Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1927-06-16
ROBBERS ROOST TREASURE,
MONTANA, ELUDES SEARCHERS

balmy days of hectic Alder Gulch, the
richest gulch in the history of the
world.
That the fortune in gold was
buried within 100 yards of one of
the corners of the corral at Robbers
Roost and as far as known has never
been found was asserted by William
Owsley, Montana pioneer, member of
the famous vigilantes and one Of
Butte's first mayors. He told the
story of the buried treasure a few
months before he died here several
years ago:
The gold was buried by Henry
Plummer, who, while sheriff, was the
leader of the greatest band of road
agents in history. The cache was
Plummer's private spoils taken with
unlisted thousands from the stages
and outgoing miners of "the Days of
Alder Gulch.'
Robbers Roost is still standing on
the main road to Virginia City and
is one of the landmarks of Madison
county. A family is living in the
place, which is still in fair condition
for a house built in the early sixties.
The corral, an important point in
Owsley's story, disappeared many
years ago.
when he had to stand the acid
test, Plummer was yellow" said Ows-
ley. 81 never told the story before,
but Col. w. F. Sanders, X. Beldier,
myself and others hung the head of
the road agents at Bannack, January
10, 1864.
''Plummer lived near the home of
Col. w. F. Sanders and when we en-
tered his house to get him he was in
bed. He put up great game of bluff
when we first got him, as he was the
sheriff of the territory.
when Plummer fully realized he
was to hang on a scaffold he had
erected to hang man he had ar
rested he broke down and groveled
like a cur OF course none of us was
masked, and he knew me pretty well.
"A few minutes before the rope
was placed around his neck he threw
his arms around me and said, 'Ows-
ley, | will take you to place where
l have buried 100000 in dust
cache"
II pushed him away and he again
grabbed me,
Hanging me will not give bach
that dust the doomed man said, 'Pll
take you over to Robbers Roost and
if the gold is not where | say you can
cut me into pieces. Just give me a
horse after show you the cache and
I'll leave the territory forever
LAS l started to push him away
again." continued Owsley, Plummer
said, I'I tell you it is within 100
yards of the corner of the corral
"The rope was placed on his neck
and then he asked us to see that he
didn't strangle to death, and all the
time he kept begging me to see if the
vigilants would grant him day to
live.
'Did you ever look for the gold?"
Owsley was asked.
The hearty, contagious laugh,
known to so many, broke out, and,
wiping his eyes, the trail blazer said
~ felt convinced that Plummer
spoke the truth, and l spent several
weeks each year digging for more
than five years"
"Say," and the old pioneer became
serious, "you chaps have no idea
what what it means to try to dig
somewhere around 100 yards from
four corners of big corral. | should
have had ,steam shovel.
81 have kept more or less OF a tab
on the place ever since and to the
best of my knowledge and belief the
gold has never been found. Of course
if some one did accidentally hit onto
it, they would never have whispered
about it."
Owsley had the firstlivery stable
in Butte. During his term as mayor,
a fly-by-night compapny started to
Law tracks for a street railway against
the sanctions of the mayor and coun-
Gil. Mayor Owsley returned to his
stable and saw length of track in
Main street. The famous character
was one of the strongest men in
Montana. He walked down to where
the rails had been spiked to the ties.
With the strength of several husky
men, pulled the length of completed
track off the center of the street. He
then walked back to the stable, pulled
a chair outside the door and laying
rifle across his knee, announced:
''The first man to touch that out
lawed track will find out in one Sec