Austin Weekly Statesman. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 7, 1897 Page: 3 of 12
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AUSTIN WEEKLY STATESMAN. THURSDAY JANUARY 7.M897.
a
1
i.
; U liidp tl
I " V
i "THE HIDDEN TREASURES THAT
it ; . AKc bAlU It? hXISr IN
PEASE PARK. -
HAVH BEEN MIXED UP IN THE
FUTILE SEARCH FOR HID-
'V DEN WEALTH.
iTHE TRUE ORIGIN OF THIS MYTHICAL TREASIRE.
A Spaniard Said to Have Told the Stcry.
Strange Things Attendant Upon
tbc Senrch The Crock Bottom
Torn Topsy Turvey for
Three Miles or More.
Extending ovei -eitaiMni like a peJ
iod
uf three years rtow Austin Wa-beenj
in
a state of feverish fermentation. V. ins
been that fever which burned inwardly
ana did not nuike its force fell violently
on the surface nnd yet nt intervals it
urone iortn and the result wus t mt i
the victim afflicted would either flee :he I
country or would seek oblivion in dei th. t
In short Austin has been nudergoif.
"hidden treasure" fever that has brou
kht I
wine of her most prominent citizens i
ito
.prominence that they do not court. 'J1
he
fever has been on for some three yet
rs
nnd during that time there have b
en
ho
half a dozen victims of the fever v
have been compelled to floe the count
During that tune there have been oth
who have played their last card and 1
ry.
rs
)st
and sought relief in death.
ine situation is one that is not
0
peculiarly dramatic and touching bui
almost beggars understanding or exi
nation. It is n story that rivals all
tiou yet it is so true that it is paint
It shows the desire of people to
uiouey. In this instance as in urn
others they have been hunting the t
of the. rainbow however.1 They hi
gone forth like Monte Cristo but t!
FL
py
id
Have returned empty handed. In
meantime the arch tiend that has
them on takes the place of the eou
and says: "Une" "Two" "Thre
with painful regularity as the victims
the dread fever either seek their o
life or Uee the sight and sound of
friends and old surroundings. Vet
Austin seems under a spell and yet
is there that can locate the hoodoo V Tl
he must he located nil will agree. 1
ring the past two or three years he 1
worked to such excellent advantages
thi city men who were once in promin-
ence are now 'bowed down in shame
and some who were here a year ago aire
now in South America. Anil what has ! o
caused all this It is easily explained.
Some three years ago the first rumbrs
of the present rupture was raised. Tln
siory oi iiKKieu Treasures in ami near;;
Austin has been told for time iinV
memorial. It was some three years agoj
however that the present crisis or rath-1
..I thn nnmiitlt' nf if iviiu iii.iit.itn 1
. ..... vr v. . ...... ii.vifiiuivai.
A Mexican living on n plnce near Pease
.....i. i. .. i ... .i H
. ......i. i. i .i... .. . 1
iiniiv uwuKt' une uiKui iu near ine ijcck.
. pet:& ui u pie in me gioiiiui nnu every
nce in a wiuie lie .would hear low
iffmiiiu ITii npniiA mitdtttr f .. liic twi.l
m iu. ... .... ...-.. ij.t. jj All. II II1C1 l.l-ll
''ad dressing went out to investigate
ie heard the souud of the digging whiol
un removed from him some distance
but still distinctly in the quiet night air.
lie also saw a light. He advanced
cautiously nearer and nearer. Finnlly hi
was where he could see within thfr 1
radius of the light. Then it wns
iiu nnnr mire iit'uiu iiii'ii uikuihk u. -
IT IIAS JIAUASSED MEN'S VERY
SOULS FOR THREE YEARS f
' 'I
PAST.
. . .
JANYOFAUSTin PlilENTMN
- in the ground by the feeble rn.vs of
: little lantern. He waited and wntd
W.il
UI
1 After digging a long time they cei
;jy
Wlllrnrnall Mii(lof Piles. 'llT unrioi. -i
tires onreceltof price. The Japoueie A"Ur
FOf le ny Bainey s vrug zsiore.
v r-i m I
1
I RinrKwn iq i i it i
nriil II KyI W.wlrrf I V llllnnDP I
I I I&A11.I ilSriil Mi I I U llflrlf IfPI I.J EM Vlllinill I
illirV Pi SEE? '
! DURHAM i jftlH ii
:
You will And one coupon -X J WVyi??
