- 8 hours ago
Josh Gates journeys across the American Midwest in search of the legendary golden loot of Jesse James. Along the way, Josh debunks Jesse James myths, rappels off a cliff on Wichita Mt., and treasure hunts into Buzzards Roost.
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00:00A hundred and forty years ago, outlaw Jesse James was at the peak of his powers, terrorizing
00:26bank tellers, train conductors, and stealing from unsuspecting victims across the rugged
00:31plains of the Midwest.
00:34Legend has it, one particular golden treasure is still waiting to be recovered.
00:40And I'm hot on the trail of newly found evidence.
00:42Looking for symbols in here.
00:44Look at this.
00:45What do you got?
00:46I don't know.
00:47Seriously, what the is this?
00:50It's a bar.
00:52A bar of what?
00:53My name is Josh Gates, with a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration.
01:06I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations.
01:09There has got to be a better way to make a living.
01:13My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends
01:17in history.
01:18We're good to fly.
01:19Let's go.
01:20The next copy of it is Expedition Unknown.
01:25When I say the name Jesse James what's the very first image that comes to mind?
01:33A sympathetic Robin Hood?
01:36Maybe a cold-blooded killer?
01:38Brad Pitt?
01:40Brad Pitt.
01:41Well, one title is undeniable.
01:44Robber.
01:46The year is 1875.
01:48Jesse James and his gang are riding south of the border where they ambush a detail of Mexican guardsmen,
01:54transporting 18 boroughs saddled with millions of dollars worth of gold bullion.
01:59They lead the mules over the Rio Grande and into Texas and the lawless territories beyond.
02:05But when they finally reach the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma, a fierce winter blizzard stops them in their tracks.
02:14James decides to bury the stolen treasure and then leaves two clues to help him return to the site.
02:20First, he nails a borough shoe to a nearby cottonwood tree.
02:24Then, he unloads six rounds from his revolver into a second tree.
02:28In seven years, James will be assassinated by a member of his own gang.
02:38The gold unclaimed, its location lost to history.
02:42It's a great story, but is it true?
02:45Shockingly, new breaks in the case have many convinced that the treasure is not only real, but on the cusp of being discovered.
02:52Recently, a couple in Northern California found $11 million worth of gold coins buried in their own backyard.
03:00New evidence suggests the loot is connected to James, and one expert claims he has the proof where the rest is buried.
03:07And just recently, new technology has decoded a cryptic treasure map that may lead high-tech hunters straight to the riches.
03:15My goal? To separate fact from fantasy.
03:18To do that, I'll try to understand something of the nature of this American outlaw by walking a mile in the boots of Jesse James.
03:35Wheels down Kansas City, Missouri. Not Missouri, as I've been mispronouncing it for the last three decades.
03:41In the early 1800s, this was one of the most bitterly divided states on the issue of slavery.
03:50Within its simmering borders were Northern sympathizers, Southern-aligned slaveholders like the Jesse James family,
03:56and along the Western edge, the undefined territories of the West.
04:02This was the edge of America, and a violent and chaotic nursery for a boy named Jesse James.
04:07Today, Kansas City is the heart of the American Midwest, famous for its signature jazz and blues, ornate fountains, 212 and counting, and some of the best barbecue on the planet.
04:24And since it's never advisable to treasure hunt on an empty stomach, I'm stopping off for a quick bite to eat at a joint that's got my name written all over it.
04:32For the next hour, I'm just going to sit here and eat this plate of ribs. That's the whole show.
04:43Having had my first taste of Kansas City, it's clear that I'm a little out of place in my safari duds.
04:50So, before I split town to go treasure hunting, I'm stopping by a local Western store to gear up for the wild ride ahead.
05:03Understated? Subtle?
05:09Judging by some of the items for sale, it's hard to know whether Jesse James is a reviled villain or an Old West rock star.
05:16Down to business. If I'm going to get inside the mind of Jesse James, I'm going to have to dress the part.
05:22I think this is as close to the Old West as I'm going to get. What do you want? I'm from Boston.
