Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-07-13
BURIED TREAS
IRE CENTER OF
STRANGE CASE
Bates Huntsman and Samuel Scrib-
ner in Jail and Two Others
Are Named.
MAN AND SON ARE VICTIMS
Killed in Struggle for Possession Of
Money Chest Buried Near
Siam, Ia.
MAN AND SON ARE VICTIMS

Siam, Ia.
Des Moines, July 9.-Two mer
were arrested in different southern
Iowa towns late yesterday after
noon, and two others are sought by
police officials, on charges of having
participated in a double murder done
in southern Taylor county, forty.
seven years ago. Those under arrest
are:
Bates Huntsman of Siam, Taylor
county.
Sam Scribner of New Market.
Those for whom warrants are out,
but who have not been captured,
are:
Hank Bainwood of College
Springs.
Bainwood Of Shenandoah.
Sam Scribner arrived in Bedford
ul5uI, LII Il1C SuSlOOJ VI OulCCt
He was released on $4,000 bail.
Back in the days Immediately fol-
lowing the civil war, territory about
the southern and eastern borders of
Iowa was riot of lawlessness. The
James boys gang was spreading ter
ror throughout the middle west
then, and many lesser gangs were
emulating them. Murder was not
uncommon, and robbery was still
less unusual.
Near Siam, small town in south
ern Taylor county, the story goes,
one of these gangs of outlaws oper-
ated. Its members were young men,
whose initiative spirit was fired by
the acts of the James boys, and the
gang flourished In power. Law abid-
ing people of the vicinity were kept
in terror.
~ Trunk of Money.
One day in 1868 wealthy cattle
buyer from some point further east
came to Siam to buy live stock. Some
Of the persons familiar with the
story say he was lured to Siam by
the outlaw gang; others that he
came on his own initiative. 1t was
before the days of easy exchange
and he brought with him a trunk
full of currency. The trunk is
claimed to have contained between
$4,000 and $4,000. A boy travel
ed with him, but the story is so old,
and comes to Des Moines through
so many hands, that the names eth
er of the cattle buyer or of the boy
cannot be called.
Father and Son Shot.
The outlaw gang met this cattle
buyer just outside Siam, as he tray
eled across country behind an OK
team, the boy in the wagon along
side him and the trunk full Of
money very close behind him in the
wagon bed. They shot him without
ceremony and threw the body in
we'll on the outskirts Of Siam.
The boy, it is said, tried to es-
cape during the confusion attending
the murder of his older companion,
but he had not run far before a
member Of the gang overlook him
and shot him dead. The boys body
was buried in locust grove, not far
from the we'll into which the riddled
body of the man had been dumped
without ceremony. The gang then
buried the trunk full of money in
the same locust grove, carefully
making a plat of the farm and mark
ing the location of the trunk.
Fire Destroys Plat.
1t was the intention of the out
laws to dig the swag out Of the
ground and to dispose of it, when the
efforts they knew would be inef-
fective to bring the murderers to
justice, had been abandoned. The
plat was carefully hidden in the
home of member of the gang.
But before the time arrived when
the gang would consider it safe toI
divide the money, fire destroyed the
home in which the plat was hidden.
Like Captain Kidd's treasure, all
trace of it's location was lost. The
gangsters tried often to find it, but
without effect.
There had been one witness to the
murder, girl, whom the outlaws
had easily cowed. Her name is be-
ing carefully guarded by officials
now connected with the case. The
gangsters said: eff you breathe
word of what you have seen we will
wash our hands in your blood" To
subdue her completely, the outlaws