Beech Tree News Network

Was Butler County, by way of the Green, the escape route for a group of masked treasure diggers back in 1902? The Hartford Kentucky Republican January 17, 1902 (Friday) includes a reprint of a story which was itself taken from the January 14, 1902 Louisville Post. Enjoy!

DUG FOR HIDDEN TREASURE

“Who buried the money? Who were the masked men who dug it up? How much did they get? (These) are questions that have been frequently asked during the last few days by the citizens of the quiet little village of Skilesville, located on Green River, in Butler County, sixteen miles from here.

About 9 o’clock Tuesday night, two weeks ago, eight masked men appeared at the home of Henry S. Martin, who lives on the outskirts of the place, on what is known as the old Hemingway farm. When he opened the door in answer to a knock he was asked to come out, as he was wanted on business.

The speaker for the crowd told him that they had come to search for a kettle containing about $10,000, and that if he cared to he might help them dig for it; but if he did not, he must keep secret what he heard and saw. He said he did not care to help them and returned into the house.

The masked party soon produced two dark lanterns and a tapeline. A distance of about twenty feet was measured off from one corner of the house, and two men began digging immediately with picks and two other men threw the dirt out with shovels.

This work was kept up until about an hour or so before day, when the men gathered around in a circle, put something in a sack, threw the dirt back into the hole and stole away as quickly as they had come.

Once during the night Mr. Martin concluded to slip out the back way and to inform some of his neighbors what was going on, but when he stepped out the back door a revolver was put into his face, and he was told to go back, which he was not slow to do.

Tuesday, about noon, two strangers, each carrying a pick, got off an Evansville and Bowling Green packet and went up into the town. Several other strangers were noticed in the place the same day, but no particular attention was paid to them.

Mr. Martin says the men dug down about three feet and over considerable space. He found an iron kettle, which had the appearance of having been buried for a long while, but he has no idea what it had contained.

Who put the kettle there, what it contained and who dug it up will perhaps never be known to the quiet citizens of Skilesville.  Notwithstanding the fact that the spokesman for the masked party cautioned Mr. Martin not to say anything about what they said or did, he told it to his neighbors a day or two ago, and ever since then it has been the one topic of conversation.

The whole matter is wrapped in mystery, which seems impenetrable now.”

To clear up a detail, Skilesville is really just across the Mud River into Muhlenberg County beyond Rochester. It faces Rochester lock number 3. Remember, the story began two weeks prior.

If the writer is referring to Bowling Green as the destination point then the route to get there included 40 miles of travel through Butler County along the Green River.
 
Story and photo by Roger Southerland, Beech Tree News