05:43Driving on a freeway, freewheeling all night long.
05:54To track James and his buried treasure, I'm first heading 25 miles northeast to Kearney, Missouri, where, amidst the rolling hills, still stands a small farmhouse where an American icon was born.
06:05I'm meeting with Mark Lee Gardner, historian and author of several best-selling books on Jesse James.
06:14Hey, welcome to the James Farm.
06:15Thank you so much. So, this is it?
06:17Yes, this is it. Let's go in.
06:18Are you kidding me? I can't wait to see it.
06:21This is where little baby Jesse James came into the world. I'm sure he was cute at first.
06:26But something drove him to a life of crime.
06:32You know, I'm trying to understand the man. What do you think really shaped him from an early age?
06:37Sure. Well, he loses his father at the age of three. His father goes off to the gold fields of California, dies of a disease there.
06:44That makes a single mom. She's strongly Southern partisan. She's a slave owner, and she had a dramatic influence, I think, on his personality and his beliefs.
06:52He also has his older brother, Frank. Frank is the first one to go off and fight in the Civil War.
06:58Jesse was 14 years old when the nation exploded into Civil War.
07:03Here in divided Missouri, the fighting was literally farm against farm, and the James were passionate Confederates.
07:10Jesse, as a teenager, he sees his stepfather strung up to a tree near the house here.
07:15Not only does he see that, but these soldiers also whip Jesse brutally, trying to get him to tell information on his own brother.
07:23His entire life, in a way, is based on revenge and getting back at what was taken from him or what was done to him and his family.
07:30So when you really look at this farmhouse and what happened here and the way he was raised, it starts to feel like there isn't a lot of choice for him.
07:37No.
07:40We're obviously interested in this idea that Jesse and his gang buried treasure in the hills of Oklahoma.
07:44Right.
07:46There's many versions of that story, and there's many different accounts that they did that.
07:51Do you think there's gold up in their hills, as it were?
07:54There's lots of legends out there, but it doesn't seem logical.
07:57You know, is this something that could have happened?
07:59Or is there an associate that's credible with Jesse that you can trace that story to?
08:03And if they are, well, then, you know, maybe you've got something.
08:10Since there aren't many authoritative accounts of the robbery, before I go looking for the treasure, I'll need to test the individual elements of the story to see if they stand up to closer scrutiny.
08:21I'm going to start with the purported clues left behind by James to mark the location of the treasure.
08:27To do that, I'm heading to a shooting range named after who else?
08:30According to the legend, James shot six rounds from his Schofield revolver into a cottonwood tree to mark the location of the buried gold.
08:38I'm going to find out if that's a clue worth following with the help of a group of Old West gun experts.
08:45Hello.
08:47Hello.
08:48Nice to meet you guys. I have to ask about the wardrobe.
08:51Well, in trying to keep with the spirit of the game, we all kind of dress the period.
08:55I just picked up the hat and shirt, but I now feel totally outdone.
08:59You are dressed kind of funny.
09:01I do have boots. Is that helping?
09:02That's better.
09:03All right. That's buying me a little bit of leeway here.
09:06Well, you know, I'm obviously interested in Jesse James.
09:10This is a guy who's really become an American icon.
09:14What do you think it is about James that fascinates people, you know, 150 years later?
09:18I think the whole Robin Hood mythology, robbing from the wealthy and giving back to the people who'd been put upon here on the border.
09:26He was a bank robber.
09:27I mean, he did a lot of bad stuff. Yeah. Psychopath.
09:29I mean, there's two people buried just a quarter mile away from my house in a cemetery that he killed the same day.
09:36He was kind of a mixture of the good and the bad.
09:39Yeah.
09:42Even today, people are divided on Jesse's place in history.
09:47Speaking of history, I'm eager to find out if six shots from a 19th century Schofield will leave bullet holes that are clear enough to track 100 years later.
09:57There you go.
09:59So this is the Schofield?
10:00Yes, it is.
10:01We know this model gun was a favorite of James, right?
