Citizens were deeply concerned about the presence of gangs of bandits in the state and the demand for law and order was sounded. Jan. 1970: 31+. This is reputed to be Bass's Cove Hollow in Denton, TX However, Ware is credited with killing Seaborn Barnes (Ibid.). So finish that cup of coffee, put on your pants, turn your brain on and get to work. Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved. New clues to the $60,000 in newly minted gold coins from the train robbery that Sam Bass buried just before he died in a bank hold up in Round rock Texas. No great effort was made to pursue the fleeing bandits due to the fear that Bass was supported by an army of outlaws who would seize on any pursuers. The maps stated that the location of Bass' treasure was in a hollow tree on what is now called Sam Bass Road, roughly two miles west of Round Rock. It is entirely likely that there were several treasures, likely buried in several different areas. Ferris Texas. Some say the treasure was found by a Mexican laborer, hired by a local rancher to cut fence posts on Packsaddle Mountain. He dismounted, stood there a moment, and with an anguished look, flung a clod upon the grave (Reed and Tate 231).. 2. He also found work as a freighter where he ended up falling in with the wrong crowd and by 1877 he found himself involved with one of the biggest train robberies in railroading history. The legend of Sam Bass has grown way out of proportion in relation to his actual deeds. Secret map to the famous outlaw Sam Bass hideout and treasure. During the gun fight it has been said that there were two men firing at the gang as they attempted to flee. Glenmoril Wyrd Treasure Map: Daggerfall. The hunt revolves aroundlocal trivia about Denton's most notorious outlaw, Sam Bass. Bass and his gang made off with about $60,000, which included a large number of gold coins, during the robbery. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. However, Frank did not abandon his friend but camped nearby him (Reed and Tate 222). Walking up to the bandits who were purchasing tobacco in the store, Grimes asked Sam, Do you have a pistol? to which Sam is said to have answered yes or Ill let you have it (Smith 35). After discussion, the gang decided that the robbery would occur at 3:30 P.M. on Saturday July 20 (Smith 35). Creation Information Creator: Unknown. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Back in Round Rock, Jim Murphy went into New Town and identified the body of Seaborn Barnes. 1878 was a time of political ill-ease in the State of Texas. Ranger Ware claimed that he later saw him in the Arizona State Prison, using the name of Downing (Centennial Commission). The end result would be the death and capture of Sam and the renewed faith and financial support for the Rangers (Centennial Commission). Returning with supplies, they were unable to locate the spot where they had buried the treasure. The Shoal Creek treasure may be gone, but plenty of others lie beneath the surface of the Hill Country. Ranger Harold and a local citizen named Conner shot at the gang with rifles. Texas Sam Bass Treasure NEW CLUES to the Gold Secret map to the famous outlaw Sam Bass hideout and treasure. About the Authors: Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of travel writers and guidebook authors based in the Texas Hill Country. He had told his buddy to continue the retreat without him. The robbers quickly went for their horses hoping to escape. Major Jones questioned Bass but was unable to get any useful information about the other members of his gang. Personal interview, October 28, 1991. Some treasure hunters believe that Sam Bass treasure is now within a State Park, which unfortunately makes it off limits to metal detecting. Creation Date: Unknown. The legend began several years after Bass' death, when maps leading to the alleged treasure appeared. Amazing Story of Sam Bass And Hidden Treasure West of Prairie Dell Told in Detail. Temple News. Another pair, composed of James Berry and Nixon, was split up and Berry was captured; Nixon, it is assumed, escaped with his share to Canada. ), and other accounts say that he became a prosperous West Texas rancher (Round Rock Remembers). Still others claim that he lived out his life on a ranch in New Mexico (Webb Century of Frontier Defense 390). They wound up in Nebraska, sold the herd, and attempted then failed at prospecting in the Black Hills. The Williamson County Sun reported that after the bandits picked up their things at their camp, they turned up Georgetown Road, present day Chisholm Trail Road, passing a Mrs. Tisdales place; they then turned down a lane headed towards the woods. Copyright 2023 Provident Metals Corp. All Rights Reserved. This statement caused the Rangers to assume that Dick Ware was the one who had administered the fatal blow. Bass did confess that if I killed him [in reference to Deputy Grimes], he is the first man I ever killed. On Sunday, July 21, 1878, the doctor told Sam that it would not be long; Sam supposedly said, Let me go, and a few minutes later opened his eyes and exclaimed, The world is bobbing around me and then died at 3:58 on his