Jesse James Treasures: Do They Likely Still Exist?

[Kace]

Our local newspaper in Bowling Green, KY had an article last year sometime where a land owner in Russellville, Ky. found a stone with the initials "JJ" carved into it and he was going to use his metal detector to try to find the stashed loot that he thinks that stone pointed to. Never read any follow up story about this but, I do not get the paper and only read it online once in a while so I could have missed it if there was one. Jessie always said he never robbed this bank but a local historian says it was the James Gang for sure, but no one knows if Jessie was with the gang for this robbery or not. The loot has never been found. I think it was divided up and spent but, that is just a guess.

Bill

Here is a link to that article. I finally found it again: Rock might be link to 1868 bank heist | News | bgdailynews.com

Thanks Bill...That was very interesting, but it cut off and wanted payment! lol...If you have a subscription or the hard copy can you paste it here?

I'd love to hear if he found anything.

Thanks Again For Sharing That!
Kace

 

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[KentuckyIron998]

Supposedly after that he went to Lebanon to see some family maybe that’s where it went
the law was always hot on his trail in Kentucky it would seem to me a smart idea to ditch the money and get it later

 

[ECS]

...

I Don't BUY Into Sensationalized Stories Without Researching Them...That's True...

So don't tell me I think everything is fake, I don't. And don't ever say I wasted anyone's time. Anyone who wants to can read Dogs link and what I found.

You were rude to Dog,Dit,SD, ECS and now Me...

This does seem to be a pattern that has crossed over from the Beale threads, Kace.

 

[franklin]

Whew lay off on the personal crap. Just post facts or rumors of facts not anything about a poster?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Post by TreasureNet rules, treat members with respect or don't post at all. Applies to all.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Kace]

Whew lay off on the personal crap. Just post facts or rumors of facts not anything about a poster?

I'm assuming you are directing that comment to Rebel...So if I'm right Thank You

 

[franklin]

No that was to you Kace!

 

[PirateLabs]

Thanks Bill...That was very interesting, but it cut off and wanted payment! lol...If you have a subscription or the hard copy can you paste it here?

I'd love to hear if he found anything.

Thanks Again For Sharing That!
Kace

No, no subscription needed. All I needed to do was to hit the "X" and close that dialog box. I do not pay anything and everyone is allowed to access for free 5 times/month and it keeps tracks of your isp. Let me know if you can't read it and I can just copy and paste the words here.

Bill

 

[PirateLabs]

Here is the article copied and pasted form my link. Of course, you do not get to see the photo that appeared with the article. You need to use the link for that.

"Exactly 145 years after a Russellville bank robbery that Jesse James' gang is thought to have participated in, a Logan County man believes a rock on his property etched with the initials "J.J." could have been carved by James or one of his gang members – although he doubts the rock marks the spot of buried loot.

Danny Crabtree has lived on the property for five years, but it wasn't until about a month ago, when he was out playing with his dog, that an interesting carving on a rock stood out to him.

"I looked down and said, 'That looks like J.J.' But then I forgot about it," he said.

Later, Crabtree searched online to see if the initials J.J. on a rock could have meaning.

"Every Google hit was Jesse James," he said.

A light bulb went off in his head, and he's spent a lot of time since then researching James and the bank robbery in Russellville on March 20, 1868. Local legend suggests James' gang robbed the bank, although there is some argument whether James himself took part in the heist.

In an 1875 letter James purportedly wrote to a Nashville newspaper, James denied any involvement in the Russellville bank robbery and, in a postscript, he asked the publisher to mail a copy of the newspaper with his printed letter to his mother in Missouri.

"I've had my nose stuck in research since I found this," Crabtree said. For the first few days after his discovery, "I could hardly sleep, I was so excited."

It's a fact that James was frequently in Logan County, hunting and visiting his relatives, the Hite family of Adairville, according to Evelyn Richardson, a lifelong Logan County resident who gives walking tours of Russellville.

"We know that he was in Logan County a lot," she said.

