A Wells Fargo Stagecoach was
held up and robbed between Virginia City, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada.
The stagecoach driver, William Manners and the guard, Mike O' Fallon were nervous
while driving the stagecoach along the 13 mile trail to the Carson City
Mint. They pulled into the only stop between the two cities, which was the
small town of Empire, Nevada. The two men started to relax. Carson
City was only a mile away and they could see the Mint in the distance.
If bandits were going to strike they would have done so in the previous 12-mile
stretch. |
As the stagecoach pulled out of
Empire four bandits jumped up and held up the stagecoach. The four
bandits took the strongbox and the jewels of the passengers and took off on foot.
The strongbox weighed about 300 pounds. Mike and William rushed
to Carson City and had a posse out within half an hour. |
Carson City Mint |
The posse soon caught up with the four
bandits and there was a shootout. After the shootout only one bandit was
left alive and his name was Manuel Gonzales. The big mystery was that the
gold was missing. The Wells Fargo agents, local townspeople and law enforcement
tried to question Manuel, but he refused to give up the location of the
gold. Manuel Gonzales was sentenced to twenty years at the Nevada Territorial Prison. Gonzales was a model prisoner and after eight years he was released. Manuel Gonzales died shortly |
Nevada State Prision as it looks today |
after his release. He was never able to retrieve his stolen loot. Prisoners
say that Manuel Gonzales often talked of his treasure and said that he could
see the burial site from his Prison Cell Window. |
Episode #5 Hosted By: Joanna Skye Produced By: Nathan Cutietta Directed By: Jesse Russell Brooks Length: 23min. Price: Not Available |
Small mound that is close to the Prison |
Sources Jameson, W. Buried Treasures of the Rocky Mountain West: August House Publishers, 1993 Penrose, M. Pots o' Gold: 1935 Conrotto, E. Lost Gold and Silver Mines of the Southwest: Dover Publications, 1963 Kintop, Jeffrey M. Personal Communication, July 17, 2002 Budge, Michael J. Personal Communication, July 18, 2002 Photography courtesy of the Nevada State Museum |
Many people in the town have heard of
this robbery and almost everyone has a belief on the where abouts of the
treasure. Current Nevada State Prison Warden, Michael J. Budge says that
a couple of his guards still go looking for this treasure on the weekends.
State Archives Manager, Jeffrey M. Kintop does not believe in the treasure story
but says that many people come in and ask questions about the famous robbery.
Jeffrey also says that most treasure hunters believe that the treasure
is located on a small mound very close to the Nevada State Prison. |
