The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-10-21
FINDS $4,000
IN CASH IN
OLD HOUSE
Bundle of Money Contain
ed Bills Dated Previous
To 1876

BELLOWS FALIS Oct Il
The sensation Of finding $1,000 in
clean cash. to which the finder
may possibly be the legal owner
is an experience which Frs" Ter-
sons have had in this vicinity. Ac-
cording to the number Of 'nrm"tc
friends, soon after it occurred, this
experience came to CHARLIE y. Ii
cense at his home in the little vii
lage Of Saxton's River, four miles
from here, one daV last sprln". The
package was enclosed in brown
paper and showed that it had been
done uO many years ago. There
was an even s. 600 ~ T1~'+"d
States currency bills, the dates
upon all of them being previous to
1876. Nh. License has lived in this
vicinity about II years and is en-
gagged in the trucking and lumber
business.
As he tells the story, Mr.. License
one day last spring, in going
through a passage connecting his
residence with his barn observed a
little bundle and examination de-
veloped that it contained an i'm
pol'tant amount OF value las above.
He took the ancient currency with
him to Pawlet, Vt, where, after
consulting with (. relative there,
the money was placed in the bank
there to be sent TO New York for
exchange for more modern curren-
cy. This was done and it has been
controlled by Mr.. License since.
Stories recall circumstances sur
rounding the life and death of a
man who previous to 1876 lived i'll
the resident now owned by Mr.. lii
cense and who committed suicide
January 2, 1876 in the barn attach
ed-not 25 feet from where NJ.
License tell his friends the money
was found
Mr.. License had purchased at
auction this residence in March,
1920, Of the First Baptist Church
of the village, the purchase includ-
ing what personal property was re
naming in the building. The prop
erty had been presented to the
church in July of 1919 by Mrs.
Abby Holt Hubbard. She was a
daughter and only heir of the late
Theophiius Holt, the wealthy own
en- of the house, and widow OF
Charles L. Hubbard. Mr.. and Mrs.
Hubbard had been living with and
caring for her aged father for
number of wears.
Mr.. Hubbard was a well-known
and extensive wool dealer, as we'll
as having served the town of Rock
ingham several years as constable
and tax collector, which offices he
held at the time o. his death. He
was only 81 years. In business.
transactions he had become invol-
we'd, and only three days before his
death he had suspended payment Of
his Indebtedness, which the probate
records later show 10 have been
over $4,000. His administrators,
Charles Smith Of SaXton River
was able to pay two yeas late
only 80 cents on the dollar OF IN
debtedness. The records show
among the larger creditor, the Ma
tlonal Bank OF I-eiloWs Fails hold
ing over $4,000 of his notes.
Old residents fthe village now
remember that while his bills were
pressing, only = few weeks pre-
vious to his death, he started to
leave this section Of the country
and his creditors, 9oing as far as
CHICAGO. There, rs he afterward
told, he had vision of his mother.
who told him to 90 back to his
home and face his financial trou-
bles. This he did, but later sue
cumbed TO the burden and took his
own life.
The administrator of his estate
told others still living that the
books of the estate showed an in
debtedneSs to Mr.. Hubbard of S.
600 from a business firm in Boston
which they had paid to Mr.. Hub
bard personally in cash Just pre-
vious to his trip to Chicago, and
the administrator was never able
TO find trace of what became of the
$1,000.
Al that time 1t would probably
be hard to prove without doubt
who left the 5000 in that place,
where it had remained over 46
years.
The law of Vermont REQUIRES
that the finder Of lost property
shall advertise it that the rightful
owner may be found. If the money
should prove to be part of the