twenty-seventh birthday (Smith 35). Legendary outlaw Sam Bass is said to have buried his bounty from stagecoach, train and bank robberies near Round Rock. Reckon you got what it takes to solve the mystery to #GetSamsGold? In April, there was a gunfire scuffle and Sam was struck in his cartridge belt and his rifle stock, but he escaped without a scratch. Learn how your comment data is processed. DIME FEATURED MAKER: CARRIE CRUMBLEY OF RESOYCLED , DO THE DENTON HOLIDAY LIGHTING FESTIVAL LIKE A PRO, THE MANY FACES OF DENTON'S FINE ARTS THEATER. Part of the confusion over who actually shot Bass stems from the fear of the Rangers and Round Rock citizens. Sam Bass Treasure Following a train robbery outside of Big Springs, Nebraska, Sam Bass and other outlaws got away with 3,000 twenty-dollar gold pieces, along with jewelry and money taken from the passengers. Seeking immunity, and with an interest in collecting the reward money, Jim agreed to rejoin the Bass Gang and betray Sam to the Rangers (Ibid. You can imagine someone responding to the statement, I am from Round Rock with Oh, the place where Sam Bass was killed.. The bandits boarded and used violence against anyone who tried to stop them. While getting away, Bass was shot again in the back. Cove Hollow outside Sanger, caves at Pilot Knob,near Grapevine Lake, and Dentons Crosstimbers thickets have long been rumored locations. Snavely of Taylor, who had hunted treasure for 60 years, found a ruby arrowhead weighing 15 karats, along with many other gemstones. He was then shot in the chest, the bullet piercing his lung, and was forced to discontinue the chase (Webb Century of Frontier Defense 386). In association with Jack Davis and another man known as Nixon, they held up seven stages over the next few months (Ibid. Please know we do not sell your information to third parties as Big Tech sites do. Before long, one of the privates had killed the other. Working on the banks of Shoal Creek, a crew of eight men worked on a forty foot tunnel for over eight months. The Story of the Texas Rangers. The cave entrance is on the foreground in the left. Sam and Jack Davis rode south in a one horse buggy and made their way back to Denton. When will you folks be re-stocking the prospector rounds? It was at this position that he became acquainted with the country and learned all the trails, back roads and thickets that he would later use to elude the Texas Rangers (Webb Story of the Texas Rangers 104). Sam became infamous, however, when his gang robbed a Union Pacific train of $60,000 in $20 double-eagle gold coins during an 1876 heist thats almost $1.3 million in todays dollars, and still today the single largest UP train heist ever! I'm Looking to link up with people who have an interest in looking for the "Sam Bass Treasure" or have info on the "Sam Bass Treasure" not much info out on it. The two arrived in Denton, and Sam found employment with Sheriff W. F. Dad Eagan (who would later spend much effort searching for the outlaw Bass) (Webb Century of Frontier Defense 371-372). Additional information about the apprehension of Sam Bass is provided in the brochure Sam Bass and the Great Round Rock Shootout of July 19, 1878 originally produced by the Chamber of Commerce and distributed at the annual shootout reenactment during Frontier Days. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Together they decided to run a herd of cattle to the northern markets. Bass made plans to rob the Williamson County Bank in Round Rock, Texas. When Sam Bass, the Notorious Texas Bandit Was Killed, by Capt. I received a letter from Sam that she had a treasure map - said it could be a prank. In a desperate attempt to flush the gang out, the Rangers conducted a sweep of all residents suspected of harboring the bandits. Reed, Paula and Grover Ted Tate. Required fields are marked *. Paris Permenter and John Bigley, submitted 2006. Think you can find some of the legendary hidden booty? Supposedly, it still lies buried beneath the dirt. For the events during and after the shootout, all of the stories have been gathered for the reader to examine; thus, throughout the narrative, differing views are presented. Originally printed in the El Paso Herald. Dentons second courthouse, rebuilt in 1876 after the first was allegedly burned to the ground by Sam Bass neer-do-well pal Henry Underwood. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. But well get to that a little later in this tale. He ran to the street, his face still lathered, and for a time, single-handedly fought the fleeing bandits (When Sam Bass). Cove Hollow is on private land in Cooke county. This plan was axed due to the summer heat and the inability to locate ice in which to pack his body (Centennial Commission). One of the most common tales is of a loot hid in an old tree by the outlaw. All the rancher found was a cave, and a piece of canvas sack with U.S. imprinted on it. Sam Bass was a notorious train robber born in Indiana in 1851. Joel Collins and his partner were shot and killed a week later. Lost Treasure of John Singer on Padre Island. It is believed that he went to Denton for a few days (Ibid. Nathan Smith