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THE
B E A L E P A P E R S
containing
Authentic Statements
regarding the
TREASURE BURIED
in
1819 and 1821,
near
Bufords, in Bedford County, Virginia,
and
Which Has Never Been Recovered.
price fifty cents
Lynchburg:
Virginian Book and Job Print
1885.
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1885, by J. B. Ward, in the
Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
The Beale Papers
-------- **** --------
The following details of an incident that happened many years
ago, but which has lost none of its interest on that account, are
now given to the public for the first time. Until now, for rea-
sons which will be apparent to every one, all knowledge of this
affair was confined to a very limited circle -- to the writer's
immediate family, and to one old and valued friend, upon whose
discretion he could always rely; nor was it ever intended that it
should travel beyond that circle; but circumstances over which he
has no control, pecuniary embarrassments of a pressing character,
and duty to a dependent family requiring his undivided attention,
force him to abandon a task to which he has devoted the best
years of his life, but which seems as far from accomplishment as
at the start. He is, therefore, compelled, however unwillingly,
to relinquish to others the elucidation of the Beale papers, not
doubting that of the many who will give the subject attention,
some one, through fortune or accident, will speedily solve their
mystery and secure the prize which has eluded him. It can be
readily imagined that this course was not determined upon all at
once; regardless of the entreaties of his family and the per-
sistent advice of his friend, who were formerly as sanguine as
himself, he stubbornly continued his investigations, until abso-
lute want stared him in the face and forced him to yield to their
persuasions. Having now lost all hope of benefit from this
source himself, he is not unwilling that others may receive it,
and only hopes that the prize may fall to some poor, but honest
man, who will use his discovery not solely for the promotion of
his own enjoyment, but for the welfare of others. Until the
writer lost all hope of ultimate success, he toiled faithfully at
his work; unlike any other pursuit with practical and natural
results, a charm attended it, independent of the ultimate benefit
he expected, and the possibility of success lent an interest and
excitement to the work not to be resisted. It would be difficult
to portray the delight he experienced when accident revealed to
him the explanation of the paper marked "2." Unmeaning, as this
had hitherto been, it was now fully explained, and no difficulty
was apprehended in mastering the others; but this accident, af-
fording so much pleasure at the time, was a most unfortunate one
for him, as it induced him to neglect family, friends, and all
legitimate pursuits for what has proved, so far, the veriest il-
lusion. It will be seen by a perusal of Mr. Beale's letter to
Mr. Morriss that he promised, under certain contingences, such as
failure to see or communicate with him in a given time, to fur-
nishing a key by which the papers would be fully explained. As
the failure to do either actually occurred, and the promised ex-
planation has never been received, it may possibly remain in the
hands of some relative or friend of Beale's, or some other person
engaged in the enterprise with him. That they would attach no
importance to a seemingly unintelligible writing seems quite na-
tural; but their attention being called to them by the publica-
tion of this narrative, may result in eventually bringing to
light the missing paper. Mr. Beale, who deposited with Mr. Mor-
riss the papers which form the subject of this history, is
described as being a gentleman well educated, evidently of good
family, and with popular manners. What motives could have influ-
enced him and so many others to risk their health and their lives
in such an undertaking, except the natural love of daring adven-
ture, with its consequent excitement, we can only conjecture. We
may suppose, and indeed we have his word for so doing, that they
were infatuated with the dangers, and with the wild and roving
character of their lives, the charms of which lured them farther
and farther from civilization, until their lives were sacrificed
to their temerity. This was the opinion of Mr. Morriss, and in
this way only can we account for the fact that the treasure for
which they sacrificed so much, constituting almost fabulous
wealth, lies abandoned and unclaimed for more than half a centu-
ry. Should any of my readers be more fortunate than myself in
discovering its place of concealment, I shall not only rejoice
with them, but feel that I have at least accomplished something
in contributing to the happiness of others.
The Late Robert Morriss
Robert Morriss, the custodian of the Beale papers, was born in
1778, in the State of Maryland, but removed at an early age, with
his family, to Loudoun county, Va., where, in 1803, he married
Miss Sarah Mitchell, a fine looking and accomplished young lady
of that county. In obtaining such a wife Mr. Morriss was pecu-
liarly fortunate, as her subsequent career fully demonstrated.
As a wife she was without reproach, as a generous and sympathiz-
ing woman she was without an equal; the poor will long remember
her charities, and lament the friend they have lost. Shortly
after his removal to Lynchburg, Mr. Morriss engaged in the mer-
cantile business, and shortly thereafter he became a purchaser
and shipper of tobacco to an extent hitherto unknown in this sec-
tion. In these pursuits he was eminently successful for several
years, and speedily accumulated a comfortable independence. It
was during this period of his success that he erected the first
brick building of which the town could boast, and which still
stands on Main street, a monument to his enterprise. His private
residence, the house now owned and occupied by Max Guggenheimer,
Esq., at the head of Main street, I think he also built. There
the most unbounded hospitality reigned, and every facility for
enjoyment was furnished. The elite of the town assembled there
more frequently than elsewhere, and there are now living some
whose most pleasant recollections are associated with that
period. The happiness of Mr. Morriss, however, was of short
duration, and reverses came when they were least expected. Heavy
purchases of tobacco, at ruinous figures, in anticipation of an
upward market, which visions were never realized, swept from him
in a moment the savings of years, and left him nothing save his
honor and the sincere sympathy of the community with which to be-
gin the battle anew. It was at this time that Mrs. Morriss exhi-
bited the loveliest traits of her character. Seemingly unmindful
of her condition, with a smiling face and cheering words, she so
encouraged her husband that he became almost reconciled to his
fate. Thrown thus upon his own resources, by the advice of his
wife, he leased for a term of years the Washington Hotel, known
now as the Arlington, on Chruch street, and commenced the busi-
ness of hotel keeping. His kind disposition, strict probity, ex-
cellent management, and well ordered household, soon rendered him
famous as a host, and his reputation extended even to other
States. His was the house par excellence of the town, and no
fashionable assemblages met at any other. Finding, in a few
years, that his experiment was successful and his business remun-
erative, he removed to the Franklin Hotel, now the Norvell House,
the largest and best arranged in the city. This house he con-
ducted for many years, enjoying the friendship and countenance of
the first men of the country. Amongst his guests and devoted
personal friends Jackson, Clay, Coles, Witcher, Chief Justice
Marshall, and a host of others scarcely less distinguished, might
be enumerated. But it was not the wealthy and distinguished
alone who appreciated Mr. Morriss; the poor and lowly had bless-
ings for the man who sympathized with their misfortunes, and was
ever ready to relieve their distress. Many poor but worthy fami-
lies, whose descendants are now in our midst, can remember the
fact that his table supplied their daily food, not for days and
weeks only, but for months at a time; and as a farther instance
of his forbearance and unparalleled generosity, there are now
living those who will testify to the fact that he permitted a
boarder in no way connected with him, to remain in his house for
more than twenty years, and until he died, without ever receiving
the slightest renumeration, and that he was never made to feel
otherwise than as a favored guest. In manner Mr. Morriss was
courteous and gentle; but when occasion demanded, could be stern
and determined, too; he was emphatically the master of his house,
and from his decision there was no appeal. As an "old Virginia
gentleman," he was sans peur et sans reproache, and to a remark-
able extent possessed the confidence and affection of his
friends. After a checquered and eventful life of more than eigh-
ty years, passed mostly in business, which brought him in contact
with all classes of people, he died, lamented by all, and leaving
not an enemy behind. His death, which occurred in 1863, was just
two years subsequent to that of his wife. It can be truly said
that no persons ever lived in a community for such a length of
time who accomplished more good during their lives, or whose
death was more universally regretted. It was the unblemished
character of the man, and the universal confidence reposed in
him, that induced Beale to entrust him with his secret, and in
certain contingencies select him for a most important trust;
that his confidence was not misplaced, every one remembering Mr.