Uuld coch two onnct bag i . rf. Na.-
and two coupons Inside each I t"t3nliM
four onnce bog of Black. L SljrJBl I
well'i Durham. Buy a bag ( " f " A mi '
of thla celebrated tobacco EjSUsJT -
i and read the coupon which ' jJpS.''N il'lliip" JUs
m .JArasESE- '-'
W Fit E'fefe annvr
jn. im h lm a I - -r" wiw ia h rm iru Kr .
i
covering the place very care-
Tlie Mexican returned to his
le next inonring told his em-
t he had seen. The police
.lied and went out to the spot
o whether or not the negroes
iried a murdered man there to
crime. There was nothing
the matter was dropped. It
found i
wns tlr
In a s
around
was a
The re
negroes
What's
rumor
man c.
n Spnr.
friends
gagomt
body
park 1
up. II
this ci
and tl
in onlf
for fli
$100.0
in the
by thn
wok
low tl
was b'
pile ii
story
lull KP'
that h
thousar
exact 1
gave U
then hi
cginniug of the'end. however.
t time it became rumored
nong the negroes that there
lden treasure in Pease park
ir wns not confined to the
The white men trot hold of it.
lore they believed it. The
cad. About this time n gentlo-
here from Mexico. He wns
d. He came here to visit
Hp told something about an en-
between the Indians and a
surveying exienns i.Mn Pease
t before this state was settled
said that upon the occasion of
gemont between the Indians
Mexicans that the Mexicans
to lighten their packing nnimnls
lit. had buried something like
in gold bnrs in thexreck bottom
center of n .triangle formed
trees located in the valley of the
at runs through Pease park be-
old isenl place. Hie treasure
ed ed the story ran under a rock
he center of this triangle. The
nt further to say that this Span-
eman in order to help the friends
kwos .visiting to find the hidden
els. secured an old map with the
ication of the treasure. This he
the parties be was visiting ant)
went home.
The i :ory sodn began to be whispered
around It was like a fairy story. Those
who he rd about it looked nt one nnother
nskingl and said don't tell anybody
else. I i the course of time possibly
twenty ive people knew it. No five of
that tv. .nty-tive. however knew that the
others knew it for awhile at least.
Some f the more enterprising treasure
hunter went nbout the matter systemat-
ically. They organized a Btock company
and wt nt in so much money apiece to buy
the too with which to work. They made
other i rrangement8 to get the treasure.
The la ly nt whose house the Spaniard
had vi ited had a young daughter. These
worthy treasure hunters accordingly set
about ising her ns a decoy to find the
exnet s iot where the treasure was located.
They s nt one of their crowd a most ac-ccptabk-
young man to call on the young
lady and gave him so much a night to
buy candy and other refreshments that
to secure the map with the location of the
hidden treasure. The young man wns
FonstalK " ..attention to the young
lady lie did his liest. nnd sometimes
a ! he called for as much as $50 n tiiirlit. but
he did not seem to make much headway.
His partners complained and finnlly they
went ijp the creek to see if anybody else
had Im1oii anywheres near the treasure.
They stood aghast. They found great
trench dug in ninny places. Somebody
was after the treasure. They waited no
longer. That night when the valley was
in the very deepest of gloom they went
to the pflice -where the hidden treasure
was sipposed to be located. They found
others there before them. They could
hear tlem digging. They laid around and
watcnict and hnally the hrst comers be-
came -eary and left. Then the new
comcn went to work and worked until
daybruk. The next day they returned
only to find that soniobodv wns
fififtL'inil ti wnimi'A nil .. e ii'.. a
i IIP 1ml linrnml
j soufh irorner one down close off to the
1 groinif so as to remove the triangular
guile jlhey worked hard after that;
thrt; j-ualiied that somebody else was af-
r tlitim treasure nnd they never let a
iijtle (light pass but what they were
orkiitr. It soon came to pass 'that the
iitire Valley of the- creek that runs
lroiifj the park wns alive with workers
t nigBt. They went about ns silent as
io gifve. Every once in awhile some
rowdf would bump up against nnother
l thehlark in which case the disturbed
rowdjwould invariably run away. Time
ent 4u. One company that had' orgnn-
:ed become weary of waiting and dig-
ng. They secured nn old neirm hnmlnn
I
ith Ms eyes set nwav lmek in his lmnrl
"Ind tuok him out to hunt the trensure.
no od fellow said that f he wnlk-ixl
ver gjld his feet would burn like he was
tepping ou needles. So he was marched
ut to the charmed place where the trens-
re Wfs supposed to be. He wus walked
p nnd down the creek back nnd cross
nd over his beat time nnd n train until
e fell from exhaustion but be could
ever make his feet burn. II tmH hia
mplovers that the only thine that he
oiild iind under him was water nnd that
here wns no gold there. His employers
ired Mm in disgust und renewed tlwlr
liggin;. I
On their first visit to the cround thev
ound that somebody had dug a deep
rench across the triangle formed by the
rees from each of the tree corners to
'neet nt the center but all to no nurnose.
