Arizona republican., 1915-01-25
60 Arizona Republicans Editorial Page


Daniel c. Stevens of the present day
he craw!ed without water or susten-
ance Of any sort across the dry and
cactus strewn desert to Florence a dis
lance of twenty-four miles; and there
he told his story.
1t seems that the two Jesuit priests
had in their charge for delivery to one
Of the missions in California "A large
chest Of gold which had been left in
trust to the Rev. Father Donate Ro-
Sieri by an American miner who had
discovered and located in the Santa
Rita mountains south of Tucson a pla-
Ger claim of fabulous wealth. The
miner had washed gold from this claim
for number of years and had run
1t into bars. Becoming sick he had
transported all of his gold to the san
Xavier mission. which was then in
charge Of Father Ro2icri, making the
father the trustee of his wealth for the
benefit of his daughter, whom he had
left in the east years before, and Of
whose whereabouts he had lost all
trace.
Father RoSieri was killed by the
Apache Indians at the Hot Springs of
NaGo de Bigas in the state of Chihua-
hua, Mexico This priest had left his
trust to the Rev. Bosco who had sue
cccded him at the San Xavier mission
Bosco, fearful of the immense respon-
sibilitv and of a possible attempt to
Wrest from him the gold of the dead
American. placed the treasure in charge
of two priests and started for a safer
mission in California on this old stage
coach. Reyes obtained the gold after a
wholesale slaughter and buried it, lis
supposed, ut or near his adobe house
in the old town of Adamsvllc. When
Stevens reached town after his racIing
crawl over the desert sands and told
the story of the fight the widest III
disnation and frenzy reigned. Every
man in the place volunteered To Join
a posse to hunt down the outlaw, and
even the women could scarcely be pre-
vented from taking part. A posse of
rcsoutc determined men. numbering
between forty and fifty heavily armed
wendell their way TO the town of Ad-
amsvillc where their scouts had 10
Gated the desperate on The morning of
The 18th of April, 1864.
Reyes had wind Of the intentions
Of the posse and hastily barricaded
himself in the abode house. a portion
Of which is still standing. and where
the ghostly appartions have recently
been seen. The posse could not get
at him Their guns would not shoot
through the walls of the house and
REYES was apparently beyond their
reach. John c. Harris. then a resi-
dent of AdamsviEe, climbed up on one
side of the building whore there were
no windows. and tore away a portion
of the roof. SO that the Americans could
shoot down upon Ire desperate Reyes.
Reyes circumVented this by a clever
ruse. In the house was Il large iron
kettle, holding probably fifteen gal
lone. He inverted this over his head
and squatted in an angle of the Chin
ncy. completely shielded from the rain
of bullets But the resource of Harris
was again in evidence. Securing a
pound of black powder, he attached a
fuse to it, and lighting the fuse drop
ped it on the sheltered Reyes. This
| was more than Reyes could stand. Not
! waiting for the explosion. he frantical
| ly tore the door open and started ac
ross the plaza of the old pueblo. tow
| ards the brush bordering the ella riv-
er. He had made but a few yards
when he fell veritable seive, pierced
by hundreds of American bullets. The
powder blew out one end of the adobe
house and the house still stands as it
was left on the memorable day.
The gold that Reyes obtained has
never been found. but it is known that
it cannot be far away.
A few weeks after the fight at the
adobe an attempt was made 10y some
MeXicans to locate the gold. They
went at night and started to dig in
the ruins, but came away with blanch
ed faces and terrified hearts. telling
a tale of a haunted house that has
chung to the ruins ever since.
No further efforts to make search
have been attempted. nor have any of
/ the spectral manifestations been re-
ported until this year when they have