Republican farmer., 1920-07-23
COLD BURIED BY JAMES GANG IS
 STILL UNBOUND
Many Have Sought In Vain ~ For $6,OOO In Copper
 Kettle

Some day an Oklahoma oil driller may strike a treasure for which he is not looking, because there is evidence to indicate that half of the loot taken by the James boys and their accom- plices in the robbery of the bank at kearney, Mo-, still remains buried in the keeche Hills of the sComanche Indian Reservation, while on the farm from which the other half was ex- humed an oil well, flowing one hun dred barrels a day, recently was brought in.''
 Any reader of the 1urid literature written about the James boys and the pirates of former days should be able to recognize and identity this cache if it is ever found, for it consists of something like $500 in gold contain ed in a copper kettle, laid over with an earthenware crock cover
 Moreover, no matter how it is eventually brought to light, there is necessary in all trasure-hunting yarns) that would have led the seeker had he followed the directions ac- curately, direct to the location. This diagram was ofiginany drawn on Jesse James bootleg. But if this synopsis snacks of the dime novel, it should be added that the details came from the lips of Frank James and that the man the latter let into the secret Is still living at Cemen Oklahoma.
 Billy Royse, veteran p1ainsman and son of an Irish doorkeeper at the White House when Lincoln was Pres fdent, has sought in vain for the pot of gold, as have many others, although it is conceded Royse has. the inside track in first hand information and essential data.
 Remembered Supper. Royse first met Frank James in the early '70s in the Black Hills country, when Royse was travelling with Will liam F. Cody and band of sixteen plainsmen. Far out on the prairie, probably in Montana, they encounter ed a party of seven horsemen whom Cody accosted and asked, according to Royse as to suitable camping place. Cody recognized Frank James and the two outfits camped together that night, Royse, then only fourteen preparing the supper of venison and wild turkey.
 Forty years later Royse met Frank
 James, who recently had been par | doned from prison, on the streets of Cement and recalled their earlier | meeting.
 Could I ever forget the supper you l fed us that night t?' James fairly roared. "I want to talk to you Billy have something of interest to tell you.''
 What Frank James said to Billy Royse was in substance this: After | the Kearney bank robbery the out laws, e1uding the authorities who | gavec hase, rode as did other long riders of that day, far down into the ] Indian country. The Keeche Hills | were out beyond the. settlements o1 | the Indian territory. They skirted the prairie lands of the Comanches and 1 Kiowas. They were rugged and rocky
 and not easy to enter save by paths of uncertain destination and an old
 route of stage coach. They were un-
 inha abited and secluded.
 Like Treasure Island Story Frank and Jesse James and the l Ford boys were in safe refuge here l more than a few times. This time l they made camp, as they had before l at a spring near the foot of what is known as Buzzard Roost Mountain It happens that that mountain and l that spring are on the homestead o1 i homesteader, and that on her 16t 1 acres an-ofl well that is making 10G l barrels a day was recently drilled.
 The horses were fed and supper was | cooked by Frank James that evening l while Jesse James and the Ford boys | buried the gold. In all the total was 1 $12,O00. It was divided into two ket- ties. When the grave diggers return ed to Camp Jesse aJmes drew dia- gram on his bootleg.
 i After supper he and Frank wen 1 to a boulder at the foot of Buzzaro | Roost Mountain and cut thereon as l deeply as they could with crude in I struments drawing of one rifle across | another.
 | The barrel of one rifle pointed tc | the east. More than tha,, 1t pointed 1 to tree. Into that tree the outlaws 1 carved four letters. In an upper TOW I were the letters M O O. Beneatf 1 them was the letter Y. Below tha l letter they nailed mule shoe into 2 1 blaze.
 These things and more Frank Jame. l told Billy Royse. "I have found the 1 rifles cut into the rock" he said, "bu | I havn't found the tree. I want yot | to help me find it.''
 l Billy Royse said~he would.
 Royse found the tree and 1t was or ! his farm. The discovery elated him l He was eager to tell the news to F'ranl 1 James. It was SO good it leaked from | his lips to a neighbor, and it reached | James before Royse saw him. Ina | night Frank James and another mai dug up the kettle and went away witt
 the gold. It was buried one yard iron tho foot of the tree. Roysc claims.