Research - Where to begin?

quasifun

Greenie
Jan 30, 2007
10
0
Mead OK
Hi,
I’ve been coin-shooting around a local lake for years using a Garret 2500. I bumped into a friend I used to work with who has taken up MDing also.
We sat and talked for a couple hours and found some interesting leads, common to both of us.
His Dad said his grandfather (yeah, I know) knew where a stage coach (?) robbery took place. We talked for a while longer and I realized the property he was talking about was my friends’ families! The story he was telling was one that I had overheard personally years ago.
Both stories combined (without too much detail), a stage-coach (or other robbery) took place. The robbers buried the stash in place and went home a ½ mile or so. Investigation was done, nothing surfaced.
After I moved back into the area (30 year absence), I went looking for old friends. As I drove up, my friend was carrying his “cheapie”. I showed him mine. We talked.
My side of the story, which I had overheard personally as a kid, grandpa said “ If you ever need money dig here”. The here is a generic term, like “at the base of the biggest tree”, on about 300 wooded acres. They had apparently looked for years without finding it.The family said the granddad was “off”. It’s kind of interesting they had a Radio Shack “cheapie” hanging around.
After we talked for a while my friend decided to change subjects. I pressed on to no avail. A couple years passed and while looking for a deer, he broached the subject again, spit out a few more details.
The money had just left the fort across the way on buddy #3 land. When it got jumped by a number of unsavory types, including two grandpas and their friends. Everyone has died except one old timer who told me personally the money is there. He drinks better than me so that all I could get out of him.
Anyway, two people have told me personally that the money is there, the land is owned by a friend, and is accessible.
My real question is (not concerning this case) if a person has scant evidence as above, where would a person start looking for clues? Using the above example:
1. Where would I find proof that the robbery occurred?
2. How would you research the landowners?
3. The fort mentioned is REAL AND UNDESCOVERED. It is thought to be another fort some-ways off. I have been to both sites. The mistaken fort has wrongful evidence that the second fort was there. How would a person break this to the world and still get credit or monetary gain from the info? I’m not talking about looting an item of historical significance.
4. How would a person gain access to such things as the Pinkerton Database?
5. If a person found something and wanted to sell it, where would one go? Ebay is obvious. Anywhere else?
6. How do you get a person to talk short of sodium penathol?

Details I for got to mention:
A head was found years later (1940s?) in the creek on the property. How to colaborate?
The money was Confederate/Union. Don't know if cash or other.
Took place in Indian Territory. Few records available.
 

Jeffro

Silver Member
Dec 6, 2005
4,095
143
Eugene, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Fisher CZ5, White's GM VSat
Historical societies, your library for the local newspaper on microfische, insurance companies (somebody paid a claim on this missing money maybe?), the stage company records, county recorders office, farmers grange, etc.

There aren't many shortcuts for doing research. Just one clue leads to another and many many questions to the wrong people before the find someone who has that lead to the next.... document everything and eventually the story will come to light. May take years, given the scant clues you have to work with.

Start with what you have. Names of people? Name of the stage line? What year (about)? Start with the factual info you have, discard the fluff.
 

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