Morriss will acknowledge. It was in 1862, the second year of the
Confederate war, that Mr. Morriss first intimated the possession
of a secret that was destined to make some persons wealthy. At
first he was not very communicative, nor did I press him to re-
veal what he seemed to speak of with reluctance; in a few weeks,
however, his mind seemed changed, and he voluntarily proffered
his confidence. Inviting me to his room, with no one to inter-
rupt us, he gave me an outline of the matter, which soon enlisted
my interest and created an intense longing to learn more. About
this time, however, affairs of importance required my presence in
Richmond, and prevented further communication between us until
after my return, when I found him ready to resume the interesting
subject. A private interview was soon arranged, and, after
several preliminaries had been complied with, the papers upon
which this history is based were delivered into my possession.
The reasons which influenced him in selecting me for the trust,
he gave, and were in substance as follows: First: Friendship for
myself and family, whom he would benefit if he could. Second:
The knowledge that I was young and in circumstances to afford
leisure for the task imposed; and finally, a confidence that I
would regard his instructions, and carry out his wishes regarding
his charge. These, and perhaps others, he gave during our fre-
quent conversations upon the subject, and doubtless believed he
was conferring a favor which would redound greatly to my advan-
tage. That is has proved otherwise is a misfortune to me, but no
fault of his. The conditions alluded to above were that I should
devote as much time as was practicable to the papers he had given
me; master, if possible, their contents, and if successful in de-
ciphering their meaning and eventually finding the treasure, to
appropriate one-half of his portion as a remuneration for my ser-
vices; the other half to be distributed to certain relatives and
connexions of his own, whose names he gave me; the remainder to
be held by me in trust for the benefit of such claimants as might
at any time appear, and be able to authenticate their claims.
This latter amount, to be left intact, subject to such demands,
for the space of twenty years, when, if still unclaimed, it
should revert to myself or my heirs, as a legacy from himself.
As there was nothing objectionable in this, the required promise
was given, and the box and the contents were placed in my posses-
sion. When the writer recalls his anxious hours, his midnight
vigils, his toils, his hopes and disappointments, all consequent
upon this promise, he can only conclude that the legacy of Mr.
Morriss was not as he designed it - a blessing in disguise. Hav-
ing assumed the responsibilites and consented to the requirements
of Mr. Morriss, I determined to devote as much time to the accom-
plishment of the task as could be consistently spared from other
duties. With this purpose in view, I requested from Mr. Morriss
a statement of every particular connected with the affair, or
having the slightest bearing upon it, together with such views
and opinions of his own as might ultimately benefit me in my
researches. In reply, he gave me the following, which I reduced
to writing and filed with the papers for future reference: "It
was in the month of January, 1820, while keeping the Washington
Hotel, that I first saw and became acquainted with Beale. In
company with two others, he came to my house seeking entertain-
ment for himself and friends. Being assured of a comfortable
provision for themselves and their horses, Beale stated his in-
tention of remaining for the winter, should nothing occur to
alter his plans, but that the gentlemen accompanying him would
leave in a few days for Richmond, near which place they resided,
and that they were anxious to reach their homes, from which they
had long been absent. They all appeared to be gentlemen, well
born(?), and well educated, with refined and courteous manners
and with a free and independent air, which rendered then pecu???
attractive. After remaining a week or ten days, the two left,
after(?) expressions of satisfaction with their visit. Beale,
who remained, soon became a favored and popular guest; his so-
cial disposition and friendly demeanor rendered him extremely po-
pular with every one, particularly the ladies, and a pleasant and
friendly intercourse was quickly established between them. "In
person, he was about six feet feet in height, with jet black eyes
and hair of the same color, worn longer than was the style at
that time. His form was symmetrical, and gave evidence of unusu-
al strength and activity; but his distinguishing feature was a
dark and swarthy complexion, as if much exposure to the sun and
weather had thoroughly tanned and discolored him; this, however,
did not detract from his appearance, and I thought him the hand-
somest man I had ever seen. Altogether, he was a model of manly
beauty, favored by the ladies and envied by men. To the first he
was reverentially tender and polite; to the latter, affable and
courteous, when they kept within bounds, but, if they were super-
cilious or presuming, the lion was aroused, and woe to the man
who offended him. Instances of this character occurred more than
once while he was my guest, and always resulted in his demanding
and receiving an apology. His character soon became universally
known, and he was no longer troubled by impertinence. "Such a
man was Thomas J. Beale, as he appeared in 1820, and in his sub-
sequent visit to my house. He registered simply from Virginia,
but I am of the impression he was from some western portion of
the State. Curiously enough, he never adverted to his family or
to his antecedents, nor did I question him concerning them, as I
would have done had I dreamed of the interest that in the future
would attach to his name. "He remained with me until about the
latter end of the following March, when he left, with the same
friends who first accompanied him to my house, and who had re-
turned some days before. "After this I heard nothing from him
until January, 1822, when he once more made his appearance, the
same genial and popular gentleman as before, but, if possible,
darker and swarthier than ever. His welcome was a genuine one,
as all were delighted to see him. "In the spring, at about the
same time, he again left, but before doing so, handed me this
box, as he said, contained papers of value and importance; and
which he desired to leave in my charge until called for
hereafter. Of course, I did not decline to receive them, but
little imagined their importance until his letter from St. Louis
was received. This letter I carefully preserved, and it will be
given with these papers. The box was of iron, carefully locked,
and of such weight as to render it a safe depository for articles
of value. I placed it in a safe and secure place, where it could
not be disturbed until such time as it should be demanded by its
owner. The letter alluded to above was the last communication I
ever received from Beale, and I never saw him again. I can only
suppose that he was killed by Indians, afar from his home, though
nothing was heard of his death. His companions, too, must all