10:03Yes, yes.
10:04You know, according to this legend, Jesse fired six shots into the side of the cottonwood.
10:10So let's see if this gun and these bolts do any damage to it.
10:18Here we go.
10:34Here we go.
10:35Here we go.
10:36Here we go.
10:37Here we go.
10:38Here we go.
10:39that American outlaw Jesse James emptied six rounds from a Stowfield revolver into a cottonwood
10:44tree to mark the location of stolen Mexican gold. I'm about to do the same and find out if this clue
10:51could lead me to the missing loot. Here we go.
11:09Well it definitely left some marks no question about that but it's not exactly blowing the tree
11:23apart. That's true. It basically absorbs the slug it leaves a small entry hole and that's it. Right
11:29so this could have been a clue I suppose back in the day when he did it it would have been a discreet
11:34clue. I mean you wouldn't have. In a very limited period of time maybe a couple years at most. Right
11:38but a hundred years later not hardly. I now know that James could have shot up the tree as a marker
11:44but it would be so invisible today that I won't be able to rely on finding it.
11:50There's also another part of the legend that's been bugging me and I have a plan to put it to the test.
11:56In the story Jesse and his gang undertake a 700 mile trek from northern Mexico to the mountains
12:01of Oklahoma with 18 mules in tow in just under three months. But is that timeline even
12:08possible? Since Google wasn't much help with how fast do mules with stolen Mexican gold travel,
12:15I tracked down an expert horse wrangler in Springfield, Missouri. A cowboy. Literally. The
12:21man's name is Cowboy. The first step is to pack as much weight on these mules as they can handle.
12:26How we doing cowboy? Oh we're getting there. You got millions of dollars of loot? You bet. I don't have
12:31three months of free time to make the entire trip James did but we should be able to get some data with
12:36just a few mules over a few miles. Okay let's do it. These horses are built to run and it's clear that
12:43James could have made great time if he was riding with just his gang. But as soon as we add the mules
12:49to the experiment it soon becomes painfully obvious who's in charge. The plan is for Cowboy to help me
12:58calculate our average speed. Come on girl. While we lead two mules over terrain similar to what the
13:04James gang traversed. Well the first thing I notice here is only so fast you can really go with these
13:11mules right? I mean you're definitely moving at a slower pace than you would if you were just on
13:16horseback. Yeah they're going to slow you down a little till they get in the rhythm. All right so
13:20we're doing okay in the grass here but how are these mules going to do in water? The water crossing is
13:25probably the biggest danger you've got with them loaded the way they are. If a mule goes down in the
13:31water with you he can't get back up with all that weight on him. Mules are notoriously skittish
13:37around water and as we try to find a safe place to cross the river all hell breaks loose.
13:44Saddle. Saddle.
13:51Hold on you got a mule on high ground here. Yeah. Hold up. Come on. Saddle. Saddle.
14:00Saddle. Boy these mules really don't want to go in the water.
14:02Hey broke free huh? God dang it. We're not making that many miles an hour right now. No. I think we
14:12better take what we can get. That's fine we will. Let's see if I can get over there. We've lost half
14:16our caravan but we'll just have to make do. I have no idea how deep this water is or how the mule is
14:22going to react with all this added weight on its back.
14:32Come on. Push through. Come on.
14:41We got it. Here we go.
14:43Okay. So let's assess here. We're one mule down so we lost some treasure. Yep. He didn't make her.
14:54So based on today Jesse's gang would have averaged how much you think a day?
14:57Probably 10 mile a day on a good day. So they probably had 80 maybe 90 days. Yeah. To cover a
15:04distance of maybe 800 miles or more. Yeah. Sounds about right don't it? It sounds not only possible
15:10it actually kind of lines up. Yeah. So this legend is still viable. I mean at least for now the legend
15:15still sounds possible. Definitely possible. All right well we got a mule to find with a bunch of
15:19stolen treasure on it. Yeah I reckon. Let's get after it. Thanks to Cowboy it's clear that Jesse
15:24could have made it to the Wichita mountains in the time frame laid out in the legend. Our average speed
15:30matches the story almost exactly. So I'm satisfied that this part of the legend may well be fact.
