The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18
NATHAN
EWOOD oMN
CCuN OAMEWOOO.
Stranger Than Fiction Is This
Iowa Tragedy of Buried
Treasure.

THE Sun, published yesterday. told OF
che dismissal. for lack Of sufficient
evidence, Of the charge brought
against four scptuagenarians Of a
murder alleged to have been commit
ted In Iowa forty-seven years ago.
The Acknowledgement asserts that II
he can obtain additional evidence he
will lay It before the Grand Jury.
Meanwhile. the failure to fasten the
crime at the preliminary hearing has
served to heighten interest In a case
90 marked with extraordinary features
- to form a remarkable story. The
testimony OF the States principal wit
ness is outlined below
BEproRD, la, July l6.-Four white
headed men, the youngest OF them over
20 years old. and all charged with com-
hitting a murder so long ago that eve
the identity OF the victim has been for
gotten. were arrested here last week and
placed in Jail.
The crime, according TO the informa-
ton In the warrants Of arrest, was com
mitted just forty-seven years ago. and
the chest. containing 10000 in gold.
which they took from the murdered
man. was buried and the key" to the
location lost. with the result that the
treasure remained whore it had been
hidden FIR thirty-seven years before It
was discovered again.
One Fails of ~. share.
And it was to gain his portion
Of the 10000 thai Sam Anderson
of Lucas. la. took such action as
agt.- ~ - -r -
berry before the authorities, The -four
old men denied hat they committed a
crime and defed the state to prove them
guilty: The affair Is so mysterious and
puzxling that Acknowledgement Cosson of
Iowa took personal charge of the prose-
cution. The four men involved are well
known farmers and have lived respect
able lives in southern Iowa for almost
half q century. They are well to do and
influential.
Even the manner IN which the story
came TO the attention OF the authorities
is unique II naive. Some weeks ago
Samuel Anderson of Lucas, Ia. called
on an attorney and asked him 10 bring
suit against Bates Huntsman of Bedford
for 100000, but was reluctant to tell the
cause of action. Being pressed he re-
lated that twelve years ago he was en-
gagged by Huntsman TO assist In the
search for $50. 900 in buried treasure,
Anderson to have 20 per cent. IL he
found the money. According to the
story told to the lawyer no found the
Iron bound box after having dug for
about a year. At the momen OF tri-
umph. when he had the box in sight
n had broken of the top and saw the
gold therein. Huntsman and his COM
Sades covered him with pistols and
forced him to leave without a rent.
But who buried the money! asked
the lawyer.
Anderson. continuing, said a wealthy
cattleman had been murdered nearly
Aalf a century ago and the money was
the proceeds Of the robbery.
The lawyer took the case. But instead
of bringing suit he called the matter 10
the attention OF the Acknowledgement of
the State. An investigation by the
criminal authorities followed, and last
week Bates Huntsman. Henry Scribner,
Nathan Damewood and John Damewood
we're arrested in this county and placed
N jail. The Damewoods are brothers.
Huntsman is "a years Did. and the
Others about the same age.
Many Robberies In Early Days.
The investigation. according to AS
oIstant Acknowledgement G. A. Robbins,
eesulted in the discovery thai in 1868. in
outici ioWd, a gang OF COunlellelltl
was operating extensively. The coun-
try was very new in those days. and
might alone was right, Hundreds were
hocking into the West, following the
close OF the civil war, and rohberies and
murders were frequent. In a mai rity
OF cases no inquiry was made for the
murdered ones and no Investigations fol-
lowed. e
These counterfelters discovered Ina
INTERCHANGEABLE nattl,y.n, uro, ,A.t,. -
southern Iowa TO purchase n vast tract
OF land and a big bunch OF cattle. II
was known that he would bring cash.
30 they determined to murder him and
get his money.
Anderson d!d not know The details OF
the murder, and the warrants issued
charged Huntsmau and his three
irierds with The murder of a
man, name unknown"
Instantly southern Iowa VAS ablaze
with excitement, Old residents combed
through memory and recalled that a
murde" had been GO nmitted about that
time or ut least thai a cattleman had
disappeared Eut AIrs. Marie Porter
OF Qu.tman, Mo, just across the state
NE from BEDFORD. came forward with
g story that n;tcd into that told by An
dersoN like u hand irto a glove.
According To Mrs, T. rtcr, In 1865 she
a girl Of - years, lived with her
widowed mother ana sister In a Cabif
near siam, Iowa bnc moonlight nigh,
Mrs. Porter, then Marie Collins, heard
q noise and went out to see what n
was. She suddenly found herself il
the presence Of five or SIX men. They
were carrying the body OF a man /,
q blanket He had been murdered,
Threat AGAINST Girl.
The men TUNED upon the girl anr
compelled her 10 promise that she woll,
never reveal what she had seen. I'll
you do we viii wash our hards in youI
blood" they told her. she said 10 the
authorities, After promising to rerlaif
mute the girl was forced by the mei
TO wash tae tloodstains from tn
blanket after the body had been thrown
anto an old well.
Not far " stood an on team, AND
tn the wagon. says Mrs. Porter. was q