STORY: A hunter of Forrest Fenn’s treasure is arrested in Santa Fe
But what IS the Fenn Treasure?!
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 10: Anglo Saxon silver pennies are displayed at The British Museum on February 10, 2015 in London, England. Rare coins and other finds are being shown as the Treasure Annual Report 2012 is launched. Under the Treasure Act 1996 there is a legal obligation for finders to report what they find to the state. The silver Anglo Saxon coin hoard containing around 5,200 items was discovered in Lenborough, England in December 2014. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Peter Macdiarmid / StaffIn one of our favorite Bizarre File stories of the day, we learned that treasure hunting can unfortunately also lead to criminal activity:
A Pennsylvania man learned that the hard way when, according to a police report, a lawman, Fenn and one of his daughters armed themselves to confront the intruder as he tried to haul away a chest Friday evening from a guest house at the east-side property belonging to the noted antiquities dealer, collector and author.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/hunter-of-forrest-fenn-s-treasure-is-arrested-in-santa/article_e33f51b0-68d9-59f3-ac78-bd13e655c9f5.html
But what really grabbed our attention is the story of the Fenn Treasure itself. So what IS the Fenn Treasure?! The short story: it's a treasure reportedly worth over a million dollars, and now approaching an approximate value of $10 MILLION, supposedly hidden somewhere in the American west by art dealer and author Forrest Fenn.
According to this article on Vox.com:
In 1988, Forrest Fenn was diagnosed with cancer. There's a lot of back story in between 1988 and present-day, but sometime around 2010, "Fenn decided it was time to cement his legacy". He drove somewhere into the Rocky Mountains, and hid a treasure chest. In a memoir, "The Thrill of the Chase", he revealed the treasure to the public and offered a 24-line poem containing nine ambiguous clues leading to its precise location.
THIS is that poem:
As I have gone alone in there
And with my treasures bold,
I can keep my secret where,
And hint of riches new and old.
Begin it where warm waters halt
And take it in the canyon down,
Not far, but too far to walk.
Put in below the home of Brown.
From there it’s no place for the meek,
The end is ever drawing nigh;
There’ll be no paddle up your creek,
Just heavy loads and water high.
If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,
Look quickly down, your quest to cease,
But tarry scant with marvel gaze,
Just take the chest and go in peace.
So why is it that I must go
And leave my trove for all to seek?
The answers I already know,
I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.
So hear me all and listen good,
Your effort will be worth the cold.
If you are brave and in the wood
I give you title to the gold.
This is a pretty comprehensive video, also from Vox, and you can certainly learn more by watching this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4ahNpQLgdk