have shared his fate, as no one has ever demanded the box or
claimed his effects. The box was left in my hands in the Spring
of 1822, and by authority of his letter, I should have examined
its contents in 1832, ten years thereafter, having heard nothing
from Beale in the meantime; but it was not until 1845, some
twenty-three years after it came into my possession, that I de-
cided upon opening it. During that year I had the lock broken,
and with the exception of the two letters addressed to myself,
and some old receipts, found only some unintelligible papers,
covered with figures, and totally incomprehensible to me. "Ac-
cording to his letter, these papers convey all the information
necessary to find the treasure he has concealed, and upon you de-
volves the responsibility of recovering it. Should you succeed
you will be amply compensated for your work, and others near and
dear to me will likewise be benefitted. The end is worth all
your extertions, and I have every hope that success will reward
your efforts." Such, in substance, was the statement of Mr. Mor-
riss in answer to the various interrogations propounded to him;
and finding that I could elicit no further information, I
resolved to do the best I could with the limited means at my
disposal. I commenced by reading over and over again the letters
to Mr. Morriss, endeavoring to impress each syllable they con-
tained on my memory, and to extract from them, if possible, some
meaning or allusion that might give, perhaps, a faint or barely
preceptible hint as a guide; no such clue, however, could I find,
and where or how to commence was a problem I found most difficult
to solve. To systematize a plan for my work I arranged the pa-
pers in the order of their length, and numbered them, designing
to commence with the first, and devote my whole attention to that
until I had either unravelled its meaning or was convinced of its
impossibility - afterwards to take up the others and proceed as
before. All of this I did in the course of time, but failed so
completely that my hopes of solving the mystery were well nigh
abandoned. My thoughts, however were constantly upon it, and the
figures contained in each paper, in their regular order, were
fixed in my memory. My impression was that each figure
represented a letter, but as the numbers so greatly exceeded the
letters of the alphabet, that many different numbers represented
the same letter. With this idea, a test was made of every book I
could procure, by numbering its letters and comparing the numbers
with those of the manuscript; all to no purpose, however, until
the Declaration of Independence afforded the clue to one of the
papers, and revived all my hopes. To enable my readers to better
understand the explanation of this paper, the Declaration of In-
dependence is given herewith, and will be of interest to those
designing to follow up my investigations. When I first made this
discovery, I thought I had the key to the whole, but soon ascer-
tained that further work was necessary before my task was com-
pleted. The encouragement afforded, however, by this discovery
enabled me to proceed, and I have persisted in my labors to the
present time. Now, as I have already said, I am forced by cir-
cumstances to devote my time to other pursuits, and to abandon
hopes which were destined never to be realized. The following is
the letter addressed to Mr. Morriss by Beale, and dated St.
Louis, May, 1822, and was the latest communication ever received
from him;
St. Louis, Mo., May 9th, 1822.
Robt. Morris, Esq.:
My Esteemed Friend: - Ever since leaving my comfortable quar-
ters at your house I have been journeying to this place, and only
succeeded in reaching it yesterday. I have had altogether a
pleasant time, the weather being fine and the atmosphere bracing.
I shall remain here a week or ten days longer, then "ho" for the
plains, to hunt the buffalo and encounter the savage grizzlies.
How long I may be absent I cannot now determine, certainly no
less than two years, perhaps longer.
With regard to the box left in your charge, I have a few words
to say, and, if you will permit me, give you some instructions
concerning it. It contains papers vitally affecting the fortunes
of myself and many others engaged in business with me, and in the
event of my death, its loss might be irreparable. You will,
therefore, see the necessity of guarding it with vigilance and
care to prevent so great a catastrophe. It also contains some
letters addressed to yourself, and which will be necessary to en-
lighten you concerning the business in which we are engaged.
Should none of us ever return you will please preserve carefully
the box for the period of ten years from the date of this letter,
and if I, or no one with authority from me during that time
demands its restoration, you will open it, which can be done by
removing the lock. You will find, in addition to the papers ad-
dressed to you, other papers which will be unintelligible without
the aid of a key to assist you. Such a key I have left in the
hands of a friend in this place, sealed, addressed to yourself,
and endorsed not to be delivered until June, 1832. By means of
this you will understand fully all you will be required to do.
I know you will cheerfully comply with my request, thus adding
to the many obligations under which you have already placed me.
In the meantime, should death or sickness happen to you, to which
all are liable, please select from among your friends some one
worthy, and to him hand this letter, and to him delegate your au-
thority. I have been thus particular in my instructions, in
consequence of the somewhat perilous enterprise in which we are
engaged, but trust we shall meet long ere the time expires, and
so save you this trouble. Be the result what it may, however,
the game is worth the candle, and we will play it to the end.
With kindest wishes for your most excellent wife, compliments
to the ladies, a good word to enquiring friends, if there be any,
and assurances of my highest esteem for yourself, I remain as
ever,
Your sincere friend, T.J.B.
After the reception of this letter, Mr. Morriss states that he
was particularly careful to see the box securely placed where it
could remain in absolute safety, so long as the exigencies of the
case might require; the letter, too, he was equally careful to
preserve for future use, should it be needed. Having done all
that was required of him, Mr. Morriss could only await Beale's
return, or some communication from him. In either case, he was
disappointed. He never saw Beale again, nor did a line or mes-
sage ever reach him. The two years passed away during which he
said he would be absent, then three, four, and so on to ten;
still not a line or message to tell whether he were living or
dead. Mr. Morriss felt much uneasiness about him, but had had no
means of satisfying his doubts; ten years had passed; 1832 was at
hand, and he was now at liberty to open the box, but he resolved
to wait on, vainly hoping that something definite would reach
him. During this period rumors of Indian outrages and massacres
were current, but no mention of Beale's name ever occurred. What
became of him and his companions is left entirely to conjecture.
