The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-12-14
HERMIT COMES TO TOWN.
Strange Old Man Shows Up in Bank
in Greenyille.

Greenville, S. c., Dec. 9.-Over
$4,000 in gold and silver coin and in
currency, the paper money packed
tightly in a metal tube and encased
with the coin in an old wooden cart
ridge box, almost rotted from having
been buried in the earth over score
of years; deposited in a local bank
by a mysterious old man, who ans
wered but few questions and let drop
occasionally remarks that aroused
the most intense curiosity; the sud-
den departure of the hermit, giving
his address for the next two days
and no more-these are some Of the
facts of one of the strangest and most
interesting stories that has turned
up" in these parts in many day.
Worthy of treatment with the pen
of Robert Louis Stevenson, the story
must be pounded out roughly and
under the high pressure of daily
newspaper work. Here is the story
in detail:
Would Lend to the Bank.
Thursday last the cashier Of To-
cal bank returned to his work about
$3.50 o'clock in the afternoon. AS
he entered the door he observed an
old man seated inside the lobby on
an Old wooden box. Upon being
asked if any service could be done
him, the mysterious man replied that
he "had a little money he would like
to lend the bank" The cashier re-
piled that he was in that particular
business himself, but that the bank
was always glad to receive money for
deposit, and upon which certain in
terest was paid. With that the old
man explained that he had come for
this purpose. Upon being asked
where the money was he wished to
deposit, the stranger arose from his
seat and pointed out the old box he
had been sitting on.
Treasure Box Opened.
With the aid of an assistant, the
cashier bore the box behind the
counter and pried off the lid, while
the stranger stood by and observed
the proceedings. What met the eyes
of the cashier as ne tore the top of
the box, reads too much like fiction
to, dwell, upon. A tangled mass OF
metal and sand half filed the box,
and in the midst of it lay a mys-
terious-looking metal tube. The
cashier dug his hands into the box
and lifted out a pile Of coin, yellow
cleaning among the silver, and plac-
ed it upon the counter. The operation
was repeated until the box was emp
tied. The metal tube was taken up
and cap pulled off one end. Inside
was hundreds of dollars in currency.
The several bills had been rolled
tightly and crammed into the tube
when the old man wished to make
deposit in his subterranean bank.
An Hour to Count 1t.
With the contents OF the box plac-
ed upon the counter, the cashier be-
gan the task of separating the coin
from the dirt which had sifted into
the box from time to time. It took
the. cashier over an hour to complete
the task, and when he had finished
the skin had been worn off the tips
of his fingers by the grit and the rust
which had collected on the silver
coin. The gold and silver coin and
the currency amounted to something
over $4,000.
It was when the cashier had fin
ished counting the money and was
ready to make the deposit slip that
the real mystery began to show up.
The old man seemed reticent about
giving his name, but finally yielded
to the solicitation of the cashier.
Still more trouble the cashier en-
countered when he asked the stran-
ger to give his address. "Oh,
haven't any address, I never stay in
any one place long at time. Just
keep the stuff here, and I will call
for it some day. is, in substance,
the strangers reply. Finally, the
cashier was told that he could ad-
dress the stranger at little town in
Georgia, but only for the next two
DAYS. for after that he would be
gone.
Buried Twenty Years.
The old man yielded to few ques-
tions of the cashier. He stated that
he had had the money buried for
over 20 years. He would not say
where he had it concealed, or from
whence he came; but it was surmised,
that the old fellow came from some
where in the State of Georgia. The