15:36That means that I'm ready for the next phase of my expedition. Treasure hunting.
15:40I'm on the trail of Jesse James buried treasure. Here we go. I feel confident the story is
15:54historically possible which means it's time to start digging for treasure. So at least for now
15:59the legend still sounds possible. Definitely possible. First I'll make my way west on the
16:04mother road historic route 66 and then cruise down into eastern Oklahoma to a spot known as robbers cave.
16:11There I plan to meet with a local treasure hunter.
16:15When I was a young man
16:18My mama said something
16:21Don't let the world beat you down
16:27Drive you to your knees
16:30A lot of planes. A lot of flat beautiful planes. 250 miles of planes later I finally reach robbers cave state park.
16:45It's 8,800 square miles of untouched wilderness. A lot of ground to cover. But I'm trusting my guide. Bud Hardcastle is a hard nosed old school treasure hunter who's been tracking the James Gold for 40 years.
16:59Ok bud. Let's ride. This location is one of the only places mentioned by name in the legend. It's believed that Jesse came here after he buried the money in the Wichita mountains. 200 miles to the west.
17:12But Bud believes he might have brought some of that treasure with him to robbers cave. And he might not be wrong. Years ago 183 gold rings were unearthed near this very spot. Bud believes he's discovered an audio tape that may lead to even more loot.
17:28I'm eager to hear it for myself. But Bud's horse seems to have it out for me.
17:33Nice and easy. Nice and easy.
17:35It slipped me up here. Come on. Easy. Easy. Easy. Easy boy. Easy boy. Easy boy. Nice and slow. Nice and slow.
17:45Look at this place. We went from woods to cliffs.
17:55This is the old rock corral. This is where they kept their horses. And we're going to have to go in on foot from here.
18:02From here on out, I'm actually following in the footsteps of Jesse James. And after a hike into the hills, Bud and I come straight to the lion's den.
18:12Wow, look at this. This is it, huh? This is it. This is where they all hid out. This is robbers cave.
18:21This is a spot that Jesse James might actually have sat in.
18:26They were here. By the time they got into the Wichita Mountains, they were in a blizzard.
18:31So they kicked the money off in a ravine. And then they put part of it in a brass bucket and carved a contract on the bucket.
18:38And it named the people that were with them. And they all were to share in that money. The brass bucket was found, oh, in about 33.
18:47And did they find any money in the bucket? Oh, yeah. Yeah, there was gold coins in it.
18:51The brass bucket was found near the Wichita Mountains by the famous treasure seeker Joe Hunter.
18:56It was a rare, documented discovery that backs up the James legend. Score another point for the story being real.
19:05And then after the blizzard was over, they wound up right here.
19:10James may have brought some of the money with him here to Robbers Cave, but nobody has known where to look. Until now.
19:17Bud claims to have found an audio recording from the 1960s of a treasure hunter who was close to finding part of James' treasure.
19:25Have people heard these tapes before?
19:27Very few people.
19:28Oh, that was $2 million. And they buried the other $2 million.
19:33Talking about burying $2 million.
19:35Go up to the stream, go to the west side. If you leave right where it is, it's all coins as far as I know. $14 million. And the proper time comes, I'll pinpoint it for you.
19:48So these guys are talking about specific amounts of money and specific areas where they're buried.
19:53And you think these tapes are legitimate?
19:55I know it is.
19:57What makes you so sure about it?
19:5940 years of research.
20:01And you think some of it could even be here at Robbers Cave area?
20:03I think it could, yes.
20:05The recording offers us enough clues to hone in on an area sloping down toward the nearby creek.
20:11Bud, what do you got there?
20:16This is a dousing rod.
20:18And how does this guy work?
20:19You load this tube with what you're looking for. In this case, we're looking for gold or silver. If you get over the area where you need to be, this thing will start going around and around.
20:29Huh.