What's unclear is whether James was involved in the 1868 robbery of Nimrod Long Banking Co.

"It's a known fact that the Jesse James gang robbed the bank, but it's unknown if he himself was with them," Richardson said.

The group of robbers stole $9,000 in cash and $5,000 in coins, she said.

"In today's money, it wouldn't seem like very much," Richardson said.

It's unknown what route the robbers took out of Russellville, and the money was never recovered, she said.

Crabtree didn't know much about James or the robbery until he found the "J.J." initials in the rock, but now he's intrigued by the story.

"It's a cool thought that Jesse James might have been here," he said.

His hobby is searching for artifacts with a metal detector, and he's found several old silver coins in his yard, although so far, nothing has dated to the 1860s. Still, Crabtree couldn't help speculating that the initials on the rock could indicate James buried the money from the robbery nearby.

Though Richardson believes it's possible the money was buried, if it was, the criminals almost certainly retrieved it, she said.

"I can imagine them spending it," she said.

Crabtree agrees that in all likelihood, the treasure is not there.

"I'm thinking it's gone," he said. "If it was here, he came back and got it."

In any case, he'll continue combing his property with a metal detector, because even if he doesn't find the money, he might discover other interesting artifacts.

"Every time you get a good hit from one of these things, you never know what you're going to get," Crabtree said.

He wants to search privately and doesn't want people offering to help.

"I don't need any help looking," he said. "This is my treasure hunt."

The initials on the rock are more than enough to keep Crabtree fascinated, even without finding any treasure.

"If it is his initials, then that's history," he said. "The rock is the coolest thing in the world and that's a treasure. Anything else is a bonus."

He's also excited by another set of initials in the rock, though they are harder to spot. When shadows hit the rock, a carving that looks like "A.M." is visible, which could stand for Arthur McCoy, who was known to work with James and is thought to have been part of the 1868 robbery.

"If there is an 'A.M.,' that would validate it," Crabtree said.

Authenticating the two sets of initials is his main task. A geologist who has seen a picture of the rock indicated the carvings could be as old as 145 years, but Crabtree wants to have an expert come in person and determine once and for all if the "J.J." is Jesse James.

"I want to find something here that proves that it is or that it ain't," he said."

The above was copied and pasted from the link I posted from the Daily News.

Bill

 

[Ditlihi]

Here is the article copied and pasted form my link. Of course, you do not get to see the photo that appeared with the article. You need to use the link for that.

"Exactly 145 years after a Russellville bank robbery that Jesse James' gang is thought to have participated in, a Logan County man believes a rock on his property etched with the initials "J.J." could have been carved by James or one of his gang members – although he doubts the rock marks the spot of buried loot.

Danny Crabtree has lived on the property for five years, but it wasn't until about a month ago, when he was out playing with his dog, that an interesting carving on a rock stood out to him.

"I looked down and said, 'That looks like J.J.' But then I forgot about it," he said.

Later, Crabtree searched online to see if the initials J.J. on a rock could have meaning.

"Every Google hit was Jesse James," he said.

A light bulb went off in his head, and he's spent a lot of time since then researching James and the bank robbery in Russellville on March 20, 1868. Local legend suggests James' gang robbed the bank, although there is some argument whether James himself took part in the heist.

In an 1875 letter James purportedly wrote to a Nashville newspaper, James denied any involvement in the Russellville bank robbery and, in a postscript, he asked the publisher to mail a copy of the newspaper with his printed letter to his mother in Missouri.

"I've had my nose stuck in research since I found this," Crabtree said. For the first few days after his discovery, "I could hardly sleep, I was so excited."

It's a fact that James was frequently in Logan County, hunting and visiting his relatives, the Hite family of Adairville, according to Evelyn Richardson, a lifelong Logan County resident who gives walking tours of Russellville.

"We know that he was in Logan County a lot," she said.

What's unclear is whether James was involved in the 1868 robbery of Nimrod Long Banking Co.

"It's a known fact that the Jesse James gang robbed the bank, but it's unknown if he himself was with them," Richardson said.