apparently. The story as it was . told
to these worthy treasure hunters was
that when the Mexicans buried the'trens-
(jure they Had placed a stob in the ground
directly over the spot and placed some
'anrw.o it Tl.. :
I tw" i utrit- nnn nil llllllieilSL1
liinnn li P : 1 rt'L .
treasuk-e hunters turned it over
Anrl
vi60 k llSRr-.
iny. ut'. in...
ttastWiole disease Y V'e wW
n .-fr I r ... . .. i nr.. i i . ..
........ ... c... j.uuavu tv nor Ui
lve iurPQ'lbt l"ulAiinn. w
fitlrs? e. nd C. O. Yates. AuBtin. Tex.
and dug under it until they
almost renqhed China. but it
was all to no purpose. They couldn't
locate the treasure. By this time they
; were well nigh desperate. They had to
' work most of the day. and during the
night their treasure-hunting made them
work long and hard. It took money too.
i The man that was making the regular
calls on the vounir lad.v. trvinc to cot the
i map was going up in price. He wns
1 nskiug is much sometimes as $50 a night
for his vain efforts at talking. the
crowd became desperate. They went out
there soon alter dark every night and
worked until daybreak. They were all
1 .1-. : 1
armed. They were determined that
nobody should get their treasure. They
fought shy of the many other treasure
hunters who were fairly lining the creek
; bank and worked on in silence. They
I could not have n light for fear of expos-
ing their localities and they were ready
. to shoot on the slightest provocation. One
'night n harmless negro wandering
j through the valley on a short cut to his
home came within an ace of being killed
by the desperate hunters. Many a night
'as they were hunting around they would
run up on some other treasure hunters.
They would invarinbly ront them and
I capture all their tools. They hid so
I many picks and shovels and so ' many
' crow-bars up in the creek that a man
could start n hardware store if he cared
. to go up there and collect the various
articles that are hid away lehhid logs
i anu under tne ledges or tne cutis.
Several months pnsscd nnd still there .
were no signs of the treasure. The secret
was known to at least twenty-five now
and every night men and ghostly figures
were seen wandering to and fro iu the
valley. They were nil on the snme mis-
sion nud ninny of them were prominent
citizens of Austin who hnd become wild
on the subject of hunting the golden
treasure. .
One night the nart.v that had been eull-
ing on the young lady reported that he
nad come to tne conclusion that the
treasure was buried under some natural
steps that are near the triangle formed
by the trees. Search was made there
but all to no purpose. Xo treasure. Bj
this time this party and others who were
nightly prowling up and down the creek
had succeeded in digging up tlje creek
bottom and on both sides for a distance
i of some three miles. - There were holes
' thnt you could bury nn ox wagon in and
varying in size ironi innr on down to a
water bucket Some of the more cnrefnl
diggers after digging a deep hole would
cover it up again.
It wns about this time that one of the
treasure-hunting crowds busted. It had
required n great deal of money to run
the venture and as only two in the crowd
hnd the money it all fell on them to keep
the young mun up in his visits to the
young lady to- pay the expenses of the
search and to secure the necessary tools.
Iu fact it was a rather expensive crowd
nt work. They were wild with excite-
cent and reckless to a degree. During
the nights when they were drilling rocks
ns they did on many occasions they had
no water and used instead a piat or so
of whisky that they hud brought along
to drink and keep them up. .Thus it was
that the money disappeared. They used
whisky to drill with and money went iu
various other directions. At this writing
one of the young men in this combination
had to skip town. He had been caught
taking money that didn't belong to him.
In fact he hod taken something like
.$.'50O that didn't belong to him. He
occupied a position of trust in n moneyed
institution and he hnd used everything
he could get his hands on to throw into
the scheme nnd finally the time came to
settle. lie couldn't. The men employ-
ing him were disposed to Ih lenient but
the fact that he was a thief got beyond
their knowledge nnd he had to jump the
town.
Thus was one of the gang of treasure
seekers bursted up nnd still the treasure
was not found. This crowd was but one
of half a dozen however. The others
continued to dig. In fact they have been
digging for the past two yours at
intervals. There are dozens now
who still firmly believe that there
is a treasure there. They are men of
prominence in this city too. The publi-
cation of their names would make the
welkin ring and would set the tongues
of gossipers working right. The drenm
of securing this wealth has well nigh
driven half of them mad. Men who nre
genernlly considered snne men nnd reli-
able hnve for months past mixed up in
this wild scrnmble for hidden wealth.
