Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-15

was punishable by death, the ordeal
of trial by coroner's quest on sus-
picion was doubtless no pleasant mat
ter. in days when the examination Of
suspected person involved what
may be called supplementary ques-
tioning with the aid of mechanical
devices.
But within the last two centuries,
at any rate, prosecutions for con-
cealing treasure trove have been few
and far between, and the last re-
| forty-six years ago. While plough
ing, one winter morning, in 1863, at
Mountfield, in Sussex, on the site of
the ancient battlefield of Hastings,
William Butcher turned up what he
thought was a piece Of old iron. He
rubbed the wet and clayey earth
from it, saw that it was yellow and
concluded that 1t could not be iron,
and therefore must be brass. He
showed his find to a mate, who
showed it in turn to his brother-in-
law 1t so happened that the brother
in-law had just returned from the
Australian diggings, and knew
lump of gold when he saw 1t. So
the twain purchased the lump of
metal for the ridiculous sum Of 5s.
Cd. from the ploughman, and prompt
ly sold it for $500 to a firm of gold
refiners; who promptly melted 1t
down, and passed it into stock.
Now the lump of gold melted down
was-so archaeologists declared,
when the story all came out-about
as interesting a find as English earth
could cover For it was found not far
from the spot where Harold fell, and
was doubtless the gold breast
plate he wore on that memorable day
| in 1866. A coroner's inquest was
held a prosecution followed and the
traffickers in treasure trove were
convicted, and severally fined half
the pay bullion of the treasure f265,
and ordered to remain in prison un-
til they paid it, and remained in
prison for year. And L have no
doubt the punishment was sufficiently
deterrent and that the next time they
found a lump Of gold they behaved
more circumspectly.
But though that was the last prose-
cution, many cases have arisen dur
ling recent years in which the treas
Jury has come into possession of treas
ure trove by the direct action of the
flinders, without the intervention OF
police or coroner. That intervention
was necessary in the case, some few
Years ago, of the old guineas found
in Phillimore gardens by laborers ex-
cavating the foundations Of house.
The bits of Brass some of which
we're scrambled for by the little boys
to whom they were thrown, others
(which a carman thought would
make a nice chain for his horse,
eventually found their way, via Picca-
dilly experts and the pawnbrokers,
into the coroner's court and so into
her majesty's treasury.
Now, it does seem rather a hard
ship that in these prosaic and COM
ipetitive days, the possibility OF
sudden accession or wealth by
happy adventure that reads like
page from a fairy tale, should be CAL
lously nullifed by the crown, sweep
| ing like a cormorant on treasure
Itroye. But, as a fact, there Is nothing
to deter you all from digging in
your back gardens right aw"y and
doing quite openly and in q d,.ylight,
too. For the practice Of the crown
is to deal fairly with the honest find
Ter. If, for instance, the traftickers
| in Harold's breastplate had made
known their find, the Crown would
have asked the British museum to
assess it's fair and full archaeological
value and not its bullion value mere
| ly and then have given the museum
the first chance Of buying 1t; and
then the crown would have dealt fair
! ly with the finders There is thus
: every encouragement not only to dill
! gence in treasure seekers, but to
honesty also. The crown hands over
to you 80 per cent Of the ascertained
value for your unearned increment.
and retains 20 per cent for "out Of
pocket expenses" A significant per-
centage.-London Daily Chronicle.