The group of robbers stole $9,000 in cash and $5,000 in coins, she said.

"In today's money, it wouldn't seem like very much," Richardson said.

It's unknown what route the robbers took out of Russellville, and the money was never recovered, she said.

Crabtree didn't know much about James or the robbery until he found the "J.J." initials in the rock, but now he's intrigued by the story.

"It's a cool thought that Jesse James might have been here," he said.

His hobby is searching for artifacts with a metal detector, and he's found several old silver coins in his yard, although so far, nothing has dated to the 1860s. Still, Crabtree couldn't help speculating that the initials on the rock could indicate James buried the money from the robbery nearby.

Though Richardson believes it's possible the money was buried, if it was, the criminals almost certainly retrieved it, she said.

"I can imagine them spending it," she said.

Crabtree agrees that in all likelihood, the treasure is not there.

"I'm thinking it's gone," he said. "If it was here, he came back and got it."

In any case, he'll continue combing his property with a metal detector, because even if he doesn't find the money, he might discover other interesting artifacts.

"Every time you get a good hit from one of these things, you never know what you're going to get," Crabtree said.

He wants to search privately and doesn't want people offering to help.

"I don't need any help looking," he said. "This is my treasure hunt."

The initials on the rock are more than enough to keep Crabtree fascinated, even without finding any treasure.

"If it is his initials, then that's history," he said. "The rock is the coolest thing in the world and that's a treasure. Anything else is a bonus."

He's also excited by another set of initials in the rock, though they are harder to spot. When shadows hit the rock, a carving that looks like "A.M." is visible, which could stand for Arthur McCoy, who was known to work with James and is thought to have been part of the 1868 robbery.

"If there is an 'A.M.,' that would validate it," Crabtree said.

Authenticating the two sets of initials is his main task. A geologist who has seen a picture of the rock indicated the carvings could be as old as 145 years, but Crabtree wants to have an expert come in person and determine once and for all if the "J.J." is Jesse James.

"I want to find something here that proves that it is or that it ain't," he said."

The above was copied and pasted from the link I posted from the Daily News.

Bill

Very nice, thank you Bill.

I found some very interesting information on Arthur McCoy on this link....

Arthur McCoy and the James Gang ? Deb Houdek Rule

-excerpt-

" During the war, McCoy was also connected with, and was a part of, a number of Confederate secret service/Order of American Knights—OAK—operations (OAK replaced the defunct Knights of the Golden Circle in 1863 and was General Price’s secret service organization in connection with numerous actions including several copperhead conspiracies). McCoy went in and out of St. Louis numerous times during the war, carrying thousands of letters in and out (a hanging offense under Federal martial law), and carrying back rifle caps. "

 

[Kace]

Here is the article copied and pasted form my link. Of course, you do not get to see the photo that appeared with the article. You need to use the link for that.

"Exactly 145 years after a Russellville bank robbery that Jesse James' gang is thought to have participated in, a Logan County man believes a rock on his property etched with the initials "J.J." could have been carved by James or one of his gang members – although he doubts the rock marks the spot of buried loot.

Danny Crabtree has lived on the property for five years, but it wasn't until about a month ago, when he was out playing with his dog, that an interesting carving on a rock stood out to him.

"I looked down and said, 'That looks like J.J.' But then I forgot about it," he said.

Later, Crabtree searched online to see if the initials J.J. on a rock could have meaning.

"Every Google hit was Jesse James," he said.

A light bulb went off in his head, and he's spent a lot of time since then researching James and the bank robbery in Russellville on March 20, 1868. Local legend suggests James' gang robbed the bank, although there is some argument whether James himself took part in the heist.

In an 1875 letter James purportedly wrote to a Nashville newspaper, James denied any involvement in the Russellville bank robbery and, in a postscript, he asked the publisher to mail a copy of the newspaper with his printed letter to his mother in Missouri.

"I've had my nose stuck in research since I found this," Crabtree said. For the first few days after his discovery, "I could hardly sleep, I was so excited."

