The Washington times., 1913-08-29
GANGS LOOT BURIED
ON OKLAHOMA FARM
Believed $4,000 Stolen by
Bandits From Train in 1886
Has Been Unearthed.

| LAWTON, Okla. Aug. 23.-Was So, 90
in money stolen by the Redbuck gang
of outlaws frSm a Fort Worth and
Denver passenger train in the spring
of 1886 unearthed in Oklahoma?
G. c. Clements, a farmer, who lives
twelve miles south and four miles west
of Lawton. believes that this happened.
Many of his neighbors are Of the same
opinion. Clements has been trying to
find the persons who made the excava-
ton on his farm at the mouth of Pecan
creek.
Redbuck was a noted outlaw in early
days. He was killed by officers In the
COS in a fight on Barnie creek, In west
ern Oklahoma. Redbuck and his gang
derailed a passenger train near Vernon.
Tex, in 1886 and robbed the safe In the
express car. The loot is said to have
been $3.50
The outlaws fed across red river into
what then was Indian Territory, but
which now is southwestern Oklahoma
News of the robbery was telegrapheo
and telephoned over the country ana
W. NJ Shade, a cattleman, with big
pasture leases in the Kiowa and Co
manche Indian country, instructed his
cowboys to capture the outlaws II they
should appear in their neighborhood-
Three Outlaws Slain.
On the day following the robbery the
SuIks cowboys saw four horsemen riding
across the prairie and followed them to
within eight miles Of the Clements farm,
where the bandits went into camp.
The cowboys made an attack In which
two Of the outlaws were killed. The
other two dashed away. one carrying
sack behind his saddle. The cowboys
got close enough to renew the hght,
shooting one Of the men from his horse.
He died two hours later. The lone fugi-
tive made his escape in the sand nils
near the mouth Of Pecan creek:
i The affair was forgotten In this part
of Oklahoma until about five years ago.
when H. E. Thompson, who owns the
quarter section land adjoining the
Clements farm, saw a stranger digging
in his land. Upon being questioned the
stranger said that he was searching Tor
the money taken from the Fort worth
and Denver robbery near vernon.
Story of Buried Treasure.
He continued his excavation for sew
eral days, but found nothing and de-
parted. He told Thompson that the sur
viyor of the fight with the cowboys had
died of tuberculosis in a hospital at
Fort Worth.
lust before he died the man had con-
fided to his nurse the story OF the mo-
den treasure, saying that ne nad never
been able to locate it, having mace
mistake in his diagram. He gave tne
nurse the chart from which, he said "
might be possible to find the buried
money. ..
during the last five years strangers
have come to his farm and asked per
mission TO dig. His neighbors became
interested and several of them made
excavations but without success lat
fall a stranger appeared ana began ais,
ging. He failed, like the others, ana
seemed greatly disappointed. Inis man
began at a stone in the back or Pecan
creek. saying that he had been told that
n he should dig at a point twenty yards
to the northeast, toward three pfazed
oak trees. he would be successful Ihe
spot and the intervening land were thor
oughly gone over. but without success
Finds Tell.tale Pot.
One morning recently Clements was
building a fence in his pasture. His
eyes caught sight Of heap of newly
turned earth, and upon investigation he
found a hole that had been dug to
depth of about three and half feet.
Living outside the hole was a metal pot.
The not contained only hempen string
about two and a half feet in length:
Scattered around were fragments OF
charcoal This excavation was ZOO In
stead of 200 feet from the stone In Pecan
creek, and within few feet OF the
oak trees.
Clements feels positive that something
was found. The last stranger he re-
members having seen on his farm ap-
peared about two months ago. This
man offered to buy the farm, and came
frequently to examine the land. spend
ing much of his time in the vicinity OF
H. thrno hIazad nak trees