20:30Well, dousing rods have been used by treasure hunters since the 15th century, but there's little, make that no, scientific evidence that they really work.
20:39Do you believe that this works?
20:41I do. I've seen people work it.
20:43All right. Well, let's, it seems like we're kind of onto something here. Let's see where it goes.
20:47All right.
20:48It looks like it's pulling.
20:49Not over towards those big rocks.
20:50All right, let's go.
20:51Well, we're getting a circular motion, Josh. We might be in a good spot.
21:06So you think right here?
21:07Try it.
21:08Okay. Let me get the shovels.
21:10I'm not convinced of the dousing rod, but then again, I'm new to treasure hunting and willing to try anything.
21:16And Bud seems pretty sure we found something. Only one way to find out.
21:22How deep down do you think this stuff could be?
21:26Could be up to 18 feet.
21:29Just keep it up.
21:32Oh, man. There better be a bunch of Mexican gold down here.
21:37Oh, we hit something, Bud.
21:42Well, that sounds good to me.
21:45Lid off a tin can.
21:51Isn't that something? Well, that throwed us on that, didn't it?
21:57Okay. So it's either a can full of gold or it's Jesse James baked beans.
22:02Baked beans. You better fill that hole up.
22:05Okay.
22:06I'm not saying I'm losing faith in this treasure hunt, but I am hoping Bud has some more tricks up his sleeve.
22:15And maybe a metal detector. Or a map. Or even a granola bar.
22:20What are we looking for here, Bud?
22:22I look for symbols.
22:23What kind of symbols? A sign that says treasure buried here?
22:26No.
22:27JJ's, Jesse James, turkey tracks, turtles, Masonic emblems.
22:32Jesse James and other outlaws famously used coded maps and carved symbols to mark the location of their loot.
22:37But finding those symbols 100 years later is a tough challenge.
22:41I don't have much choice but to follow Bud as Bud follows his gut.
22:45Well, we're down to the water line.
22:47Sometimes they're hard to see.
22:49They'd have been a lot plainer 100 years ago.
22:52Josh, you better get over here.
22:54I've hooked up with veteran treasure hunter, Bud Hardcastle, and we're scouring the Oklahoma wilderness near Robbers Cave.
23:10We're looking for clues that may lead us to Jesse James' buried treasure.
23:15Josh, you better get over here.
23:17What do you got, Bud?
23:19Found some carvings.
23:21See this horse's hoof?
23:23Here's a cross.
23:24And here's an arrow.
23:26You're right.
23:27They're carved right in there.
23:28So you think that this indicates that some money was buried or moved in this direction?
23:33No, I don't think it.
23:34I know it.
23:35They wouldn't have put that there for nothing.
23:38I don't know if we're finding treasure, but you're a convincing guy, Bud.
23:42The best way to see them more clearly is to do a pencil rubbing on paper.
23:46Well, Bud, you can't see it all that well in the rock.
23:49When you trace it out, it's really clear.
23:52And there's no question that that's an arrow.
23:54No doubt about that.
23:56I may have my doubts about Bud's old-school approach to treasure hunting, but this is actually a tangible discovery.
24:02Let's get a compass reading and see where this arrow's pointing.
24:05We're talking 52 degrees.
24:07Uh-huh.
24:08All right, well, we're headed upstream, and it looks like the higher ground.
24:11Yes.
24:12All right, come on.
24:13Keeping the river on our left, we head upstream.
24:16I hope we're hot on the Trail of Riches.
24:20Getting older sucks.
24:23Well, you're making it look good.
24:30Well, the weather is not improving, Bud.
24:32No, it's not.
24:33Whoa, whoa, whoa.
24:34Bud, look at this.
24:36I mean, that just goes straight down.
24:43All the way down into that valley.
24:44Look at that.
24:45Where does that go straight down to?
24:47Hopefully to money.
24:52Well, why don't you climb down there and check it out?
24:56I've done enough climbing today.
24:58Well, I'll tell you what.
25:00You want to split up and cover more ground that way.
25:02I'll go down the sheer cliff of death, and you can check out the trails up here.