It's a fact that James was frequently in Logan County, hunting and visiting his relatives, the Hite family of Adairville, according to Evelyn Richardson, a lifelong Logan County resident who gives walking tours of Russellville.

"We know that he was in Logan County a lot," she said.

What's unclear is whether James was involved in the 1868 robbery of Nimrod Long Banking Co.

"It's a known fact that the Jesse James gang robbed the bank, but it's unknown if he himself was with them," Richardson said.

The group of robbers stole $9,000 in cash and $5,000 in coins, she said.

"In today's money, it wouldn't seem like very much," Richardson said.

It's unknown what route the robbers took out of Russellville, and the money was never recovered, she said.

Crabtree didn't know much about James or the robbery until he found the "J.J." initials in the rock, but now he's intrigued by the story.

"It's a cool thought that Jesse James might have been here," he said.

His hobby is searching for artifacts with a metal detector, and he's found several old silver coins in his yard, although so far, nothing has dated to the 1860s. Still, Crabtree couldn't help speculating that the initials on the rock could indicate James buried the money from the robbery nearby.

Though Richardson believes it's possible the money was buried, if it was, the criminals almost certainly retrieved it, she said.

"I can imagine them spending it," she said.

Crabtree agrees that in all likelihood, the treasure is not there.

"I'm thinking it's gone," he said. "If it was here, he came back and got it."

In any case, he'll continue combing his property with a metal detector, because even if he doesn't find the money, he might discover other interesting artifacts.

"Every time you get a good hit from one of these things, you never know what you're going to get," Crabtree said.

He wants to search privately and doesn't want people offering to help.

"I don't need any help looking," he said. "This is my treasure hunt."

The initials on the rock are more than enough to keep Crabtree fascinated, even without finding any treasure.

"If it is his initials, then that's history," he said. "The rock is the coolest thing in the world and that's a treasure. Anything else is a bonus."

He's also excited by another set of initials in the rock, though they are harder to spot. When shadows hit the rock, a carving that looks like "A.M." is visible, which could stand for Arthur McCoy, who was known to work with James and is thought to have been part of the 1868 robbery.

"If there is an 'A.M.,' that would validate it," Crabtree said.

Authenticating the two sets of initials is his main task. A geologist who has seen a picture of the rock indicated the carvings could be as old as 145 years, but Crabtree wants to have an expert come in person and determine once and for all if the "J.J." is Jesse James.

"I want to find something here that proves that it is or that it ain't," he said."

The above was copied and pasted from the link I posted from the Daily News.

Bill

THANK YOU BILL!!

That article is Very Informative! I think you are right about moving it, but that would sure be nice if he found something...Getting the rock authenticated even would be Huge!!

I wonder if that's what KentuckyIron was talking about in his post?

Thanks for pasting it here!

Kace

 

[Kace]

Very nice, thank you Bill.

I found some very interesting information on Arthur McCoy on this link....

Arthur McCoy and the James Gang ? Deb Houdek Rule

-excerpt-

" During the war, McCoy was also connected with, and was a part of, a number of Confederate secret service/Order of American Knights—OAK—operations (OAK replaced the defunct Knights of the Golden Circle in 1863 and was General Price’s secret service organization in connection with numerous actions including several copperhead conspiracies). McCoy went in and out of St. Louis numerous times during the war, carrying thousands of letters in and out (a hanging offense under Federal martial law), and carrying back rifle caps. "

Thanks For That Link Dit!!

I've never really heard much about McCoy myself...That was a great article, I'm gonna read it again!

Kace

 

[mdog]

Very nice, thank you Bill.

I found some very interesting information on Arthur McCoy on this link....

Arthur McCoy and the James Gang ? Deb Houdek Rule

-excerpt-

" During the war, McCoy was also connected with, and was a part of, a number of Confederate secret service/Order of American Knights—OAK—operations (OAK replaced the defunct Knights of the Golden Circle in 1863 and was General Price’s secret service organization in connection with numerous actions including several copperhead conspiracies). McCoy went in and out of St. Louis numerous times during the war, carrying thousands of letters in and out (a hanging offense under Federal martial law), and carrying back rifle caps. "

Thanks Ditlihi. If you research the family of McCoy's wife, you might find the Montana/James gang link. Many of the early French families of Missouri were involved in the Missouri River fur trade as well as other enterprises.