They have dug up and down thnt creek
bottom and they have hired others to dig
for them. They are nil searching for
the bidden treasure. When the search
was first started about three years ago
every man expected to find the trensure
the very next minute nnd accordingly
every man wns on the alert. Many and
ninny n time has one partner caught an-
other stealing away from him during the
day to hunt for the treasure. They
watched one another like cats and dogs.
They couldn't trust one nnother. The
desire to get the gold was the one nb-
sorbing theme. As time went by nnd
no trensure wns forthcoming their selfish
desire waned some nnd they were wil-
ling to work in unison but they never
for a moment gave up hope.
As time flies by the hunt for hidden
trensure has proven itself n great drag
net thnt pulls everything .in that comes
within reach until now nt this particu-
lar moment there are not less thnn thirty
of Austin's most prominent people mixed
up in tins gold Hunting liusiness.
Yet there is n great secret behind all
this i Somebody is making money nnd
the question is who is it? Several men
hnve so far been ruined financially hy
this search. One man is nn invalid from
exposure nnd several have killed them-
selves. All because they were mixed un
in this search and took money that was
rot theirs nnd could nut he replaced.
The death of dimity Treasurer A. .1.
.Ternignn on Wednesday is due to this
hidden trensure. He went into it witli
the negroes and somebody else that the
next few days will probably develope aiid
be took money that did not belong to him.
lieing unable to replace it he feared t'
face the inevitable and killed himself
lie is but one of several cases thnt have
gone the same way (Jnriiiir the wist year
for being connected with this hidden
treasure business. It is the strangest
thing that ever visited n city. It is n
fever thnt is supping the very foundation
of our citizenship. It is inn king ma-
niacs out of sensible men. They are
mnnincs in a mild form but they are tun-
nines. Men of prominence in this city
have been seen to go to this park nt all
hours of the day nnd night looking for
this treasure nnd yet they were formerly
good business men who could be relied
upon. The fever has struck them how-
ever and they hnve gone down before it.
During the past two years not less than
n dozen citizens of Austin hnve fallen
under the ban of this hidden treasure.
Like death it bus placed all ou an equali-
ty. White men of prominence nnd ne-
groes of ordinary intelligence hnve been
hand m glove in their search for this hid
den treasure. It is n will-o-the-wisp !
thnt has led ninny into the marshes of I
ruin nnd despair. Will it lead others? everything thnt would impede their re-
Is the end nenr? The nverage thinking.' treat to San Antonio. That army never
citizen of Aust'n is fenring the W'irst. 'returned to Austin but soldiers in it
In this great Nineteenth century. wheu Nifnttered abroad the story of the buried
times nre so hnrd and mnn's avarice so trensure. and over and over again have
great it is not safe to say that they will very old Mexicans visited Austin nnd
cense to hunt the hidden treasure. The searched for it. One of these old men
telling of such a story as this reads like shortly after the war wns here some
a fairy story but it will prove to be only time investigating and BcarShiug'for the
too true in the very near future. It
is feared that only half the story has
been told. Some of our prominent citi-
zens nre now mixed up in this matter.
Will others who are lightly involved now
take warning or wi'.l they rush reck-
lessly on to their ruin as have the oth-
ers? This hidden treasure has brought
sorrow into Austin. Its mythical ex-
istence has brought trouble into more
than one home and nil are worried that
the end is not yet. '
Those who think that there is nothing
in nil this story nbout searching parties
spending the night up there are invited I
- if 1 .1 ....I.
to ninke a trip un nnd down the creek
For n distance of some three miles le-
ginuing at half a mile above the bridge
that crosses the creek on West Sixth
and going north they will find the holes.
The whole face of creation has been torn
up. If they want further proofs there
nre those who can take them out anil
show them the hiding plnce of picks
shovels and crowbars. Not one uor a
dozen but wagon loads of them. The
valley of the creek Is simply filled with
such articles.
The surroundings of Pease park are
certainly very suggestive of the imagina-
tive mind. The towering cliffs the dark
gloomy undergrowth the many crevices
and mysterious piles of rocks nnd earth
elevations present a thousand 'sugges-
tive hiding plnccs for treasures.
Tf there Is nnv snot in nnd nrnnnrl Alls.
tin that anybody would select as a hiding
place this park is certninly the most at
tractive. It Is not to be wondered nt thnt
the treasure hunters became almost fren-
zied in their desires to locate the hidden
treasures. How they kept their senses
at all is to be wondered at. There are
parts of the pnrk that are as gloomy as
night even in brond daylight and when
the veil of darkness settles over the land
one can not see his band before him.
