Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1919-10-29
HUNT LONG FOR
BURIED FORTUNE
Hidden Treasure Has Lured Men
to Toll for Half Century
on Iowa Farm.
TRAGEDY WOVEN IN ROMANCE
Murder of Man 46 Years Ago Brings
Strange Characters Into
court-Mystery Yet
to Be Solved.

Bedford, lathe mystery Of hid
den treasure, mystery that has puz-
zled the people of southwestern Iowa
for half century, has been brought
nearer solution by an investigation
which has shown how little group
of picturesque characters Of that sec
ton of the state toiled for years in
quest of riches buried, according to
tradition, ON the Klondike farm. The
evil spell the buried treasure has
worked upon those intimately connect
ed with it has held to the last. One
by one the fortune hunters are pass
ing from the stage their dreams end
ing in misery or poverty.
Lying Is miles southwest Of Bed
ford, a., is the Huntsman farm, and
stead. Pitted with holes and SCARED
with many excavations, the farms
prove the arduous toll Of men driven
by dreams of gold. First 1t was DR..
g. r. Huntsman and his brother,
Bates, who searched for the treasure.
Now it is Bates and his two sons
and their families.
Searching for the Treasure.
Samuel Anderson moved to Iowa in
the early seventies. Soon after he To-
Gated on the farm Anderson received
a call from the Huntsmans, who told
him that there was lot of gold buried
on the place and that they wanted to
dig for it, Anderson was, asked to
aid In the work. For nearly a quarter
century the three dug, plowed and ex-
cavated
One day II years ago the searchers
uncovered three stakes set in a direct
line pointing to a spring, Anderson,
inspired by the vision of his share of
the fortune, dug on. feverishly. He
first came onto some white sand that
he knew was not common to that part
of the country. Anderson then uncov-
cred big rock, under which was
metal box. One of the Huntsmans
told Anderson that he could go, prom |
Using him his share of the fortune
when the money was counted. He
never saw the box again nor learned |
of its contents.
Soon after the discovery of the !
metal box the elder Huntsman died /
suddenly. Samuel Anderson, weary
ing of long waiting for his share Of /
the treasure he believed he had uncov-
cred, filed suit against Bates Hunts |
man, asking pay for his years of toll.
So peculiar was his story that state
officials became interested. An inves-
tigation followed, and other persons
acquainted with some of the circum-
stances of the affair were found. One
of these was Maria Collins Porter of
Quitman, Mo-, who Spent her girlhood
in the vicinity.
The woman's story seemed to throw
clear light on the source of the treas
ure the Huntsmans had sought so
long. The story, too, seemed to link
tho treasure with the hoard found in
the cabin of old DR.. A. M. Golliday of
Bedford, whose body was found in his
cabin IL years ago. 1t was a story of
murder gang, of stolen thousands, of
a crime committed so far back in time
that even the identity of the victim
was a matter of uncertainty.
Held on Murder Charge.
Following swiftly upon the story of 4.
Maria Collins Porter came the arrest
Of Bates Huntsman, Sam Scrivner, a
rich farmer, and John and Hank
Damewood. They were charged with
the murder of man of unknown iden-
-ity, presumably a rich cattle buyer
from Missouri, 46 years ago. Even be-
fore the trial began speculation as to
The identity of the murdered man be-
came rife. Although there We're found
% be many contradictions in the evil .
1ence presented by some of the wit
lesses the case of the state might !
nave proceeded further but for one of ,
he primary technicalities of the law
If homicide. The state could not es- ,
ablish the existence of the man al S
eyed to have been killed. The young I
attorney for the aged defendants only {
had to move that the case be dis I
missed to have this action taken. ,