The Fortune That Was Lost in Sun River

(Published in the Hysham Echo November 25, 1925 & September 6, 2013)

There are many mysteries in connection with the early days of Montana which have never been solved but one of the most puzzling of these was the strange disappearance of $100,000 worth of currency which, early in ‘70s was lost in the freshet of Sun River.

In recent years there has been but one man who could talk freely on the matter. He could tell a good deal of the event, and as far as is known he was the last man who ever admitted seeing the specie. This man, John King, was in his time, one of the picturesque characters of the little town of Utica, Fergus county, and he spent many years in that part of the west which is now called Montana.

In the early days, preceding the discovery of gold in Montana’s valleys and along the many mountain streams, he was a trapper in the employ of the Hudson’s Bay company, and he lived with the Indians. He was a hunter and trapper perforce, a shrewd dealer with the different Indian tribes, and a valued employe of his company. For years King followed this occupation, and when most of the beaver and other small fur-bearing animals were either trapped or driven out of the country he became a buffalo hunter. Then, when the buffalo began to disappear from the plains, he turned “mule skinner” on the Fort Benton road. This occupation he followed until the advent of the railroad.

When the “iron horse” lowered the curtain on Missouri river steamboat traffic, King tried stage driving for awhile, but this profession soon became curtailed in its activities, and in the later years of his life, he was content with the odd jobs which his hand and mind were able to locate and which his physical man was able to preform. He was, in spite of all, a pleasant old man, loyal to his friends and always evincing the spirit he learned on the plains of helping his needy neighbor. He was scrupulously honest, and of this trait in his character, the following little narrative deals.

Long Time Between Pay Days

It was in the ‘70s, at the time when the government maintained troops at the various military posts of Montana, including Fort Benton, Fort Shaw, Fort Peck, Fort Belknap and others, in the northern part of the state.

King was freighting that summer, driving a 10-horse team, and carrying supplies between Forts Benton and Shaw. None of the troops in Northern Montana had been paid in several months, and a “kick” long and loud went up from the officers and the enlisted men. This general complaint proved of some avail, and after the unwinding of considerable red tape it was decided to send nearly $100,000 in cash to Fort Shaw. This was sent by mail and was to be distributed from Fort Shaw to the several posts of Northern Montana. The money reached Helena safely and from that point it was placed on a coach which would eventually take it to its destination - provided everything as planned “carried out.”

How Money Was Lost

It so happened in this particular case, though, that even the elements seemed to have conspired to keep the money from the soldiers. When the coach reached Sun River Crossing, a spring freshet had filled the river from bank to bank. The driver who was an old timer at the business, went on the theory that the United States mail must go through at all hazard, and he promptly forced the horses into the swollen stream. About midway of the channel a deep hole was encountered, the coach was capsized and soon the driver and his passengers were swimming for their lives. All got ashore safely but the horses were drowned and all of the mail, including the registered pouch containing the currency was lost.

Although a determined effort was made to recover the currency, it was not found. Nearly every soldier from Fort Shaw patrolled the banks for many days, but in vain. It was reported to Washington as being irretrievably lost by the postal officials of Northern Montana. That, for the time being, at least, seemed to be the end of the matter. It was the general opinion that the pouch had been carried down stream, and that it had become sodden and sank to the muddy bottom of Sun River. Some evinced the belief that it was carried down to the Missouri. These theories, though, proved wrong. Some months later while King was on one of his monthly trips, he camped one night on Sun River some distance below the regular crossing, and while prospecting about the banks of the stream, he noticed something lodged in the willows on the opposite side of the stream, that resembled a piece of tanned leather. In those days, leather strings were always handy to have in one’s possession, and King saw an opportunity to replenish his scanty stock. Without more ado, he removed his clothing and floundered through the water, soon reaching the pouch.

He examined it carefully for a few minutes, and found that it was locked and quite evidently filled with mailmatter, but he wanted the leather and he did not care much about the nature of the contents. Consequently he returned with his find to the other side of the river and donned his clothing. Then he secured his knife and in less time than it takes to tell it, he had ripped the pouch from top to bottom. It was indeed a surprise to the old-timer when his rash act revealed package after package of greenbacks, many of the bills being of very large denomination.

For a few minutes King was petrified with astonishment, which was followed by fear. He realized it was a serious offense to maltreat a United States mail bag, and for awhile the vision of a yawning penitentiary haunted him. There was a fortune before his very eyes but he dared not to touch a cent of it for fear of serious trouble. For a time he studied his predicament, and finally his natural honesty asserted itself. Without even trying to count the packages to ascertain the value of his find, he closed his knife, and, gathering up the pouch, made his way to Sun River Crossing.

At the stage station there, he employed another driver to take his freight outfit to its destination. He borrowed a saddle horse and lost no time in covering the distance to Helena. Here he told his story to those whom he believed to be in authority. Whether or not his tale reached the proper parties, was never learned, as King did not know just to whom he should unfold the tale of his great find.

With the understanding that he was to be held blameless in the matter of slitting open the registered mail pouch, King was induced to describe minutely the location of this cache. Then he was advised to flee across the line into Canada and remain there until the special agent of the postal department, who had the matter of the missing pouch in charge, would have an opportunity to investigate the matter and square things for him. He at once sold his freighting outfit for what he could get for it and went to Canada. It is supposed that the men to whom King imparted his information, found the money; but, it is stated that there is nothing on record in Washington to show that it was returned to the government.

It is supposed that King’s story was not imparted to the proper authorities, an that the parties who had thus procured the location of the cache, went on the theory that the money had been reported as irretrievably lost to the department.

It would have been folly, they evidently thought, to bring to light a matter which had become so nearly forgotten, so, it is stated, the money went into private circulation, and not into the coffers of the government postoffice treasury.

King was safe in Canada, held by the fear of a serious penalty if he returned, and those to whom he had told his story, realizing his ignorance of the law at that time, were confident he would not return for a long time. They further, doubtless, felt that few would believe the almost impossible story of his finding the money on the river bank and then caching and abandoning it.

It was many months before the soldiers of Northern Montana’s posts drew their long delayed pay. The postal authorities made an investigation, and then the war department took a hand in the matter. It was finally determined that the money was forever lost and a second appropriation was made from the war department and the men were paid. This time, the pay roll was accompanied by a regular army paymaster, and the funds were securely stored in a steel safe, and guarded by a file of soldiers from the time they left the government depositary until the cash was in the hands of the troopers at the forts.

King, obsessed with the idea that he had violated the postal laws and was a fugitive from justice, remained in Canada for more than a year. He then returned to his old haunts and took up his life where he had left it off. He was laughed at by those cronies to whom he told his story. It was not long, though, until he learned that the money had not been returned to the government. Print this post