These treasure hunters did not dare have
any lights and they dug In these dark
places at night when they could not see
the ground they were digging. It is not
to be wondered at that they almost went
wild. On one dark rainy night in par-
ticular while one party was out digging
the drill that one of them was using
struck a crevice and fell through about
a foot. He was so certain that he hod
found the hidden treasure that in his ex-
citement he fainted. The nerves of the
searchers were ever strung to the very
highest notch. It is to be wondered that
they lived through a single night. .
Alwut the only treasure that is certainly
fcnown to be in Pease park is $U0 that
o-M Edwin Brown buried there four years
ago. He buried it under n rock at a cer-
tain distance from a leaning tree nnd
then went down to Bastrop on a visit.
While ho wns gone the tree was cut down
the rock removed and Edwin could not
find his money when he returned. lie
hunted around for awhile and finally
gave the sn;.Teh up as a bad one. The-
money is isilver dollars and it is highly
probable ftint n syndicate will be formed
to dig for it.
AXOTHEK VEBSIOX.
After all it is not to be wondered nt
thnt "Dad". .Ternignn was carried nwny
by the. extrnvngnnt bewildering stories
of hidden wealth near Austin.
Men more intelligent and infinitely bet-
ter able to withstand the seductive in-
fluence of the reasonableness of the sto-
ries told have been caught and from the
very earliest settlement of this country
they have spent money nnd time digging
for gold in the vicinity of Austin.
Aged Mexicnns within the recollec-
tion of many old citizens have appeared
in A ustin with plats and maps that were
said to have the metes nnd bounds of the
locality wherein the gold was deposited
by a Mexican army ou its retreat from
Nacogdoches to San Antonio. Their mis-
sion would leak out and then some in-
quisitive American would get from them
their stories and often aided in a search
for the hidden treasure. Many a good
man in this city has believed the story
of hidden wealth about Austin nnd they
have labored to find it. Man somehow
is endowed with many amiable contra-
dictions. Among his other eccentricities
he dearly loves the mysterious that is Bun-
posed to hide glittering gold. There is
let it be clearly (Understood in the be-
stowal of affection upon hidden gold
nothing froni an ethical standpoint ac
tually iiiiiinltous or woefully wicked. A
mini may be guilty of the weakness and
yet in other respects be clear-beaded nnd
eminently honest and respectable.
xo many nowever sucn a man ts a
queer paradoxical and topsy-turvey
numorist it not positively idiotic.
Bah! the very ideu of a man going off
on a wild goose chase after bidden trcas
lire. Alas alack all the treasure of this
world is hidden. Man strives after hid
den wealth always and where one finds' it
thousands upon thousands fail. Scores
have failed delving into the soil about
Austin for the wealth alleged to have been
buried by Mexican officers.
Huve you ever met such men? The
Statesman has; and they are a queer set
at times. Poor old man Andrew George
hns been a fair type of them during the
past year. There has been a great weight
resting upon the. very innermost recesses
of his henrl. There has been a strange
misery. If you accosted him his eyes
gleamed with lurking suspicion. The
sight of n stranger or the consulting of
two or more persons about the court
house filled him with horrible uncertain-
ty. His life has been a burden. Of
course not all who have engaged In the
business of digging foi the hidden treas-
ure have been so profoundly weighted
down ns Andrew George hns been hut all
have been more or less affected witli fear
that their secret would come to the knowl-
edge of others. Some of these men nre
witli you now. You know them.
You have met them daily perhaps dur-
ing the past year. They are intelligent
men standing high in the estimation of
their friends and they have mail-. They
have sought the hidden treasure. With-
in the past few weeks they have under
the shadow of night digged deep into
the en rtli seeking for this hidden gold.
They have spent much time nnd money
nnd like "Dad" Jernigan they have
"had confidence" in the stories.
Not the stories of Jim Bridgers for
they have been ignorant of them hut the
stories handed down by tradition en-1
twined about by pleasing and picturesque
romance.
Tradition has it that a largo body of
Mexican troops retreating across Texas
early iu the century were surrounded 1iy
Apache and Comanche Indians within
the vicinity of Austin. The Mexicans
constructed very strong stockade forts
about six miles east of town on what is
now known ns Fort Prairie; nnd after a
seige of several weeks they succeeded in
repulsing and driving off the Indians.
