Show WEALTH IN b A BEARS DEN I f STORY OF TREASURE HIDDEN GUERRILLAS S BY WARTIME r Concealed by the Bandits in a Cave in Southwestern Missouri Sscrct it Confided by Dying Robber j Ii the eastern part of Stone county on White river and located In one of I nrts of the Ozark motm the wildcat parts I I robbers cave ot i wIns Is the famous outlives Missouri which ever since the Civil war has attracted the fag r I of those treasurebunting adventurers attention the traditions of 1 venturers who love hiliden wealth and who would rather secure 1 of the lost spoils of a bandit much by I gang than to earn ten times as tall nle of honest some prosaic process There has not been found In the Ozark j I country much of the ancient Spanards j I legendary silver and the whilom aub terrrincan lairs oC robber bands have i thus far failed to yield an adequate reward I re-ward to the searchers who persist In exploring them But these tales of mines that once glittered to the greedy I gaze of early explorers and of warwon booty never enjoyed by roving freelancers I free-lancers refuae lo leave the romantic habitat of southwest Missouri a region that is as full ot charm as it Is laden l with legend and tradition The robbers cave as it has been 1 called for thirty years was one of the hibernating bear dens Into which the j bold nlmrods of the pioneer days were wont to crawl In search of the shaggy j I beast and many desperate encounters I took place In its dark chambers when the dauntless frontiersmen attacked the slcaplng game with the hunting knife The cave has a small outlet near the bao of the mountain and the game would sometimes escape through i this when the hole was not guarded But It was during the war that the cave acquired most fame It became the hiding place of the various guerillla bands that made southwest Missouri thclr field of operations The mouth of the cavern Is so large that a small troop = I ot bandits could had shelter under the granite root of this secluded retreat and at that time tile country was wild and but sparscl settled CONCEALMENT OF THE BOOTY Toward the close of the war a band I of Confederate guerrillas passed southward south-ward near Springfield hotly put sued by i a troop of Union cavalry The fugitives fugi-tives had robbed a bank in cmtral Missouri Mis-souri and were trying to escape with the booty The chase had been a long one and the horses of both parties wero almost exhausted When the pursuing squadron reached Yoachum pond about thirty miles south of SprinKlleld they wore only a few hours behind the guerrillas guer-rillas but the hoises of the Union troopers could not continue the chase A company of mounted militia happened hap-pened to be camped at the pond and these men took up the trail of the bandits and followed it down Into the Bear creek country The guerrillas took advantage of the big bear cave where they had It Is said frequently taken refuge and here the mlltla besieged them The guerrillas finding that they were in a trap attempted to break out and made a sortie In force The fight that followed Was a desperate one and there were few survivors in either band when the smoke of battle cleared away The gueibilla leader fell mortally mor-tally wounded and was taken to Springfield along with several other prisoners Ills mother was summoned by telegraph to come to him and almost al-most a week later she arrived The wounded man was fast sinking and as sonn as his mother reached his bedside bed-side he told her he had some important Information to impart and begged her lo write as he dictated Dr Cheno worth an army surgeon was attending attend-ing the wounded prisoner and he heard the conversation between the dying guerrilla and his mother Tla young raider told his mother about the fight at the cave said that a rich treasure In gold and silver was buried In the cave and gave her minute directions how to find the money The woman wrote the directions on slips torn from the surgeons prescription book there being no other paper at baud Thei were marks on the trees at the mouth of the cave and signs cut on the rocks thatthe prisoner had bis mother note SEARCH OF A YOUNG BROTHER The guerrilla died and his mother went back home Dr Cheneworth kept time story of the treasure in his mind and determined to go to the cave and search for the money but sudden changes In the fortunes of war took him away from Springfield and he went East and finally about the close of the war settled In Boston Shortly afterward the mother of the guerrilla uhleflnn died and left the story of the treasure cave and written directions to find the burled money as a legacy to her younger sons Several years after the stick of the Confederate rocket struck the earth behind the hills of Appomattox one of these sons heard of Dr Oheneworths presence in Boston and went to see him He showed the doctor the writ wealth ami ten account of the hidden remembered time the exarmy surgeon story wfll and recognized the leaves from his old prescription book The two men agreed to go to the cave and hunt for the treasure and to share equnlly the wealth found VI hen the time agreed upon for the start to the cave came the doctor could not be found The brother of the guerrilla guer-rilla at once suspected his partner had played him false and he act out alone of time for southwest Missouri in quest cav He wont down on Beaver cieck the cast of Forsyth and inquired for cave lie stopped at Alec Klsseei the nabob of Taney county and made known the object of his visit Kisseo knew all the caves In the county and told the stranger there was no such cavern on Beaver creek The cave sought must be the noted Stone county coun-ty bear den The treasure hunter was directed to the Bear creek country Here he found an old settler by the name of Wealhcnnan who had In years gone by killed many bears In the cave He krew of the fight of the guerrillas and mllltla at the cave but bad not heard oC the hidden wealth WHO COT THIS MONEY The stranger was eager to get at the cave and candid in telling his story He would divide any treasure found with u guide who would show him the The old bear luuUer doubted cave the truthfulness ot the treasure tale but cheerfully agreed to conduct the adventurer to llu cave It was nearly dark bv i the time the stranger had told and he his story to Weatherman yet could hardly be persuaded to wait till morning before setting out for the goal or his Journey Early next morning they started out and by ii oclock were In the gloomy entrance of the cavivn Thoy found all I the marks and signs indicated In the I dying guerrillas memorandum took measures as directed and finally came to a place where an excavation had 1 been made It was evident that other i searchers had anticipated them After I a little futile search the young man and Weatherman went to the house of I a settler noar bv and there learned that a party of strangers had vIMted 1 I the cave some weeks before but as they inndc their explorations at night ho could not say hat they had done mini whether they had found anything The young mnn believed that tIme doctor doc-tor had given him the slip and had made a search for time treasure Tho money might have been found TIme amount of the treasure was supposed sup-posed to have been about 100000 Since the story of the cave treasure became have ft common rumor many persona hunted for time money and the settler who lives near the cave has earned many a welcome dollar In lodging and boarding adventurers who have sought shelter at his house while searching for the guerrillas booty Kansas City M1imes S |