 

[Ditlihi]

Thanks Ditlihi. If you research the family of McCoy's wife, you might find the Montana/James gang link. Many of the early French families of Missouri were involved in the Missouri River fur trade as well as other enterprises.

Thank you, Mdog, I will do that! I know that after the disappearance of her husband, Arthur, she remarried after 1880 and lived for a time in Oklahoma Territory before eventually moving to Idaho with her sons, after the death of her second husband. She came from an interesting family, will enjoy researching them as you suggest.

 

[Ditlihi]

Thanks For That Link Dit!!

I've never really heard much about McCoy myself...That was a great article, I'm gonna read it again!

Kace

You will find an interesting take on Arthur McCoy written by a familiar player in the James saga, John Edward Newman, quoted by the same author I linked to earlier here....

Arthur McCoy

 

[Kace]

You will find an interesting take on Arthur McCoy written by a familiar player in the James saga, John Edward Newman, quoted by the same author I linked to earlier here....

Arthur McCoy

THAT Is Very Interesting!! I'll check out anything I can find on his wife too!

Thanks Dit!!

Kace

 

[PirateLabs]

I was able to copy this photo from that local newspaper article...I was not sure if it would let me or not. Anyway, I agree it sort of looks like "J J" but it does not look totally conclusive to my untrained eye. Carving your initials in stone is not easy to do and I would think that if I did 10 stones, all 10 would look a bit, if not a lot, different from each other. I don't think it would be like comparing handwriting samples. But, maybe Jessie really did carve this...who knows?

Bill

Looking closer in the shadow area to the right of the "J"'s it appears there are some other letters which are not being discussed in the article. Might just be cracks though, hard to tell.

 

[PirateLabs]

OK, well I think there are for sure some more letters after the "J"'s. I quickly made a negative of the photo after cropping it a little and played with the contrast and lightness and it really looks to me like more letters are there. What they are, I have no idea.

Bill

 

[Kace]

View attachment 1520039

OK, well I think there are for sure some more letters after the "J"'s. I quickly made a negative of the photo after cropping it a little and played with the contrast and lightness and it really looks to me like more letters are there. What they are, I have no idea.

Bill

I Think those are two J's!....Are you seeing an X after them? Then something to the right attached to the X?

I've only seen a few JJ's in person. In my neck o the woods, it's more like an anchor. Some say back to back J's.

I agree with you on the rock carvings being different each time...Probably would depend on whatever you had on hand to carve with and the type of stone I'd think.

Have you heard whatever happened with Mr Crabtree's search into this? That's very interesting!

Thanks For Posting Those Pics Bill! I like seeing those things!

Kace

 

[PirateLabs]

I Think those are two J's!....Are you seeing an X after them? Then something to the right attached to the X?

I've only seen a few JJ's in person. In my neck o the woods, it's more like an anchor. Some say back to back J's.

I agree with you on the rock carvings being different each time...Probably would depend on whatever you had on hand to carve with and the type of stone I'd think.

Have you heard whatever happened with Mr Crabtree's search into this? That's very interesting!

Thanks For Posting Those Pics Bill! I like seeing those things!

Kace

Kace:

I don't know...I think I can see what looks like a "T" and also maybe an "X" and a "Y". Very hard to tell but it does look like something man made is carved after those "J"'s. I have not seen any follow up reports but, as I mentioned, I don't get the paper, just read it online now and then. It would seem to me if anything interesting had been found, the story would have gotten out by now. Of course, if it were me and I found something I thought might link to some hidden loot, I would NOT call in the local paper to tell everyone about it, ha ha.

Glad you liked it, I find it interesting as well. Russellville, Ky. is about 18 miles to the west of me so, this is pretty local.

Bill