Whether he was slain by Indians, or killed by the savage animals
of the Rocky Mountains, or whether exposure, and perhaps priva-
tion, did its work can never be told. One thing at least is cer-
tain, that of the young and gallant band, whose buoyant spirits
led them to seek such a life, and to forsake the comforts of
home, with all its enjoyments, for the dangers and privations
they must necessarily encounter, not a survivor remains. Though
Mr. Morriss was aware of the contents of the box in 1845, it was
not until 1862, forty years after he received it, that he thought
proper to mention its existence, and to myself alone did he then
divulge it. He had become long since satisfied that the parties
were no longer living, but his delicacy of feeling prevented his
assuming as a fact a matter so pregnant with consequences. He
frequently decided upon doing so, and as often delayed it for
another time; and when at last he did speak of the matter it was
with seeming reluctance, and as if he felt he was committing a
wrong. But the story once told, he evinced up to the time of his
death the greatest interest in my success, and in frequent inter-
views always encouraged me to proceed. It is now more than twen-
ty years since these papers came into my hands, and, with the ex-
ception of one of them, they are still as incomprehensible as
ever. Much time was devoted to this one, and those who engage in
the matter will be saved what has been consumed upon it by my-
self. Before giving the papers to the public, I would say a word
to those who may take an interest in them, and give them a little
advice, acquired by bitter experience. It is, to devote only
such time as can be spared from your legitimate business to the
task, and if you can spare no time, let the matter alone. Should
you disregard my advice, do not hold me responsible that the po-
verty you have courted is more easily found than accomplishment
of your wishes, and I would avoid the sight of another reduced to
my condition. Nor is it necessary to devote the time that I did
to this matter, as accident alone, without the promised key, will
ever develop the mystery. If revealed by accident, a few hours
devoted to the subject may accomplish results which were denied
to years of patient toil. Again, never, as I have done, sacri-
fice your own and your family's interests to what may prove an
illusion; but, as I have already said, when your day's work is
done, and you are comfortably seated by your good fire, a short
time devoted to the subject can injure no one, and may bring its
reward. By pursuing this policy, your interests will not suffer,
your family will be cared for, and your thoughts will not be ab-
sorbed to the exclusion of other important affairs. With this
admonition, I submit to my readers the papers upon which this
narrative is founded. The first in order is the letter from
Beale to Mr. Morriss, which will give the reader a clearer con-
ception of all the facts connected with the case, and enable him
to understand as fully as I myself do, the present status of the
affair. The letter is as follows:
Lynchburg, January 4th, 1822.
My Dear Friend Morriss: - You will, doubtless, be surprised
when you discover, from a perusal of this letter, the importance
of the trust confided to you, and the confidence reposed in your
honor, by parties whom you have never seen, and whose names even
you have never heard. The reasons are simple and easily told; it
was imperative upon us that some one here should be selected to
carry out our wishes in case of accident to ourselves, and your
reputation as a man of the sternest integrity, unblemished honor,
and business capacity, influenced them to select you in place of
others better known, but perhaps, not so reliable as yourself.
It was with this design that I first visited your house, two
years since, that I might judge by personal observation if your
reputation was merited. To enable me better to do so, I remained
with you more than three months, and until I was fully satisfied
as to your character. This visit was made by the request of my
associates, and you can judge from their action whether my report
was a favorable one.
I will now give you some idea of the enterprise in which we
are engaged, and the duties which will be required of you in con-
nection therewith; first assuring you, however, that your com-
pensation for the trouble will be ample, as you have been unani-
mously made one or our association, and as such are entitled to
share equally with the others.
Some five years since I, in connection with several friends,
who, like myself, were fond of adventure, and if mixed with a
little danger all the more acceptable, determined to visit the
great Western plains and enjoy ourselves in hunting buffalo,
grizzly bears, and such other game as the country would afford.
This, at that time, was our sole object, and we at once proceeded
to put it in execution. On account of Indians and other dangers
incident to such an undertaking, we determined to raise a party
of not less than thirty individuals, of good character and stand-
ing, who would be pleasant companions, and financially able to
encounter the expense. With this object in view, each one of us
suggested the matter to his several friends and acquaintances,
and in a few weeks the requisite number had signed the condi-
tions, and were admitted as members of the party. Some few re-
fused to join with us, being, doubtless, deterred by the dangers,
but such men we did not want, and were glad of their refusal.
The company being formed, we forthwith commenced our prepara-
tions, and, early in April, 1817, left old Virginia for St.
Louis, Mo., where we expected to purchase the necessary outfits,
procure a guide and two or three servants, and obtain such infor-
mation and advice as might be beneficial hereafter. All was done
as intended, and we left St. Louis the 19th of May, to be absent
two years, our objective point being Santa Fe, which we intended
to reach in the ensuing Fall, and there establish ourselves in
winter quarters.
After leaving St. Louis we were advised by our guide to form a
regular military organization, with a captain, to be selected by
the members, to whom should be given sole authority to manage our
affairs, and, in cases of necessity, ensure united action. This
was agreed to, and each member of the party bound himself by a
solemn obligation to obey at all times, the orders of their cap-
tain, or, in the event of refusal, to leave the company at once.
This arrangement was to remain in force for two years, or for the
period of our expected absence. Tyranny, partiality, incompeten-
cy, or other improper conduct on the part of the captain, was to
be punished by deposing him from his office, if a majority of the
company desired his dismissal. All this being arranged, and a
set of laws framed, by which the conduct of the members was to be
regulated, the election was held, and resulted in choosing me as
their leader.
It is not my purpose now to give you details of our wander-
ings, or of the pleasures or dangers we encountered. All this I
will reserve until we meet again, when it will be a pleasure to
recall incidents that will always be fresh in my memory.
About the first of December we reached our destination, Santa
Fe, and prepared for a long and welcome rest from the fatigues of
our journey. Nothing of interest occurred during the winter, and
of this little Mexican town we soon became heartily tired. We
longed for the advent of weather which would enable us to resume
our wanderings and our exhilerating pursuits.
Early in March some of the party, to vary the monotony of
their lives, determined upon a short excursion, for the purpose
of hunting and examining the country around us. They expected to
be only a few days absent, but days passed into weeks, and weeks
into a month or more before we had any tidings of the party. We
had become exceedingly uneasy, and were preparing to send out
scouts to trace them, if possible, when two of the party arrived,
and gave an explanation of their absence. It appears that when
the left Santa Fe they pursued a northerly course for some days,
being successful in finding an abundance of game, which they
secured, and were on the eve of returning when they discovered on
their left an immense herd of buffaloes, heading for a valley
just perceptible in the distance. They determined to follow
them, and secure as many as possible. Keeping well together,
they followed their trail for two weeks or more, securing many
and stampeding the rest.
