The Treasure of Pedro El Negro Cave

[VernonWalter]

From what I know about the region of Texas where the discussion is taking place, there's not really any "cliff" type faces. I could be wrong, but most of that area is known to be, well, kind of flat I think. Pretty much trees all the way to Louisiana, at least that's what I remember driving through it. Hill Country is further East, overall, I'm thinking.

Looking at the picture, there's little doubt in my mind that the location in frame is *not* the area of Texas being discussed. Frankly, I'm not sure if it could be any place in Texas. With larger stone features comes the more arid West region. Perhaps a Botanist could weigh in on the materials seen, but maybe a South American Anthropologist would be better suited to recognize the type / style / materials of the hut. Looks like bamboo to me, and while that does grow plenty fine in Texas, the scene just feels wrong. Much too "enclosed", but that can be a camera and framing issue I suppose...just get the sensation that they're standing next to a much larger edifice than we might think. That's why I'm pretty certain it's down on that border, if anywhere.

 

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[mdog]

Hello all

Here is a newspaper story from Texas that might clear up the mystery a bit.

View attachment 984159

Amy

Good job Amy.

I'd like to know how you found this article, if you don't mind telling.

I would like to hear more of the story too, if there is more. From what you've written earlier, Pouliet had problems with the authorities because of the railroad easement. Also, do you know what Texas newspaper the article came from?

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Joe: In regards to Follow up story if they recovered any treasure. I have as yet not been able to establish if there was a follow up story.

Rick: Ah! girl power my friend Being a historian archivist I have contacts to various institutions and archives all around the world. The Newspaper I found the story in was called " The Big Spring daily Herald" It was Texas Newspaper date of the edition was 28th September 1932.

The following below if Charles Pouliot Military record joining the Canadian Expeditionary force in WW1. I have a few more records that was not in the collection of documents for sale. These at least establish a better idea of who Charles Pouliot was if anything.



from the documents and Newspaper articles there is several leads to follow up such as his treasure hunting partner mentioned in the above newspaper and the the person the letters was originally sent to, as mentioned in an earlier post. Identity of these people may shake loose more important information?

Vernon: Yes I was mistaken about the location as there are several location with the name River Hondo. I now know the location There are several rivers in Mexico by that name. however the " The Big Spring daily Herald" Gives a big clue to location of which Rio Hondo. Joe was much closer to the mark with his question about a certain mining district.

Don Jose: Excellent bit of detective work identifying this alleged bandit.

Amy

 

[mdog]

Thanks Amy.

Here's a link that seems related.

Travels in Mexico and Life Among the Mexicans - Frederick Albion Ober - Google Books

Sounds like there might have been a town of the same name along the river.

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Hello All

Mdog thanks for the link. The name Hondo is rather deceptive as there are several locations in Mexico with that name.

Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato. This venerable parish church, now the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato, was begun in 1671 and completed in 1696. It is one of the finest examples of seventeenth century mannerist-baroque architecture. In its interior, one can admire the antique figure of the Virgin, patron of Guanajuato, which was a gift from King Charles I and his son, Phillip II of Spain.

It is enticing to think that perhaps there is still a bandit cache of gold and a possible 3 foot statute of the Virgin of Gunajuato stolen in the Mexican revolution of 1810. The current statute was a replacement of the original that was made of solid gold and studded with diamonds that was stolen in 1810.




Did Charles Pouliot find it or the government stopped the excavation because of the cave was underneath the railroad? Questions begs to answered does the railroad exist today?

Amy

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Checking Mexican US border crossing records from 1895 - 1964 for information about people can get valuable information.

Charles Pouliot made at least 4 crossings over the Mexican United States Border. And One sea voyage from Honduras in 1921

Here is an example of one of his crossings in December 1946





Little bits of information pooled together can draw new leads.

Amy

 

[Corporate Investigations]

And of course the following document gives and idea of his earlier movements in 1920.



Clearly we have a man who was actively engaged in various treasure hunting expeditions from the 1920s through to the 1940s. A mining civil engineer that worked in mining and various other projects. The Pedro El Negro story is interesting as the location now establish somewhere in Mexico possibly near Guanajuato. No information at this stage if his project was successful or not? We have some interesting leads. one the name of person Charles Pouliots letters was addressed to?

Mr George E Edwards?

Also Charles Pouliots Texan treasure hunting Business partner S Mike Jarman of Houston Texas.

Another 2 leads is that Charles Pouliots had a wife called Carmen Zorrilga. He also had a Nephew possibly living in Arizona.

Following up on these people could lead to tracking descendants and possible further information relating to the treasure and story?

And it did....

Amy

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Gee and I supposed to be on Holiday

It turns out Mike Jarman was an alias..... He was a slippery character this partner of Charles Pouliot. The Brownsville Herald Newspaper of 14th july 1932



His real name was E W Jarman who was an oil driller. We know this by the following newspaper story years later after WW2. The Alberline reporter 28th March 1948. mike Jarman oilman gives money to an ex Gi living in Waldoff in New York..