25:06Sounds good to me.
25:07Sounds like a better deal for you than me.
25:09And if I find any money, you want me to call you.
25:11Okay, well, it's slippery as hell.
25:33Problem is, it's been raining, so this whole rock face is really slippy.
25:40Better be some treasure down here, I'll tell you that.
25:44Bud, you sure you don't want to do this?
25:47Bud?
25:55This whole area is just riddled with all sorts of little ravines down here.
25:58All sorts of little nooks and crannies down here to explore, but they're hard to get to.
26:03Whoa, whoa, whoa.
26:06Whoa.
26:07This is not easy.
26:08This cliff face is super slippery.
26:15Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
26:16Got it.
26:17Whew.
26:18Okay, let's go find some buried treasure.
26:29I'm on my own, and it's not exactly a leisurely stroll, but Bud and those symbols have me believing that a piece of Jesse's treasure could be buried somewhere nearby.
26:50I just need to keep my footing long enough to find them.
26:59Bit of a tight space here.
27:01Trying to find more of these symbols, but other than some grooves and lines here from the wind and water, not much.
27:09Looks like we got some kind of overhang here.
27:16Oh, we got a cave here.
27:17Look at this.
27:20I see some light, so it looks like it might go through.
27:24Let's see what we got.
27:25Definitely goes through.
27:31Looking for symbols in here.
27:34Big crack goes all the way up.
27:36A little stream coming through here.
27:37This would have been another place that would have been a good little hideout.
27:41Definitely a tight squeeze.
27:43Back outside.
27:54I had high hopes for the cave, but after crawling my way back into the light and then searching what feels like half of eastern Oklahoma, I don't come across any additional evidence.
28:03I'm learning that treasure hunting is not exactly a science.
28:06Well, it can be, but it's not easy to explore this whole area without any, you know, modern equipment.
28:12But I got a long hike back up to Bud.
28:15I think we're going to call this one a day.
28:24So far, I haven't found much more than a tin can lid, but I've got a 200-mile drive to cement Oklahoma, where I've got a good lead on the loot.
28:32If there's one thing I've learned about treasure hunting, there's always tomorrow.
29:02No treasure yet, but, you know, days young.
29:06I'm chasing the legend of Jesse James' stolen Mexican gold and headed west to meet up with another treasure hunter who believes he has a critical new clue in the search for the gold.
29:15After several hours of driving past, not much of anything, I pull into the sleepy town of Cement, Oklahoma.
29:28Maybe sleepy isn't the right word.
29:33Haunted?
29:34Cement is almost a ghost town, but it's also ground zero for the legend, perched right next to the Wichita Mountains.
29:41While I wait for the treasure hunter, I decide to mosey on over to the local Jesse James Museum.
29:47Welcome to Cement Museum and Jesse James Visitor Center. For entry, please call Mary Jackson.
30:00Okay.
30:02Sure.
30:03Hello?
30:04Hi.
30:05Is this Mary?
30:06Yes, it is.
30:07Mary, hi.
30:08My name's Josh.
30:09I'm down here at the Jesse James Visitor Center, and I was hoping to check out the museum.
30:14Well, I'll be glad to come down and let you in.
30:15Well, I'll be here waiting, Mary.
30:16Thanks.
30:17Bye-bye.
30:18Okay.
30:19Hope she doesn't live six towns away.
30:21Are you Mary?
30:22I am Mary.
30:23Mary, hello.
30:24Hi.
30:25I'm Josh.
30:26Josh, I'm glad to meet you.
30:27I'm glad to meet you, too.
30:28Thanks for having me.
30:29Well, we're glad to have you.
30:30Please, after you.
30:48I have too many keys.
30:49I'm sure it's on there somewhere.
30:51I'm sure it is.
30:53It's been unlocking the door for quite some time.
30:56There we go.
30:57We got it.
30:58Got it.
30:59Okay, here we go.
31:00Right on in.
31:01Well, I'm going to have a peek around.
31:03Thank you for letting me in.
