The sun., 1919-02-21
HUNT UNDER STORE
=. FOR BURIED GOLD
Engineer of Exporting Firm
Is Here Hid $7,375 in Coin
and Then Died.
NO DIRECTIONS FOUND
Young Widow Had Been AS
sured That There Was
Treasure for Her.
No DIRECTIONS FOUND

streets, in a quarter of the city where
the boot and shoe trade rubs elbows
with wholesale groceries and everything
is supposed to be as prosaic as the trucks
that forever mingle their rumbling with
that Of the elevated railroad and the
rolling OF barrels across sidewalks, q
hunt for buried treasure is going one
On the word Of John Henry Dayton,
whose death on Monday ended twenty
seven years of honorable service to the
firm OF Wood & Selick as its engineer.
and who was never known to utter an
untruth, he left, to be given to his
widow, s7,375 in gold coin, his savings,
concealed beneath the floor Of the base
ment OF the brick building at SO Hudson
street. This building has been for
long time the business home OF Wood
& Selick, who are importers and export
ers Of food products. principally for the
use Of manufacturing confectioners and
bakers.
Although Dayton apparently intended
TO leave at home where his wife could
fnd them the exact directions 70 rthe un-
| covering OF the gold, search over every
inch Of the Dayton fiat at 73 Varick
street has failed to reveal the instruc-
tions. Therefore employees OF Wood d
Selick are methodically digging up the
cement floor OF the engine and boiler
| rooms at SO Hudson street and tapping
the wallis for possible hollow places.
Looking for q Dead Pipe.
They are looking especially for a dead
pipe, which means a disused pipe, in or
| near which the engineer is believed to
have hidden his money. Meanwhile
| watchmen are guarding the whole base
Il AArzA tsrt.A =
from the city Building Department has
| been there to see that the structure is
not weakened by the excavation.
Dayton was a Character IL there ever
was one. He was born In Richmond.
| va, 5ixty-eight years ago. For twenty
years he was an engineer on steam
ships. BY reading. observation and re-
| Election he acquired a good education
His hobby in the old days was the coll
lection of objects characteristic of the
strange parts of the world he visited.
He gave most of these to the American
Museum of Natural History. including
a scirnitar from Asia Minor and a blow
gun and poisoned arrows from pigmy
tribe In Central Africa.
Twenty-seven years ago he married
quit the sea and took his first and only
job on and-that of engineer for Wood
d Selick. His salary used to be s25 a
week. but is said to have been Increased
to s37 in recent years although an Off
Ger OF the corporation with whom Thu
SUN talked yesterday did not care to dis.
cuss this matter ut is enough to say
that Dayton had bonuses" he remarked
There were changes In the firm. The
founders passed away and others took
their places but down in the basemen,
John Henry Dayton--Henry to every
one OF long acqua!ntance-continu 10
keep steam up and tend his beloved en-.
CINE. He was his own fireman and oiler
as well as engineer. He would not have
. helper. Below The street floor he was
supreme
Nobody Saw Him Bury Gold.
He was kindly but not commun!ca tive
Nobody ever saw him bury any gold
His friends knew he had an aversion Il
banks until recently at least. but didn'
know Just why. Dayton was not In thu
habit of telling his secrets he minded
BIS own business and by the same toker
was not inquistive regarding the affair:
OF others.
Several years ago his wife died, leav
Ing no children. Sixteen months ae,
he married Clotilde Torrone. n youn,
italian born at Varz. in the Provlnc
Of Payia. She Is a Roman Catholic. an,
J pdH toH' WIN ndu OeeU an EplScopa Han
was baptized by a Redemptorist prizes,
The young woman is not one who ask
!, many questions
Dayton. her elder by at least fort,
years. was good 10 her and brough
home each week enough money for tn
household expenses and her Clothes "
did not tell her what wages he got @
, what he did with the residue. and sh
did not inquire.
| They had a fiat of three rooms, whic'
was enough. on the third floor of an oil
, red brick building at IS Narick stree,
In glass case in the parlor he ken
brass shell, several queer guns, rar
china. marine maps and a few othe
, objects he had picked up in his sea
going days. He kept papers in a Ia
PANIED tin strong box, and told his VIII
: there were other papers In his desk a
Wood & Selick's.
a week ago Dayton fell III OF innu
} ensa which developed into pneumoni;
On Sunday morning he was very wea
: but spoke OF returning to work tn
next day. However. that he did not fec
SO certain Is indicated by what he salt
as reported by Mrs. Dayton.
tie said TO me on Sunday morning,
. says Mrs Dayton, '"Tillie, II anythln
: happens to me go To the engine roor
and you will find gold which I have M
: In the ground said to him. How nnuc
: gold. and whe-e will hrd ito lie sal,
/, oh, don't ask me that You will I'm
all about II in my desk SO I did nc
say anything more.
: NJ. xxNle