The Following Census confirms his Job As A oil driller.



So we know E W Jarman oil Driller alias Mike Jarman was shifty character involved in Scamming investors. Well at least indited. Was the Pedro El Negro story a scam? or was there more to it?

For Charles Pouliot he could not of had a more shady partner.....

To be cont...


Amy

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Gee I really should learn not to read other peoples mail, no matter how old

The Following letters to George E Edwards was a big clue...





This lead me to descendants on the people in Question.

Amy

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI Amy, for fun let's just say that He believed the story of 'Pedro el Negro', enough that he sought help from others, but, since it was just a story, he found nothing and just jumped to another project. Hence the covering story that his tunnel ran under a RR easement and couldnt be dug - how convenient to be able to cover a con game

So he couldn't open an already existing tunnel under the RR tracks because of danger to the tracks ?? kinda hard to believe that.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Big clue ?? speak luv, you have permission

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Old letters are fascinating. I had one from an engr. He recruited several others to work on the Nicaraguan RR, but never were paid, so in desperation, they robbed a train of Gold bars, hid them, then scooted from Nicaragua. Will rack my brain for data of some 70 years ago.

Jose

p.s. yes the gold bars are still hidden in Nicaragua. nd NO, none of them were ever caught.

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Hello Don Jose

Quite possible that it was very convenient outcome of the search.

Here is his alleged site of the entrance. Notice just grass hunt covering the supposed entrance?



Also later his attempt for recovering the treasure on the SS golden gate. By the 1930's there was an estimated 200 thousand dollars worth of treasure left on the ship and yet he and Mike Jarman wanted 200 thousand to recover the treasure? It appear they built a pier out to the wreck. Question how much money did they siphon off?



My interest is to see how George E Edwards Went and was he an investor in this project.

Strange enough I found out more...

Amy

 

[cactusjumper]

Amy,

Funny how the true believers will ignore the shadiest of characters involved in their favorite treasure story. Just because someone sells phony cancer cures to desperate old folks, and then finds crosses in the mountains, is no reason to doubt their authenticity.

Take care,

Joe

 

[Corporate Investigations]

Amy,

Funny how the true believers will ignore the shadiest of characters involved in their favorite treasure story. Just because someone sells phony cancer cures to desperate old folks, and then finds crosses in the mountains, is no reason to doubt their authenticity.

Take care,

Joe

It is all too easy to become obsessed with a pre-determined view on such treasure legends. Many treasure stories will be nothing but urban legend that evolve through our love of telling stories and other will always be a mystery with some having more of a grain truth behind them. However knowing the truth behind such legends require careful unbiased research of what verifiable facts there is connected to them. Failure to do so will give you a life of going around in circles drowning oneself in innuendo and unfounded rumors mistaken as fact.

It is ironic that perhaps a long lost scam from the 1930's by some obscure con artist still today 84 years later could reek havoc with those who become obsessed with such legends.No doubt the buyer of those documents have sneaked off thinking they have key to fabulous treasure and once again the scam so long forgotten works it evil magic.

There is still a little more of the story to tell as no doubt some of more experienced treasure hunters will understand the lure of such stories.

Amy

 

[Corporate Investigations]

It seems the treasure story of the Pedro El Negro treasure cave Charles Pouliot sent to George Edward Edwards did not have much impact on his life if we look at the following Census.



He was listed as a manager and he was 57 years old at the time living with his wife Edna and mother in law. His wife and mother in law had died by about 1940. Later in life he served WW2 in the occupying force in Japan. he had a doughtier called Helen who had two grandsons they were as well a George inducted into the group Sons of the revolution in 1963. There is no record of him ever going to Mexico or any involvement in Charles Pouliots treasure hunt. Even tho the letters was addressed to him he never took the bait.

So the mystery of the people connected to this mysterious treasure story is just about answered,

The most telling thing of all is the alleged gold statue of our Lady of Guanajuato stolen from the church. There is no evidence to support the claim that that statue was taken from the church. In 1843 book about history of revolution In 1810, after being discovered, Queretaro conspirators chose to take up arms on September 16 in the company of peasants and indigenous inhabitants of the town of Dolores (Guanajuato), called by the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.. Hidalgo used an Icon of our lady of Guanajuato as a standard. There is no mention of the church being looted?

Perhaps that was most revealing fact of all , that bust this mysterious of treasure legends.



Amy

 

[Crow]

Ah corp sadly that the way some legends go. Some ay win some ya lose..........

Nothing ventured nothing gained...

Crow

 

[Flipp13]

There was a Rio Hondo in central Louisiana which was the eastern most boundary of the "Neutral Strip".The area dividing Spain from the United States from 1805-1821. Hope this may help ⚜