White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-05-23
BURIED MONEY
NEVER FOUND
Excavation in Kansas City Re-
calls Civil War Story.
PRIEST IS MADE CUSTODIAN
FEARING Raid Citizens Draw Money
Out of Bank and Force Priest to
Take Charge of It-He Buried 1t IN
Cemetery and Many Hours ANXIOUS
Digging Later Failed to Oneartn inc
Hidden Treasure.

Standing n few days ago at IWelfth
and Broadway, | watched the work
men engaged in making an eNeaNa-
ton for n new building Oh the south
east corner, and II story of the oiu
Civil war DAYS connected with the
spot flashed into my mind-a mystery
of buried treasure that remains I'M
solved 10 this day-and | wondered lr
- chance shovel of dirt might not then
and there reveal the sequel. IL Is a
story that WIS often told to me by
the pioneer priest. Father bernard
Donnelly. whose resignation ia his eN-
IRENE old age rs pastor of the oiu
church ut that corner was mentioned
recently in the Star, the Rev. William
!. Dalton writes in the kansas CITY
Star.
It was the eve of the battle of West.
port in the fall of "a. Panic was ! n
the air. Sterling Price of the eonfed'
crate army had won a victory over tho
Union troops under Mulligan Mt Lex
iugton and rumors of the approach
of his victorious army to attack Kan
sas City and Westport flew thick ana
fast. Before leaving Lexington, II was
learned. he had seized ON the money
In the local banks and the fear was
widespread that he would do the same
thing when he reached Kansas CITY.
There was u rush on the banks, az
counts were checked out by hundreds
of people and the money taken 10
their homes and concealed in various
ptaces. Then tue thought occurred
10 many Of them that perhaps their
homes would be looted, too, and they
began TO look about far more secure
hiding place. At that time Father
ponneily was Kansas City's "Vicar OF
Wakefield" known and trusted by ey-
erybody. Catholics and frorestants
alike. lie was known To be an old
acquaintance OF many of The confed-
crate leaders. aud a friend of Gen.
Price. personally known and respect
ed by his soldiers as well. lie had
lived at Independence and Kansas
city ever since the early forties.
Brought Money to Priest.
1t was known. too. that previous to
his coming to Missouri his life. after
leaving Ireland. his native country.
had been largely south of the Mason
aud Dixon line. He had been an Irish
patriot. too. in the homeland, and that
meant a rebel. As q matter Of fact,
his natural sympathies were with the
South. So the belief grew that Fa-
Their Donnelly would be one man that
would he immune from search by the
invading army and the one niai, who
could he trusted Ia conceal securely
the threatened funds.
The afternoon before the battle of
Weslpori hundreds OF his " coun-
trynen aud church members. a. well
a. "A large number Of others. came
singIy aud in twos and ihrees up
through the woods and the rayine that
lay adjacent To the pastors residence
and church, bringing money in cans
and bottles and purses and asking Fa-
iher p0nnelly To take care of 1t for
Them until the trouble was over They
felt certain that Price would not mo-
lest him. They knew that his minis
t%rations "a priest would be IN demand
Tor The dying and the wounded Of
both armies and that his person and
his property would be held sacred by
even The worst Of the maranders.
He often told me that he had shrunk
~ first from the great responsibility
thrust upon him as caretaker Of other
peoples money In those troublous
iimcs-that lac tried tn convince the
people that war was no ~resPecter or
persons when army needs were press
ing and that n contingency might arise
III which he might be IL more immune
than the rest of them. The women
vrpi aud the men pleaded and he
finally yielded TO their wishes. They
came like 80 many depositors in a
bank. lie opened mp a memorandum
book. lie entered the namc and
amounts. The darkness of the eve
ming Was growing. His only light WAS
IA small candle in Il bottle that threw
a ftful glimmer around the room. He
had been a schoolmaster before lie
had become II priest hhd the method
ical habits of his teaching days chung
10 him-lIe had to dot and cross and
10 stop frequently to read a name over
to see If he had spelled 1t right.
The Treasure Buried.
The waiting crowd grew nervous AMI
restless-frice WIS al the edge of
town--he might be AT their doors in
a few hours. Many Of The woInen
anxious Ia get back To- their homes and
little ones, threw their pocketbooks
on the table. simply saying Here,
Father Donnelly. there are 50 many
dollars there. You know our name
aud where We live. Put it away for
us. We must get back home When
the crowd had fnally departed Father
Donnelly said there were bundles of
money left there without any name
attached and impossible of Identifies
ton by memory of the words or faces