One day, while following them, the party encamped in a small
ravine, some 250 or 300 miles to the north of Santa Fe, and with
their horses tethered, were preparing their evening meal, when
one of the men discovered in a cleft of the rocks something that
had the appearance of gold. Upon showing it to the others it was
pronounced to be gold, and much excitement was the natural conse-
quence. Messengers were at once dispatched to inform me of the
facts, and request my presence with the rest of the party, and
with supplies for an indefinite time. All the pleasures and
temptations which had lured them to the plains were now forgot-
ten, and visions of boundless wealth and future grandeur were the
only ideas entertained. Upon reaching the locality I found all
as it had been represented, and the excitement intense. Every
one was diligently at work with such tools and appliances as they
had improvised, and quite a little pile had already accumulated.
Though all were at work, there was nothing like order or method
in their plans, and my first efforts were to systematize our
operations, and reduce everything to order. With this object, an
agreement was entered into to work in common as joint partners,
the accumulations of each one to be placed in a common recepta-
cle, and each be entitled to an equal share, whenever he chose to
withdraw it - the whole to remain under my charge until some oth-
er disposition of it was agreed upon. Under this arrangement the
work progressed favorable for eighteen months or more, and a
great deal of gold had accumulated in my hands as well as silver,
which had likewise been found. Everything necessary for our pur-
poses and for the prosecution of the work had been obtained from
Santa Fe, and no trouble was experienced in procuring assistance
from the Indians in our labors. Matters went on thus until the
summer of 1819, when the question of transferring our wealth to
some secure place was frequently discussed. It was not con-
sidered advisable to retain so large an amount in so wild and
dangerous a locality, where its very possession might endanger
our lives; and to conceal it here would avail nothing, as we
might at any time be forced to reveal its place of concealment.
We were in a dilemma. Some advised one plan, some another. One
recommended Santa Fe as the safest place to deposit it, while
others objected, and advocated its shipment at once to the
States, where it was ultimately bound to go, and where alone it
would be safe. The idea seemed to prevail, and it was doubtless
correct, that when outside parties ascertained, as they would do,
that we kept nothing on hand to tempt their cupidity, our lives
would be more secure than at present. It was finally decided
that is should be sent to Virginia under my charge, and securely
buried in a cave near Buford's tavern, in the county of Bedford,
which all of us had visited, and which was considered a perfectly
safe depository. This was acceptable to all, and I at once made
preparations for my departure. The whole party were to accompany
me for the first five hundred miles, when all but ten would re-
turn, these latter to remain with me to the end of the journey.
All was carried out as arranged, and I arrived safely with my
charge.
Stopping at Buford's, where we remained for a month, under
pretense of hunting &c.. we visited the cave, and found it unfit
for our purpose. It was too frequently visited by the neighbor-
ing farmers, who used it as a receptacle for their sweet potatoes
and other vegetables. We soon selected a better place, and to
this the treasure was safely transferred.
Before leaving my companions on the plains it was suggested
that, in case of an accident to ourselves, the treasure so con-
cealed would be lost to their relatives, without some provision
against such a contingency. I was, therefore instructed to
select some perfectly reliable person, if such an one could be
found, who should, in the event of his proving acceptable to the
party, be confided in to carry out their wishes in regard to
their respective shares, and upon my return report whether I had
found such a person. It was in accordance with these instruc-
tions that I visited you, made your acquaintance, was satisfied
that you would suit us, and so reported.
On my return I found the work still progressing favorably,
and, by making large accessions to our force of laborers, I was
ready to return last Fall with an increased supply of metal,
which came through safely and was deposited with the other. It
was at this time I handed you the box, not disclosing the nature
of its contents, but asking you to keep it safely till called
for. I intend writing you, however, from St. Louis, and impress
upon you its importance still more forcibly.
The papers enclosed herewith will be unintelligible without
the key, which will reach you in time, and will be found merely
to state the contents of our depository, with its exact location,
and a list of the names of our party, with their places of
residence, &c. I thought at first, to give you their names in
this letter, but reflecting that some one may read the letter,
and thus be enabled to impose upon you by personating some member
of the party, have decided the present plan is best. You will be
aware from what I have written, that we are engaged in a perilous
enterprise - one which promises glorious results if successful -
but dangers intervene, and of the end no one can tell. We can
only hope for the best, and persevere until our work is accom-
plished, and the sum secured for which we are striving.
As ten years must elapse before you will see this letter, you
may well conclude by that time that the worst has happened, and
that none of us are to be numbered with the living. In such an
event, you will please visit the place of deposit and secure its
contents, which you will divide into thirty-one equal parts; one
of these parts you are to retain as your own, freely given to you
for your services. The other shares to be distributed to the
parties named in the accompanying paper. These legacies, so
unexpectedly received, will at least serve to recall names that
may still be cherished, though partially forgotten.
In conclusion, my dear friend, I beg that you will not allow
any false or idle punctillio to prevent your receiving and ap-
propriating the portion assigned to yourself. It is a gift not
from myself alone, but from each and every member of our party,
and will not be out of proportion to the services required of
you.
I trust, my dear Mr. Morriss, that we may meet many times in
the future, but if the Fates forbid, with my last communication I
would assure you of the entire respect and confidence of
Your friend,
T.J.B.
Lynchburg, Va., January 5th, 1822.
Dear Mr. Morriss. - You will find in one of the papers, writ-
ten in cipher, the names of all my associates, who are each enti-
tled to an equal part of our treasure, and opposite to the names
of each one will be found the names and residences of the rela-
tives and others, to whom they devise their respective portions.
From this you will be enabled to carry out the wishes of all by
distributing the portion of each to the parties designated. This
will not be difficult, as their residences are given, and they
can easily be found.