This urmy had (in immense amount of
gold and silver belonging to the treasury
of the state of Coiihiiila nnd Texas nnd
the Mexican officers fearing another at-
tack by the Indians determined to bury
this treasure nnd they did. so making a
enreful map of the locality. They then
destroyed their wagons and destroyed
buried money. He claimed to have been
a soldier under the officers who had the
money in charge and who secreted it
He had a rough sketch showing he
claimcdthat the treasure was some-
where on the bnnks of Shoal creek about
where Mrs. Pease's place is now. He
dug around there for some months but
if lie found any money he kept it to him-
self. Before and after the war aged Mexi-
cans searched dihgently for the money
just south of the river not far east of
Fairview park andthe pits they dug
nre seen there to thl day. As late as
1S78 a Mexican a very old man came
here and dug several ery large pits
and trenches just south of town and an
old negro nnmed John camped over there
nnd continued the digging for several
years. He wns finally sent to the
asylum.
A great deal of digging for this treas-
ure was done just after the war by both
whites Mexicans and negroes on the old
Bastrop road not far from Uadnm's gar-
den. It wnB kept up for years the work
progressing day and night. A great
deal of digging has been done on Fort
Prairie nnd some on Onion creek. One
story hns it that the money was hur-
ried near Waller creek where it now
meanders through the Seventh ward.
Col. L. J. Dupre who for many years
edited The Statesman and who was a
great archaeologist bad a map nnd state-
ment musty with age he obtained from
some old Mexican showing that the Mex-
ican army on its retreat buried the
money on the banks of the Brazos river
not far from the Nashville ford. A lot
of guns were buried with their muzzles
just outside the ground and a certain
distance from these guns the money was
buried. Col. Dnpre visited the locality
once but inroads of the river had so
changed the locality thnt his charts were
useless. Ho had faith in the story of the
treasure but believed it had been swept
awny with the soil by floods and over-
flows in the Brazos. He had no faith
in the buried treasure about Austin.
R.ECENT WORK.
Ever since the war with certain inter-
vals different persons hnve searched and
dug around Austin hoping to find this
money the amount of which is estimat-
ed all the way from $150000 to over
$1000000. For the past three years
work has been quite active and especial-
ly during the past year its activity has
been unprecedented. Many men whom
you know have been engaged in it And
some of them have invested considerable
money one way and the other.
The work has been remarkable active
during the past six months and it is
being pushed today with unflagging in-
terest. Within a few weeks some well-
known gentlemen have been digging at
the dead hours of night on the Pease
property. Two colored men Seben Wil-
son and Wesley Bussell progress with
their work day and night on Fort
Prairie. Their names are given because
they work in the day time and do not
conceal their object.
AVithin the last few nights shafts have
been sunk on certain lots in the Seventh
ward and on the Pease property.
Men hnve recently applied to Mr
Charles Stone for permission to dig his
farm and Mr. Jim Smith informed a
Statesman reporter yesterday that re
cently pnrties have been digging big
holes at night on his farm not far from
Onion creek and altogether the work
goes merrily on with the Bobs. Toms
Jims and Jerries all confident of finding
tne wcasure.
In the city the work is very secretive
No doubt however but what "Dad'
Jernigan knew of it. He must have
known some of the men engaged in the
work and their standing and intelligence
fortified him for believing the stories of
Jim uridgers.
Queer world. Queer people. This
you 11 admit.
YESTERDAY'S DEVELOFM ENTS
It is mentioned above that "Dad" Jer-
nigan possibly knew from other sources
than Jim Bridgers that search was being
made for bidden treasures around Aus
tin. He first approached Andrew George
as stated in Joe statesman yesterday
but as Andrew had been warned to
watch "Dud" he flatly refused t talk
to him about hidden money. A second
time he approached Andrew George
and wns again refused information. At
a third meeting he took Andrew George
into his confidence told him he was
short in his accounts and asked George
to help him. lie told George at that
time if exposure came he would certainly
kill himself.
Andrew George being an old friend of
"Dad's" promised to try and save him
and the two having implicit confidence
in the story of the hidden wealth as
Jim Bridgers had told it it was resolved
to advance money and help out Bridgers.
With that end In view (Jeorge worked
faithfully and wrote letters to Col.
Smith one of Bridger's characters urg-
ing him to repay money he George bad
advanced. He also wrote the letter to
Parker printed in The Statesman yes-
terday morning. These letters he sent
by Jim Bridgers who sometimes report-
ed them delivered and sometimes return-
ed thorn.
Bridgers told both "Dad" and George
often that the money was in sight and
that he would bring it in. Failure to re-
turn with the money as promised eight
sacks of it one morning "Dad" with an
ollieer went out to his house that night
The officer merely went along to show
"Dad" where Jim lived and never a
word did he breathe what business he
had with Jim. He merely said: "He
has lied to me and it is of importance
that I see him."
