Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-13
SEEK TREASURE
OF CRIB KING
SECRET CAVITY IN OLD WALL
MAY REVEAL RICHES
BALLERINo BELIEVED TO HAVE
BURIED WEALTH
Discovery Made by Chinatown Police
Sergeant May Start Pros
pectors on New
Search

The discovery of cleverly hidden
cavity in an old brick wall in North
Los Angeles street, just below the
Plaza, has once more aroused interest
in the hiding place of a treasure sup
posed to have been buried somewhere
in the vicinity of his home by the late
crib king, Bartollo Ballerino, shortly
before his death. The discovery of this
new possible hiding place was made by
Sergt. c. e. Sebastian of the China
town police squad, and it is probable
that once more treasure seekers will
infest Chinatown as they did just after
Ballerino's death.
The wall stands between Los Angeles
street and a section of San Pedro
street, commonly called "Nigger alley"
For years it has been pointed out to
tourists and sightseers in Chinatown as
the remains of the original building
put up by Ballerino when he first be-
gan operations in Los Angeles. Its ap-
pearance is so deceptive that even
those who have lived in this district
for many years did not suspect that 1t
was hollow.
Sergt Sebastian first discovered
that the wall was not solid. He found
the advertisements and signs, with
which the front of the wall is covered,
partly torn away and a door opening
into the wall. The marauder evidently
had gone no farther with his investiga-
tions than to open the door, however,
as no trace of footprints could be
found inside.
Finds Secret Apartment
Sergt, Sebastian investigated his find
and discovered an apartment fifteen
feet long and about two feet wide with
two blind windows in it, besides the
door.
Above the blind doorway is the old
street number 424 in faded, ill-made
figures. One of the windows is filled
in with bricks, the other being left
open, it's dirty broken glass testifying
to the number of years it has been
concealed from the world.
The police of the Chinatown district
are puzzled for reason for the build
ing of the strange structure. 1t seems
absurd to those who have investigated
that the wall and the cavity within
should have been built for any legiti-
mate purpose. The space is so narrow
that a man can scarcely turn around
in it. and it is so constructed that 1t
would be of no value even as store
house.
The front of the wall is a portion
of an old store building, the rear OF
which was torn away years ago. 1t is
the rear of the wall that. puzzles. From
portion was built recently, as the bricks
and plaster are much fresher in ap-
pearance than in the front portion. AS
near as could be ascertained the rear
wall was built about three years ago,
at about the time Ballerino died. AS
the property belonged to him at the
time it is probable that it was he who
had the wall built.
His reason for doing so is the mys-
terry He was a shrewd business man
and had some we'll defined reason for
every penny he spent. That he built
the structure with anything but a well
defined purpose in mind to use it later
is uncomfortable to those who were
acquainted with the ways of the late
crib king.
Although he left nothing to show
that such a thing existed it is firmly
believed by the heirs of Ballerino that
he had a large sum of money buried
somewhere about his estate. At the
time of his death it was known that he
was a rich man, yet he left very little
besides his real estate. Having no
faith in banks it is supposed that he
buried most of the profits of his ILL
famed business.