The two letters given above were all the box contained that were
intelligible; the others, consisted of papers closely covered
with figures, which were, of course, unmeaning until they could
be deciphered. To do this was the task to which I now devoted
myself, and with but partial success. To enable my readers to
understand the paper numbered "2" the Declaration of Independence
is given, by the assistance of which its hidden meaning was made
plain:
[Ward's version of the DOI appears here]
The letter, or paper, so often alluded to, and marked "2," which
is fully explained by the foregoing document, is as follows:
115, 73, 24, 807, 37, 52, 49, 17, 31, 62, /* 10 */
647, 22, 7, 15, 140, 47, 29, 107, 79, 84, /* 20 */
56, 239, 10, 26, 811, 5, 196, 308, 85, 52, /* 30 */
160, 136, 59, 211, 36, 9, 46, 316, 554, 122, /* 40 */
106, 95, 53, 58, 2, 42, 7, 35, 122, 53, /* 50 */
31, 82, 77, 250, 196, 56, 96, 118, 71, 140, /* 60 */
287, 28, 353, 37, 1005, 65, 147, 807, 24, 3, /* 70 */
8, 12, 47, 43, 59, 807, 45, 316, 101, 41, /* 80 */
78, 154, 1005, 122, 138, 191, 16, 77, 49, 102, /* 90 */
57, 72, 34, 73, 85, 35, 371, 59, 196, 81, /* 100 */
92, 191, 106, 273, 60, 394, 620, 270, 220, 106, /* 110 */
388, 287, 63, 3, 6, 191, 122, 43, 234, 400, /* 120 */
106, 290, 314, 47, 48, 81, 96, 26, 115, 92, /* 130 */
158, 191, 110, 77, 85, 197, 46, 10, 113, 140, /* 140 */
353, 48, 120, 106, 2, 607, 61, 420, 811, 29, /* 150 */
125, 14, 20, 37, 105, 28, 248, 16, 159, 7, /* 160 */
35, 19, 301, 125, 110, 486, 287, 98, 117, 511, /* 170 */
62, 51, 220, 37, 113, 140, 807, 138, 540, 8, /* 180 */
44, 287, 388, 117, 18, 79, 344, 34, 20, 59, /* 190 */
511, 548, 107, 603, 220, 7, 66, 154, 41, 20, /* 200 */
50, 6, 575, 122, 154, 248, 110, 61, 52, 33, /* 210 */
30, 5, 38, 8, 14, 84, 57, 540, 217, 115, /* 220 */
71, 29, 84, 63, 43, 131, 29, 138, 47, 73, /* 230 */
239, 540, 52, 53, 79, 118, 51, 44, 63, 196, /* 240 */
12, 239, 112, 3, 49, 79, 353, 105, 56, 371, /* 250 */
557, 211, 505, 125, 360, 133, 143, 101, 15, 284, /* 260 */
540, 252, 14, 205, 140, 344, 26, 811, 138, 115, /* 270 */
48, 73, 34, 205, 316, 607, 63, 220, 7, 52, /* 280 */
150, 44, 52, 16, 40, 37, 158, 807, 37, 121, /* 290 */
12, 95, 10, 15, 35, 12, 131, 62, 115, 102, /* 300 */
807, 49, 53, 135, 138, 30, 31, 62, 67, 41, /* 310 */
85, 63, 10, 106, 807, 138, 8, 113, 20, 32, /* 320 */
33, 37, 353, 287, 140, 47, 85, 50, 37, 49, /* 330 */
47, 64, 6, 7, 71, 33, 4, 43, 47, 63, /* 340 */
1, 27, 600, 208, 230, 15, 191, 246, 85, 94, /* 350 */
511, 2, 270, 20, 39, 7, 33, 44, 22, 40, /* 360 */
7, 10, 3, 811, 106, 44, 486, 230, 353, 211, /* 370 */
200, 31, 10, 38, 140, 297, 61, 603, 320, 302, /* 380 */
666, 287, 2, 44, 33, 32, 511, 548, 10, 6, /* 390 */
250, 557, 246, 53, 37, 52, 83, 47, 320, 38, /* 400 */
33, 807, 7, 44, 30, 31, 250, 10, 15, 35, /* 410 */
106, 160, 113, 31, 102, 406, 230, 540, 320, 29, /* 420 */
66, 33, 101, 807, 138, 301, 316, 353, 320, 220, /* 430 */
37, 52, 28, 540, 320, 33, 8, 48, 107, 50, /* 440 */
811, 7, 2, 113, 73, 16, 125, 11, 110, 67, /* 450 */
102, 807, 33, 59, 81, 158, 38, 43, 581, 138, /* 460 */
19, 85, 400, 38, 43, 77, 14, 27, 8, 47, /* 470 */
138, 63, 140, 44, 35, 22, 177, 106, 250, 314, /* 480 */
217, 2, 10, 7, 1005, 4, 20, 25, 44, 48, /* 490 */
7, 26, 46, 110, 230, 807, 191, 34, 112, 147, /* 500 */
44, 110, 121, 125, 96, 41, 51, 50, 140, 56, /* 510 */
47, 152, 540, 63, 807, 28, 42, 250, 138, 582, /* 520 */
98, 643, 32, 107, 140, 112, 26, 85, 138, 540, /* 530 */
53, 20, 125, 371, 38, 36, 10, 52, 118, 136, /* 540 */
102, 420, 150, 112, 71, 14, 20, 7, 24, 18, /* 550 */
12, 807, 37, 67, 110, 62, 33, 21, 95, 220, /* 560 */
511, 102, 811, 30, 83, 84, 305, 620, 15, 2, /* 570 */
10, 8, 220, 106, 353, 105, 106, 60, 275, 72, /* 580 */
8, 50, 205, 185, 112, 125, 540, 65, 106, 807, /* 590 */
138, 96, 110, 16, 73, 33, 807, 150, 409, 400, /* 600 */
50, 154, 285, 96, 106, 316, 270, 205, 101, 811, /* 610 */
400, 8, 44, 37, 52, 40, 241, 34, 205, 38, /* 620 */
16, 46, 47, 85, 24, 44, 15, 64, 73, 138, /* 630 */
807, 85, 78, 110, 33, 420, 505, 53, 37, 38, /* 640 */
22, 31, 10, 110, 106, 101, 140, 15, 38, 3, /* 650 */
5, 44, 7, 98, 287, 135, 150, 96, 33, 84, /* 660 */
125, 807, 191, 96, 511, 118, 40, 370, 643, 466, /* 670 */
106, 41, 107, 603, 220, 275, 30, 150, 105, 49, /* 680 */
53, 287, 250, 208, 134, 7, 53, 12, 47, 85, /* 690 */
63, 138, 110, 21, 112, 140, 485, 486, 505, 14, /* 700 */
73, 84, 575, 1005, 150, 200, 16, 42, 5, 4, /* 710 */
25, 42, 8, 16, 811, 125, 160, 32, 205, 603, /* 720 */
807, 81, 96, 405, 41, 600, 136, 14, 20, 28, /* 730 */
26, 353, 302, 246, 8, 131, 160, 140, 84, 440, /* 740 */
42, 16, 811, 40, 67, 101, 102, 194, 138, 205, /* 750 */
51, 63, 241, 540, 122, 8, 10, 63, 140, 47, /* 760 */
48, 140, 288 /* 763 */
By comparing the foregoing numbers with the corresponding numbers
of the initial letters of the consecutive words in the Declara-
tion of Independence, the translation will be found to be as fol-
lows:
I have deposited in the county of Bedford, about four miles
from Buford's, in an excavation or vault, six feet below the sur-
face of the ground, the following articles, belonging jointly to
the parties whose names are given in number "3," herewith:
The first deposit consisted of one thousand and fourteen
pounds of gold, and three thousand eight hundred and twelve
pounds of silver, deposited November, 1819. The second was made
December, 1821, and consisted of nineteen hundred and seven
pounds of gold, and twelve hundred and eighty-eight pounds of
silver; also jewels, obtained in St. Louis in exchange FOR
SILVER(!!?) to save transportation, and valued at $13,000.