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The county commissioners yesterday
selected Mr. Sam McCulloch nnd O. H.
Milliean to go over the books in the
treasurer's office.
Last ufternoou they counted the cash
in the olliee and found $2'!!.:i.r which
about corresponds with the books.
The election of n county trensurer was
postponed until Monday afternoon at 2
o'clock.
AN ( ) FFI CI A Ii STATKM ENT.
County Judge A. S. Walker Jr. yester-
day afternoon gave out the following
statement ns an authoritative expression
on the part of the county commissioners
court on the present condition of the
county finances and as to the circum
stances leading up to the suicide of Coun-
ty Treasurer Jernigan:
The county commissioners court is un-
able yet to stilt" the exact extent of
Treasurer Jernigan's shortage. Mr. S.
I.. McCulloch chief bookkeeper in the
comptroller's office and Mr O. II. Mil-
liean deputy United States district clerk
have been employed to ' examine the
books anil accounts of the treasurer's of-
fice. The n jiort of the special committee
consisting of Messrs. Wheatley Odell
nnd Scrivener appointed by the district
court to examine into the finnncinl af-
fairs of the county dated December 0
181J(I shows that the treasurer then had
approximately $2-1000 to his credit in
bnukv referring to certificates from the
banks where the trensurer kept bis ac-
counts attached to the report.
Oir the day of his death the treasurer
hnd in the same banks only $0000.78. The
treasurer is. also probably entitled to a
credit of about $5iM5.4.r on account of
warrants issued by the county clerk by
order of the commissioners court to pay
November bills. It seems probable that
the shortage exceeds the amount indi-
cated' by the nboye figures but that re-
mains to be determined by the experts.
The amount iu the safe in the treasurer's
oltice at the time of his death was
$234.35. It is no probable that any .
shortage has occurred since the approval
of the treasurer's last bond on Decem-
Der z. law; it la believed bis former bond
will ho nntftptlillt in pnvup oil 1ian
sureties on it are Messrs. G. W. Walling
J. P. Schneider. E. W. Ualler William
Boyce John Washington William vou
iiusenuerg jr. a. it. iiorris ana ' Kd
Anderson. ....
TrpflRliror .Tprntn-nnn oiii.iI.Ia ...
doubtedly precipitated by his being ln-
lunucu iuui me commissioners court
would thnt flnv liianu K;a - -
...... .""I'lvb ma I H l aUU
count the money. He had difficulty in
giving his lust bond. When it was final-
ly approved on December 24 1890 the-
commissioners court passed an order that
thereafter they would inspect the treas-
urer's Office ut nnph nilnrtnrlir uaiUn
Ihe commissioners court then adjourned
over unm uocemtjer m lautf intending
then to determine whether the treasurer
should be required to furnish additional
bond. At tha mnnthtf- a thai l n tn .v..
court decided that on the next day they
wuuiu umiH'ti me treasurer s oiiice and
count the funds in his hands. On the
next morninc ThiimHntr of .U. a.nt
o clock Treasurer Jernigan was informed
mat me commissioners court would con-
vene at-his office at 10 o'clock for tb
purpose stated. He shot himself at 9:45
o'clock.
THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
The Charter Amendment Committee
Heard Kicks Yesterday.
The charter amendment committee wal
In session again yesterday and considered
BOlne nddltlnnnl mnttn-a nl... u
- - - - - .un n fiinsut luir I liv
posed amendments. In the matter - of
tne Boundaries of the city the subject was
brought up ngain for the purpose of hear-
ing from Mr. Shipe of Hyde Park who
wanted certain parts of Hyde Tark left
out of the city limits. Some of the
honthslders were also up before the com-
mittee to show that they ought to be left
out of the city limits. They argued in
their special cases that they must be let
out and after hearing their complaints
very patiently and those of others who
also .wanted to get out of the corporate
limits in other sections of the city the
mutter of boundaries wns referred to the
sub-committee again that had it under
consideration before to take action on
the requests of the citizens of the south
side and Col. Shipe and report their
finding to the next meeting. The 'com-
mittee also considered at seine length the
matter of taxation nnd finully decided on
many points looking to a better bybtem
for the collection of taxes. This matter
was left over from the last meeting. I The
committee then adjourned until tomorrow
nfternoon nt 3 o'clock nt which . time
they will meet again. The committee
may get- their report ready for tomorrow
night's council meeting but it in hardly
probable.
