Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-07-23
YECCMAN' WIDOW
KEPT FROM RICHES
Young Woman Can't Take Them
From Hiding Place.
SAAuOWED BY U. S. SLEU1Hs.
Leet Of Robbery Buried by Safe
c~aesser Shortly Before He Was
Killed BY Dstsctivs-Girl Wife A.
sorts Husband Gave His Life TO Get
Gems and She Will Keep Them.

lSosao and She Will Keep Them.
Savannah. Ga.-Defying the agents
OF the United States to wrest from
her the secret OF the hiding place of
$4,000 worth of loot amassed by
her yeggman husband and buried near
Savannah, Mrs. Charles G. Craven.
who Is twenty years old, returned to
Georgia determined to regain the treas
ure for herself, but afraid to claim it
under the eyes of Uncle Sans men.
Craven. one Of the most notorious
cracksmen the south has ever known,
was killed at Wildwood, Fla. five
months ago by a railroad special agent
after running battle on top Of a NOV
ing freight train. The craftsman.
through series OF postonice and train
robberies In Georgia, Alabama and
Florida. had amassed $4,000 in cash
and $4,000 worth Of jewels. which he
took to Savannah and buried near a
station on suburban car line. telling
the secret of its location to none but
his wife.
After his death the young widow was
arrested and held for several weeks
while government agents tried to ex-
tract from her the secret Of the loca-
ton of the buried treasure. After her
release the federal agents began to
shadow her. Wherever she went she
was followed. in the hope that she
would make an attempt to unearth the
treasure. Mrs. Craven declares she will
never divulge to the government the
location of the treasure.
Charlie paid the penalty for his
wrongdoing with his life." she said
"He risked his life to get the money
and jewels for me, and they are mine,
will die before will tell where they
are hidden"
When she married the craftsman.
eighteen months ago. in Norfolk. Va.
she thought he was a business man.
After honeymoon of three weeks
they came to Savannah. and here era
ven told her he was yeggman, but the
news did not shake her love fori him
and she followed him wherever he
wished.
I'VE went all over the SOUTH she
said. Last summer we were in Mem
phis for awhile. 1t was seldom that be
left home without returning eighteen
or twenty-four hours later with $500 or
SO. He seldom told me what he had
done or any Of the circumstances sur
rounding his operations. did not ask.
But lived in constant fear that he
would be arrested or killed
I'm November we went to Chicago.
but did not stay long My husband car
ried more than $4,000 through the
streets one day there. He SPENT his
money as fast as he got it. HeTwas
very liberal with his pals He was
never without d considerable fund with
which to pay the travelling expenses Of
himself and the members of his gang.
After leaving Chicago we came
south. At Owensboro. KY, my husband
blew safe in a postoffice and got sew
eral thousand dollars. Then we came
to Atlanta. We got there on the night
of Dec. q. 1913. and walked down
Peachtree street, carrying quart Of.
nitroglycerin in satchel From At
lanta Charlie went to Augusta and
came to Savannah. Later he joined me
in Savannah. but a few days thereafter
he went to southern Florida. Shortly
afterward he came back to Savannah
with the $3S.OO0 in cash and Jewels
worth $4,000, which he went out one
night and buried.
Charlie did not stay long in Savan-
nah after burying the money. Then
ran short of money and wrote to him
to ask il it would be all right to take
some of the hidden money to live on.
That letter never reached him 1t fell
into the hands Of the government au-
thorities. and that is how they learned
of the buried treasure
Il was arrested, but no charge could
be made against me, as l had not re-
ceived the stolen goods After got
out of Jail was besieged by people
whom l knew in Savannah to tell the
location of the hidden money. Some
Of them searched for it themselves I'M.
til they dug up bottle of nitroglyc-
erin. which we had also hidden. That