Mr E M Moyle, proprietor of the Angel Inn, Tiverton, received correspondence from a prisoner in Spain with regards to ‘buried treasure’. The treasure was said to buried along the road leading from Loxbeare to Tiverton and consisted of a wooden chest containing a mix of Spanish notes and gold, amounting to the equivalent of £34,000. The prisoner, who went by the name of Manuel Ramos, declared himself to be a political prisoner, who had gone to England to buy weapons for the Spanish ‘Republican Committee’. While here he was declared a wanted man, so buried the chest near to Tiverton on the Loxbeare road to return for collection at a safer date. He returned to Spain and was arrested and jailed.
Now he would like to send his daughter to England to retrieve the treasure and as she has no connections there, would the proprietor of the Angel be so kind as to meet her when she arrived and take her to the deposition site. As payment he would receive a fair share of the treasure. Unfortunately, due to financial problems the daughter could not afford the cost of travel to England, and therefore if Mr Moyles sent the cost of travel (in £notes) to a contact in Madrid, the daughter would then be able to travel and then give payment as promised.
Mr Moyles was immediately suspicious as the initial contact was addressed to the former proprietor, Mr W C Reed, who by now had been deceased for some time. An extensive correspondence between Messrs Moyles and Ramos developed, with Mr Moyles calling out the many inconsistencies in Ramos’ tale. Each returning letter from Ramos would contain more elaborate stories to explain these inconsistencies, along with increased levels of frustration. Eventually a solicitor was informed who then contacted the Spanish Consul General in London, who in return replied it was one of ‘numerous attempts to swindle persons in the country’.
Written by Museum Volunteer Kim
Source: Devon & Somerset News. Thursday 19th October 1893.