The above is securely packed in iron pots, with iron covers.
The vault is roughly lined with stone, and the vessels rest on
solid stone, and are covered with others. Paper number "1"
describes the exact locality of the vault so that no difficulty
will be had in finding it.
The following is the paper which, according to Beale's statement,
describes the exact locality of the vault, and is marked "1." It
is to this that I have devoted most of my time, but, unfortunate-
ly, without success.
THE LOCALITY OF THE VAULT.
71, 194, 38, 1701, 89, 76, 11, 83, 1629, 48, /* 10 */
94, 63, 132, 16, 111, 95, 84, 341, 975, 14, /* 20 */
40, 64, 27, 81, 139, 213, 63, 90, 1120, 8, /* 30 */
15, 3, 126, 2018, 40, 74, 758, 485, 604, 230, /* 40 */
436, 664, 582, 150, 251, 284, 308, 231, 124, 211, /* 50 */
486, 225, 401, 370, 11, 101, 305, 139, 189, 17, /* 60 */
33, 88, 208, 193, 145, 1, 94, 73, 416, 918, /* 70 */
263, 28, 500, 538, 356, 117, 136, 219, 27, 176, /* 80 */
130, 10, 460, 25, 485, 18, 436, 65, 84, 200, /* 90 */
283, 118, 320, 138, 36, 416, 280, 15, 71, 224, /* 100 */
961, 44, 16, 401, 39, 88, 61, 304, 12, 21, /* 110 */
24, 283, 134, 92, 63, 246, 486, 682, 7, 219, /* 120 */
184, 360, 780, 18, 64, 463, 474, 131, 160, 79, /* 130 */
73, 440, 95, 18, 64, 581, 34, 69, 128, 367, /* 140 */
460, 17, 81, 12, 103, 820, 62, 116, 97, 103, /* 150 */
862, 70, 60, 1317, 471, 540, 208, 121, 890, 346, /* 160 */
36, 150, 59, 568, 614, 13, 120, 63, 219, 812, /* 170 */
2160, 1780, 99, 35, 18, 21, 136, 872, 15, 28, /* 180 */
170, 88, 4, 30, 44, 112, 18, 147, 436, 195, /* 190 */
320, 37, 122, 113, 6, 140, 8, 120, 305, 42, /* 200 */
58, 461, 44, 106, 301, 13, 408, 680, 93, 86, /* 210 */
116, 530, 82, 568, 9, 102, 38, 416, 89, 71, /* 220 */
216, 728, 965, 818, 2, 38, 121, 195, 14, 326, /* 230 */
148, 234, 18, 55, 131, 234, 361, 824, 5, 81, /* 240 */
623, 48, 961, 19, 26, 33, 10, 1101, 365, 92, /* 250 */
88, 181, 275, 346, 201, 206, 86, 36, 219, 324, /* 260 */
829, 840, 64, 326, 19, 48, 122, 85, 216, 284, /* 270 */
919, 861, 326, 985, 233, 64, 68, 232, 431, 960, /* 280 */
50, 29, 81, 216, 321, 603, 14, 612, 81, 360, /* 290 */
36, 51, 62, 194, 78, 60, 200, 314, 676, 112, /* 300 */
4, 28, 18, 61, 136, 247, 819, 921, 1060, 464, /* 310 */
895, 10, 6, 66, 119, 38, 41, 49, 602, 423, /* 320 */
962, 302, 294, 875, 78, 14, 23, 111, 109, 62, /* 330 */
31, 501, 823, 216, 280, 34, 24, 150, 1000, 162, /* 340 */
286, 19, 21, 17, 340, 19, 242, 31, 86, 234, /* 350 */
140, 607, 115, 33, 191, 67, 104, 86, 52, 88, /* 360 */
16, 80, 121, 67, 95, 122, 216, 548, 96, 11, /* 370 */
201, 77, 364, 218, 65, 667, 890, 236, 154, 211, /* 380 */
10, 98, 34, 119, 56, 216, 119, 71, 218, 1164, /* 390 */
1496, 1817, 51, 39, 210, 36, 3, 19, 540, 232, /* 400 */
22, 141, 617, 84, 290, 80, 46, 207, 411, 150, /* 410 */
29, 38, 46, 172, 85, 194, 39, 261, 543, 897, /* 420 */
624, 18, 212, 416, 127, 931, 19, 4, 63, 96, /* 430 */
12, 101, 418, 16, 140, 230, 460, 538, 19, 27, /* 440 */
88, 612, 1431, 90, 716, 275, 74, 83, 11, 426, /* 450 */
89, 72, 84, 1300, 1706, 814, 221, 132, 40, 102, /* 460 */
34, 868, 975, 1101, 84, 16, 79, 23, 16, 81, /* 470 */
122, 324, 403, 912, 227, 936, 447, 55, 86, 34, /* 480 */
43, 212, 107, 96, 314, 264, 1065, 323, 428, 601, /* 490 */
203, 124, 95, 216, 814, 2906, 654, 820, 2, 301, /* 500 */
112, 176, 213, 71, 87, 96, 202, 35, 10, 2, /* 510 */
41, 17, 84, 221, 736, 826, 214, 11, 60, 760 /* 520 */
The following paper is marked "3" in the series, and as we are
informed, contains the names of Beale's associates, who are joint
owners of the fund deposited, together with the names of the
nearest relatives of each party, with their several places of
residence.
NAMES AND RESIDENCES.
