-
predations of those maraudcrs. who. it
is said. honeycombed the mountain side
with caches full Of gold silverware and |
other valuabes. Some have heard the
legend of how the farmers, exasperated |
BY successive outrages. formed a Dig !
posse and drove the thieves from their I
hiding place after y fierce battle under |
pro,,,,; how a few were captured and |
hmm oned white others escaped by
flight the cave again becoming the home
of the wild ihings OF tine forest, ut this
mysterious place. basis for unwrtten ro-
,nances. remains practically unknown to
tho present generation. Nature, as " de-
,ernined tn hldo from view a' uar~
of the dark history OF thts secluded spo;.
har grown almost impassahe barriers Of
underbrush about tho three entrances.
aud only the Initiated can find the va,
30 the caves darn roccsscs.
Perious. requiring hardv endurance.
strength or 'ihl" anu nerve Iie 'i''
ahounds IN pttals LOT 'he uh""rS tA-
plorer re NAV search III VAIN id' '''e
'ohceale" passages "'.H eN'"uS''u'
lacking me Nt3 '' V"e STUN '"''' ''i'
ing the cave stern courage h'un' w MS
| I" enter an" '''" l" 'h' s''''N ''''
ole chahpe' IN "'oSe "Pp'""''eS o"''' =
WIGS cats lynx OF sh'a'le' a"'"'a'S
gently Steep nj hRh'- rye may SUM
| over the o"heA "t " "eer OF 'ao'''
| tNaWed c'eAn ny some "e'S' VI prey
Tearing ruS''" ne may t"''.' s'",''''''
I" look INTO sl'N'e''"S "'"9 ''"' "'7"'
pear suod'"iN WIN h'l' eHS'"N S'SseH..
iveness AS ne MIS- ms lantern ne VIII
stare down INTO Na"n'hS spaces ''r""sh
which the IlEht '"eS not Vehe'ra''' VIII
listen 10 'he OVID anu 'i''he vi ''e
moisture" Wh''h G''s 10 form we Eis''a'
'c epacks III inc "eP'hS WHERE S''''e'
ldf"ppeh' gives 'H'N almost n' So"i''
| THE rp ,pprB ,rt.R\rR
curtis Turner. trappei VINO mas pa"S'''
his life in ne valley o"lo" the cave ''
calls some OF the stories l'Io nN h'o'
long dead ana me deeds OF me 'a"Ie9S
band. The trapper' VINO staAoS ''e'
Il inches in his shoes resides al Mehnoh
city and gains comfortable living do
ing odd )ohS ior IN" Villagers ana from
the income from the SKINS OF tine "i'd
animals whlch ne captures. re Is a
} bright little man knows every men vi
ground in the mountains ahou' Mehnoh
ana can Iead i)laS'-eNpinrers 10 places
Where probably no human ''e' o"' WIS
have trodden In decade turner loVes
to sit by the flreslde with 'onEehla'
companions ana tel OF the rough 3Nc'''
ing experiences which he has mad on the
mountains The little trapp"r ana ms
dog ana gun are faml'ar sights 10 'Ae
summer visitors IRON the big cities &c
whom he shows the points OF interest,"
ana leads them mi" att"r niIe 'nrohSi
me Valleys aho over chlis "he'' NE
traps are hidden.
The trapper himself mas captured sew
erai of the black bears when formerly
abounded In these mountains, and I"
which there are stu q 'aise nu'nher
some OF the animals showed fighf an'
were overcome only after struggle
but the trapper Is so modest that httl'
car he learned OF the part when NJ
T. played in thetr execution. He also ma
;, sa.,n,,o ,,.n, no,,,,ra ,,,. n,o,o :,
= the number OF these animals ia again
increasing.
Turner has one OF the original photo
graphs of the last panther known I
have seen killed in this State The ami
NAL was slain at Barnard NOV. -, 1851
by Alexander CroWe!!. ana weighed ls2'
z pounds 1t was seven feet long. \ par
~ of boys discovered the panther +
. some bushes on Growers farm. wher
>. It was sleeping after gorg!ng Itself o
sheep which It had killed They mott
:, fled Crowell who scored his rifle an
crppt into the bushes, shooting tn
: drowsy animal Crowen had the carcas
OF the panther stuffed and exhibited
In different towns through this part {
the State charging each person ''1
az, cents look He accumulated iare
" sum OF money. Il Is said The parent
OF the boys who discovered TIE pantht
then became indignant. claiming tina
- their sons were entitled to a share :
the proceeds They finally brought Su
'" agains, Croweu who settled the cas-
= out OF court The carcass of the par
10 Their has since heen mounted and is
the state house at Montpelier
NJ -
i''>'''
The story Of Row his uncle John rul
ner. who held ~ at dusk by the cav
rohb.rs white driving over the SUNNI
Of MI Pico Is wildly recalled by II
Z" traDpor John Turner had made lor
drive thai dav and VAS greatly fatigue
. ,rbor Ina reached HE summit where +