thinks hes found a sunken ship just north of Corpus Christi, according to OnlyInYourState.com. Another legend appeared several years after Bass died when maps leading to alleged treasures began to surface. Thats not the cave at Cove Hollow. Thank you very much and God BlessAmerica, Jack & Dodie Dennis, Click Here For Top 10 Most Popular Articles. Westernlore Press, Tucson, Arizona: 1988. When the procession passed the house of J. W. Ledbetter, a Methodist Minister, he joined in and conducted a Christian funeral ceremony for Sam (Carmack 1B). The bandits boarded and used violence against anyone who tried to stop them. The bandits hitched their horses in the alley north of Georgetown Avenue at the corner of Lampasas. The Rangers, under the direction of Captain Lee Hall, were able to take the gang by surprise while they were resting at Jim Murphys house. Or email jackdennistexas@yahoo.com with your name (pin name, handle, alter ego) with Subscribe in the Reference Title. The whereabouts of the loot is said to be in a hollow tree on what is now Sam Bass Road located about two miles west of Round Rock. Sam was found still alive the next day, forced to stop due to his injuries. Llano County is home to other buried treasure sites, including $60,000 in gold and silver coins buried by Sam Bass near the community of Castell in the western part of the county. A man in soiled clothes quickly throws another shovelful of dirt over his shoulder. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; The basic storyline remains; the differing accounts are offered to allow the reader to appreciate the full extent of the legends and lore that have grown up around Sam Bass. Williamson County Deputy Sheriff Caige Grimes was waiting and watching a ways off. Bass was in Round Rock making plans for a bank robbery. Is there treasure on the Denton Square? Murphy telegraphed the plan to officials causing Texas Rangers to be dispatched to Round Rock to apprehend the robbers. Required fields are marked *. Carmack, George. Why would anyone wear camouflage while metal detecting? Of course the truth was that the actual Sam Bass Gang at this point was composed of only four individuals, one of whom was now dead and another having deserted the gang. This resulted in the arrests of both Jim Murphy and his father Henderson. One of the more popular legends of Bass hidden loot is that it is hidden in an old tree by the outlaw himself. Physical Description 1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 7 in. Williamson County Sun Publishers, Georgetown, Texas: 1973. "Oil workers actually picked up readings that metal was to be found at the bottom of the lake. The tale started many years following the death of Bass. He died on his 27th birthday, two days after he was shot and just eight years after he initially arrived in Texas. At the point of Seaborns death and Sams wounding, many witnesses attributed a great deal of gallantry to the young (only twenty years old) Frank Jackson. This concern resulted in political action. They uncovered $60,000 worth of freshly minted $20 gold coins from the San Francisco Mint. When Major Jones learned of Basss capture, he contacted the Attorney General in Austin, who then notified the State Democratic Convention that was meeting at the time (DiGesualdo and Thompson 114). Sam was shot through the hand and then shot in the chest. May the odds be ever in your favor. They give me a little kickback to help support my channel plus the Kellyco girls really know the different detectors and how to use them. After four days, Sam and Jack Davis split from the other men and rode back to Denton (Centennial Commission). It was decided to bury him in the Round Rock Cemetery. Where there had once been a metal containerand possibly a treasurethere was only a rust-lined hole. I'm in SE Texas, welcome to the hunt for treasure! Welcome to the forum from the mountains of northeastern Oregon! I went to the area and found nothing. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Since it is hard to imagine that Sam could have used up all of his gold before he started train robbing again, it lends credence to the story that Sam robbed for sport more than for profit. I found this and wanted to share. May 8, 1976: 1B+. Paris and John run Doggone Texas an online guide to dog-friendly travel in the Lone Star State. This websites also uses 'cookies' to give you the most relevant experience while browsing. T.J. and Camera-Girl go Northwest of Dallas, Texas in search of Sam Bass treasure. Bass explained to the questioning Rangers that his wounds had forced him to stop near the spot he was currently at last night. The Freedman Town southwest of the Denton Square pretty quickly circulated rumors that Sam Bass ghostwas haunting the dirt roads at night atop his Denton Mare in search of his hidden gold, and other locals reported that Sams partner,Frank Jackson, had escaped the Round Rock shootout to return to Denton briefly. Your email address will not be published. Read on to get started One of our favorite local legends is the story of Dentons Robinhood Sam Bass and the infamous fate of his boyhood pardna,Judas Jim Murphy.