317, 8, 92, 73, 112, 89, 67, 318, 28, 96, /* 10 */
107, 41, 631, 78, 146, 397, 118, 98, 114, 246, /* 20 */
348, 116, 74, 88, 12, 65, 32, 14, 81, 19, /* 30 */
76, 121, 216, 85, 33, 66, 15, 108, 68, 77, /* 40 */
43, 24, 122, 96, 117, 36, 211, 301, 15, 44, /* 50 */
11, 46, 89, 18, 136, 68, 317, 28, 90, 82, /* 60 */
304, 71, 43, 221, 198, 176, 310, 319, 81, 99, /* 70 */
264, 380, 56, 37, 319, 2, 44, 53, 28, 44, /* 80 */
75, 98, 102, 37, 85, 107, 117, 64, 88, 136, /* 90 */
48, 151, 99, 175, 89, 315, 326, 78, 96, 214, /* 100 */
218, 311, 43, 89, 51, 90, 75, 128, 96, 33, /* 110 */
28, 103, 84, 65, 26, 41, 246, 84, 270, 98, /* 120 */
116, 32, 59, 74, 66, 69, 240, 15, 8, 121, /* 130 */
20, 77, 89, 31, 11, 106, 81, 191, 224, 328, /* 140 */
18, 75, 52, 82, 117, 201, 39, 23, 217, 27, /* 150 */
21, 84, 35, 54, 109, 128, 49, 77, 88, 1, /* 160 */
81, 217, 64, 55, 83, 116, 251, 269, 311, 96, /* 170 */
54, 32, 120, 18, 132, 102, 219, 211, 84, 150, /* 180 */
219, 275, 312, 64, 10, 106, 87, 75, 47, 21, /* 190 */
29, 37, 81, 44, 18, 126, 115, 132, 160, 181, /* 200 */
203, 76, 81, 299, 314, 337, 351, 96, 11, 28, /* 210 */
97, 318, 238, 106, 24, 93, 3, 19, 17, 26, /* 220 */
60, 73, 88, 14, 126, 138, 234, 286, 297, 321, /* 230 */
365, 264, 19, 22, 84, 56, 107, 98, 123, 111, /* 240 */
214, 136, 7, 33, 45, 40, 13, 28, 46, 42, /* 250 */
107, 196, 227, 344, 198, 203, 247, 116, 19, 8, /* 260 */
212, 230, 31, 6, 328, 65, 48, 52, 59, 41, /* 270 */
122, 33, 117, 11, 18, 25, 71, 36, 45, 83, /* 280 */
76, 89, 92, 31, 65, 70, 83, 96, 27, 33, /* 290 */
44, 50, 61, 24, 112, 136, 149, 176, 180, 194, /* 300 */
143, 171, 205, 296, 87, 12, 44, 51, 89, 98, /* 310 */
34, 41, 208, 173, 66, 9, 35, 16, 95, 8, /* 320 */
113, 175, 90, 56, 203, 19, 177, 183, 206, 157, /* 330 */
200, 218, 260, 291, 305, 618, 951, 320, 18, 124, /* 340 */
78, 65, 19, 32, 124, 48, 53, 57, 84, 96, /* 350 */
207, 244, 66, 82, 119, 71, 11, 86, 77, 213, /* 360 */
54, 82, 316, 245, 303, 86, 97, 106, 212, 18, /* 370 */
37, 15, 81, 89, 16, 7, 81, 39, 96, 14, /* 380 */
43, 216, 118, 29, 55, 109, 136, 172, 213, 64, /* 390 */
8, 227, 304, 611, 221, 364, 819, 375, 128, 296, /* 400 */
1, 18, 53, 76, 10, 15, 23, 19, 71, 84, /* 410 */
120, 134, 66, 73, 89, 96, 230, 48, 77, 26, /* 420 */
101, 127, 936, 218, 439, 178, 171, 61, 226, 313, /* 430 */
215, 102, 18, 167, 262, 114, 218, 66, 59, 48, /* 440 */
27, 19, 13, 82, 48, 162, 119, 34, 127, 139, /* 450 */
34, 128, 129, 74, 63, 120, 11, 54, 61, 73, /* 460 */
92, 180, 66, 75, 101, 124, 265, 89, 96, 126, /* 470 */
274, 896, 917, 434, 461, 235, 890, 312, 413, 328, /* 480 */
381, 96, 105, 217, 66, 118, 22, 77, 64, 42, /* 490 */
12, 7, 55, 24, 83, 67, 97, 109, 121, 135, /* 500 */
181, 203, 219, 228, 256, 21, 34, 77, 319, 374, /* 510 */
382, 675, 684, 717, 864, 203, 4, 18, 92, 16, /* 520 */
63, 82, 22, 46, 55, 69, 74, 112, 134, 186, /* 530 */
175, 119, 213, 416, 312, 343, 264, 119, 186, 218, /* 540 */
343, 417, 845, 951, 124, 209, 49, 617, 856, 924, /* 550 */
936, 72, 19, 28, 11, 35, 42, 40, 66, 85, /* 560 */
94, 112, 65, 82, 115, 119, 236, 244, 186, 172, /* 570 */
112, 85, 6, 56, 38, 44, 85, 72, 32, 47, /* 580 */
63, 96, 124, 217, 314, 319, 221, 644, 817, 821, /* 590 */
934, 922, 416, 975, 10, 22, 18, 46, 137, 181, /* 600 */
101, 39, 86, 103, 116, 138, 164, 212, 218, 296, /* 610 */
815, 380, 412, 460, 495, 675, 820, 952 /* 618 */
The papers given above were all that were contained in the box,
except two or three of an unimportant character, and having no
connection whatever with the subject in hand. They were careful-
ly copied, and as carefully compared with the originals, and no
error is believed to exist. Complete in themselves, they are
respectfully submitted to the public, with the hope that all that
is dark in them may receive light, and that the treasure, amount-
ing to more than three-quarters of a million, which has rested so
long unproductive of good, in the hands of a proper person, may
eventually accomplish its mission. In conclusion it may not be
inappropriate to say a few words regarding myself: In conse-
quence of the time lost in the above investigation, I have been
reduced from comparative affluence to absolute penury, entailing
suffering upon those it was my duty to protect, and this, too, in
spite of their remonstrances. My eyes were at last opened to
their condition, and I resolved to sever at once, and forever,
all connection with the affair, and retrieve, if possible, my er-
rors. To do this, as the best means of placing temptation beyond
my reach, I determined to make public the whole matter, and shift
from my shoulders my responsibility to Mr. Morriss. I anticipate
for these papers a large circulation, and, to avoid the multitude
of letters with which I should be assailed from all sections of
the Union, propounding all sorts of questions, and requiring
answers which, if attended to, would absorb my entire time, and
only change the character of my work, I have decided upon with-
drawing my name from the publication, after assuring all in-
terested that I have given all that I know of the matter, and
that I cannot add one word to the statements herein contained.
The gentleman whom I have selected as my agent, to publish and
circulate these papers, was well-known to Mr. Morriss; it was at
his house that Mrs. Morriss died, and he would have been one of
the beneficiaries in the event of my success. Like every one
else, he was ignorant of this episode in Mr. Morriss' career, un-
til the manuscript was placed in his hands. Trusting that he
will be benefited by the arrangement, which, I know, would have
met the approval of Mr. Morriss, I have left the whole subject to
his sole management and charge. It is needless to say that I
shall await with much anxiety the development of the mystery.
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