The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-08-20
ROBBERS LOOT UNEARTHED
Pointer Seeking Possum Scratches
Up Express Pouch.


denly developed as the result Of the
chance discovery by a pointer dog of
an express pouch and number of
pieces of jewelry hidden beneath
rocks in Newman's woods, just north
of Columbia.
The police say that the pouch is
the one that was tax when the
express car of the northbound Cuba
Florida special on the Seaboard Air
Line railway was robbed on the night
of March 2S last at about 6:4o
o'clock within several blocks of the
Lincoln street passenger station.
The jewelry, according to the po-
lice, was taken in second robbery,
the nature and details of which W. c.
Cathcart, chief of the police depart
ment, said yesterday he could not
divulge at this time.
The express pouch was found to
contain OFFICIAL express papers which
Chief Cathcart says are the papers
that were in the pouch taken from
the Seaboard special.
The express pouch and jewelry
were discovered last Sunday morning
about $50 o'clock by pointer dog
owned by a negro named Neal Wealth
ers. Weathers was possum hunting
and the pointer, scratching beneath
the rocks for possum, scratched up
pieces of the pouch, which was partly
decayed, and a small paper envelope
containing a ring A representative
Of The State heard of the discovery
day before yesterday, and yesterday
obtained a release of the story from
Chief Cathcart. No arrests have
been made but it is probable that the
jewelry will lead to something.
The jewelry, according to Chief
Cathcart and the negro. consists of
several gold rings, gold watch case,
a gold bracelet and a diamond ear
ring.
Negro was hunting
Neal Weathers, the negro, is en-
ployed at the Lawton & Gillespie
hardware store, 1903 Main street.
Saturday Weathers said that at the
time of the discovery he was hunting
with his seven hound dogs and a
pointer in the thick pine woods on
the lands of George W. Newman,
northwest of the city, between the
Hyatt Park and the Broad River
roads, and about half mile from the
Seaboard Air Line track.
One Of the hounds came upon a
possum beneath some rocks, accord
ing to Weathers, and the pointer
while scratching beneath the rocks
for the possum scratched up pieces
of what the negro said looked to
him like an old cement sack and a
small paper envelope Containing a
ring.
Weathers said that he pulled out
the sack bit from beneath the rocks.
The sack, he said, was weathered
and falling to pieces and had appar-
emily been buried some time. In
envelopes which he pulled out
Weathers said he found FIVE gold
rings, gold watch case, gold brace
let and an earring with a diamond in
it. Weathers said that he did not
bother the papers that were in the
sack nor did he pull the sack COM
pletely out from under the rocks.
The jewelry, Weathers said, he
took home with him. He said that
he did not know what to do with it.
Monday morning he was at the Law
ton & Gillespie store at Z o'clock and
told C. B. Cooper, one of the clerks.
of the find and asked what should
be done.
According to Mr.. Cooper, police
reached the store between II o'clock
and / o'clock that afternoon. The
negro then had gone to his home to
get the jewelry to bring it to the
store, Mr.. Cooper said.
A little later on Monday afternoon
Detective Shorter got in touch with
Weathers and they went to the spot
where the loot was found.
The sack, as Chief Cathcart said,
proved to be the express pouch taken
from the Seaboard special. This,
with the jewelry, was taken in hand
by the police.
Chief Cathcart said that the papers
in the pouch had given no clue. The
fact that nothing except papers was
in the pouch at the time that it was
taken from the express car last March
gives rise to the belief, according to
the chief, that the jewelry was loot
taken in another robbery. The chief
said that he would be able to tell
more about the jewe!ry in a day or
so