IN OLDEN TIMES
People overlooked the importance ot per-
manently beneficial effects and were sat-
isfied with transient action; but -now
that it is generally known that Syrup
of Figs will permanently overcome
habitual co::ttpntion well Informed peo-
ple will not buy othtr laxatives . which
act for a time but finally injure the
system.
I '
UUUlVLilUiN'S AKIN1UA HAL.VW.
The best salve In the world for Outs
Bruises Sores. Ulcers Snlt Rheumy Fe-
ver Sores Tetter Chapped Hands Chil-
blains Corns and nil Skin Eruptions and
fositively cures Piles or no pay required
f I u niin.niitflnn tn nlva tnrfnf i liafnn'
.... . . .. i ... . ... i nt LiaiuL
tion or money refunded. Price 25 cents
per box. . For sale by C. O. Yates- 219
East Pecan street. Austin Tex.
DR. KING'S NEW DISCOVERY FOR
r 4 CONSUMPTION.
This is the best medicine in the world
for nil forms of Coughs nnd Colds and
for Consumption. Every bottle is guar-
anteed. It will cure und not disappoint.
It hns no equal for Whooping Cough
Athma Hny Fever Pneumonia. Bron-
chitis La Grippe Cold in the Head and
for Consumption. It is safe for all ages
pleasant to take and above all a sure
cure. It is always well to take Dr.
King's New Life Pills in connection with
Dr. King's New Discovery as they reg-
nlate and tone the stomach and bowels.
We guarantee perfect satisfaction or re-
turn money. Free trial bottles at 0. O.
Yates' drug store. 219 East Sixth street
Austin tot. Knpiinir ni NkMnr-
and $1.00. . ' T ' "
DR. WORMLY DEAD.
The Distinguished American - Chemist
Died in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Jan. 8. Theodore John
Wormley D.D. Tb. D. LL.l). the dis-
tinguished chemist died today at his
home in this city aged 70. Ills death-
was auc to gastritis nnu no nud necn a
very sick tnnn since Christmas. He was
born in Cumberland county Pa. Heat- '.
tended Dickinson college and in 1849
graduated from the Philadelphia College
of Medicine. In 1800 he went to Uolnin--
bus O. and two years later he waa ap
pointed professor ot chemistry and the
natural sciences in the Capitol university
Columbus which position be held nnUI
1805. While In Columbus In 1874 he
wns mnde professor of chemistry and
toxicology In the medlcnl college. This
lie Held until 1877 when he was elected
to the snme professorship' In the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania which he occupied
until his death. For many years he was
state commissioner of Ohio and was state
professor of Ohio geological survey from
1870 to 1873. lie wns a member f
numerous scientific bodies and and waa a
frequent contributor to numerous scicn-
iiuc journals no leaves a widow ana'
two children.
TRESS MEETING CALLED.
Cleburne Tex. Jan. 3. (Special.)
There is called an unofficial meeting of
the Texas Press association to convene
in Galveston February 10 at which all
members who do so nre urged to be pres-
ent and lend n band in welcoming the
Nntioual Editorial association to Texas.
All members of the Texas Press associ-.
ation will be welcome to seats in the con- .
venlion hall but only delegates can rote
and participate in the proceedings of the
National Editorial association.
Signed by F. B. Baillie president; VT. '
D. Cox secitrtury. . ). '
THIS MORNING'S BLAZE.' ' '
A fire alarm wns turned in nt 2 o'cleck ;
this morning from the Fifth ward. It
ti.nvail t n ln tlin inu!1iinfA nt . Xf TV
Byrne on Congress avenue between -Eighteenth
and Nineteenth streets. The
house was a total loss and the contests
Tionrlv ho. i ;
STEAMERS COLLIDE. -
New York. Jan. 2. The Wilson liae
stenmer Hindoo which left her dock at
Brooklvn thi nfternoon for Hull was
..!!..( '.ft. ri-nn.n'f.11 ti ......
Ill .uuiniiiH nun .."v v. ..........
Creole also bound outward nt tie on-
trance to the innin ship cnnul. The Hj. j
doo's stern struck the Creole almost amj
Ships on the port side and the Hindoj..
anchor cnught In the mils nnd davits ir
the Creole carrying them away. ' iw;n -Hindoo
Is lenking. but only In the 5vrl)
nonk. The Creole wenv io ancnor .
the lower bay after the
Hindoo returned to quoN0jMne
ml i
' er a
(rued
ought J
'
considers
should a
to cha
X
"'V-MWUiviSy
; Sum ..i.fW '
'A ..."
- .- -
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Austin Weekly Statesman. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 7, 1897, newspaper, January 7, 1897; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth278833/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .