Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1917 — TREASURE GUEST GETS INTO COURT [ARTICLE]

TREASURE GUEST GETS INTO COURT

QUICKSAND HOLDS IT’ DOWN WHILE HUNTERS DISAGREE ON METHOD OF RAISING TWO MILLION DOLLARS THEY MY Litigation Over Loot Which Negro Woman Saya Robber Gang Buried 50 Yeare Ago. Dallas, Tex. —What is supposed to be a real* “fabled” treasure chest, declared by some litigants to contain money and jeWels worth up to 12,000,' 000 has become the object of contention in an injunction suit filed hve, No one has seen the chest, so far as was developed in the first hearing ot the ault, but the hooks wed in dthe search came into contact with what is believed to be an iron chest, and then gave way. - --'-j W. H. Harris and Oliver Nichols filed the suit in the District Court, asking that their associates be enjoined from bringing .. “the chest” above ground until additional apparatus had been installed for fully developing the deep hole that has been dug at Collins street and Spring avenue, and at the bottom of which it is believed this chest lies. ▲ tern porary injunction was granted by Judge E. B. Muse, and later dissolved, but an appeal has been taken.

-The treasure is supposed to be con tained in seven receptacles, according to testimony at the injunction hearThese are said to be an iron safe, a large box, an express box and kettles. Some were reported to contain gold alone, some gold and silver and one jewels. One witness testified that he became interested in the matter and entered into a contract to assist in raising the supposed treasure, having been shown a map worked in green silk upon domestic.~Thtw~map showed a double tree similar to that on the property on Spring avenue where excavations have been made. Location of the receptacles was marked by loops. A well also was shown, but this has not been found, the witness said.

T. B. Stacy, who has leased the property for more than 10 years for the purpose of raising tire treasure, was one. of the witnesses. He testified he reached what he thought to be one of the receptacles, but it slipped in the efforts to raise it and sank in the quicksand. The search for treasure has been going on for several months and has attracted much attention here. The story of the existence of the fortune was told to Stacy, a wellknown business man of Dallas, by an rdd negro woman who claimed that she served several years as cook for a notorious band of robbers who held full sway in this part of Texas and in sections of Louisiana and Arkansas more than 50 years ago. This negro said that she was with the robbers when they had the treasure chest along and witnessed them drop it into the hole of water Where it is claimed it has at last been discovered. The bandits sought to hide the money and valuables in this manner when closely pursued by officers. The robbers were all killed and the negro woman kept the location of the treasure a secret until she divulged

The fortune - hunting syndicate which Stacy organized is composed of himself, Harris, Nfchols, Mrs. Nellie McFurnan, C. •A. Huber and Claud Green. The equipment which they installed cost several thousand dollars. It was found that the bottom of the water hole was filled with quicksand and that it was necessary to pump this - out before there was much chance of finding the chest. Finally "the chest” was touched, but it is so heavy that additional hoisting machinery and engine must be installed before it can be lifted to the surface, Uis claimed. * z._____ This is where the members of the syndicate fell out Part of them want to go ahead with the present equipment and Harris and Nichols insist that nothing further be done towards raising the chest until heavier machinery is provided. That a "chest” was actually found in the deep hole there seems to be no question. It was lifted a considerable distance, but the machinery was not strong enough to hold' It and it fell back into the water. The negro woman's story of the band of robbers that .roamed over this region a half-cen-tury ago is true,-but whether these freebooters accumulated , anything, like $2,000,000 and carried the fortune around in an iron-bound chest is considered doubtful by many persons.