31:04Sure, go right ahead.
31:05Thank you, dear.
31:08This place is a treasure trove of articles, research, and memorabilia on James.
31:14He may have started off as a Confederate guerrilla fighter, but within a few years, he was a bonafide living legend.
31:19You name it, he robbed it.
31:21He even published letters in the newspaper proclaiming his innocence and his heroism.
31:25You could say he invented the press release, and his ego seemed to grow with every crime.
31:31He was so popular that they had to exhume his bones in 1995 just to prove that the larger-than-life gunslinger was mortal.
31:39But as I peruse the collection, I finally find what I'm looking for.
31:43The best-preserved copy of the text from the brass bucket contract that swore the James gang into secrecy.
31:50It says, uh, we will go to the west side of the catchy hills, which is about 50 yards from X.
31:57Follow the trail line coming through the mountains just east of Lone Hill where we buried Jack.
32:03His grave is east of a rock.
32:05This contract made and entered into this fifth day of March 1876.
32:09This gold shall belong to who signs below.
32:12Signed Jesse James and the rest of the members of the gang.
32:15This is really cool. I mean, this really is a clue to the location of the gold.
32:20We have a symbol that's marked on here as X following a trail line. Mountains are mentioned.
32:25So we have some markers on here that, you know, may actually help decode where this treasure's buried.
32:31Many people believe the riddle on the brass bucket points to Buzzard's roost just outside of cement.
32:37Treasure hunter Jamie Dotson disagrees and has a new lead on a private, unexplored piece of land near the roost that he just got permission to hunt.
32:46In this same area, Jesse's brother Frank dug up a portion of the money in 1907.
32:52Jamie.
32:53Josh.
32:54How are you?
32:55Doing fine. How are you doing?
32:56Good. I'm great, thanks.
32:57Normally, I don't like to talk in the middle of the street, but somehow here in cement, I think we're going to be okay.
33:00That's right. It's lazy town.
33:02I was excited to meet you because you are kind of next generation of treasure hunter here.
33:07And it sounds like you might be onto something, a new spot that you're investigating.
33:11That's right. It's just right across the road from Buzzard's Roost.
33:14It's a spot where Frank James dug up $6,000.
33:17And do you think that that money was part of this Mexican robbery treasure?
33:20It could be. Frank said that Jesse's part of the cash was still there.
33:24And you think there's a chance that we could find it?
33:26There's a very good chance. Frank came back to this area looking for a map.
33:30They said if he could find it, he'd find stacks of gold.
33:33But do you think we might?
33:34We've got the map.
33:37We do?
33:38We have the map.
33:39What is the map?
33:40It's the copper map.
33:41What's the copper map?
33:42What's the story?
33:43All right, well, I'm intrigued.
33:44Let's go check it out.
33:45All right.
33:48A new treasure hunter, a copper map, and an unexplored location?
33:52We might actually be onto something.
33:55But I'm still trying to figure out the code on the brass bucket.
34:02We will go to the west side of the Keechee Hills.
34:05Follow the trail line coming through the mountains just east of Lone Hill where he buried Jack.
34:10Whatever Jesse was talking about, Jamie thinks it points to this patch of land across from Buzzard's Roost.
34:16Okay, so who is Jack?
34:23Jack is not a person.
34:26He's not?
34:27Jack is actually something that was laid out in rocks, the name Jack.
34:31And how do we know that?
34:32I have a photo of it.
34:33Really?
34:34Joe Hunter found it in 1933 looking down from Buzzard's Roost.
34:37Let me see it.
34:38And this is from Buzzard's Roost?
34:41From Buzzard's Roost.
34:42If you look at this corner right here, you'll see Jack laid out.
34:48Look at that, you do.
34:50That's amazing.
34:51It's right on the hillside there.
34:53It says Jack.
34:54Plain as day.
34:55If you look at the angles that the letters were laid out, it'll lead you to this side of the roost.
34:59Jamie, I think you might be onto something here.
35:01So is this the one thing driving you here?
35:04No, the copper map is what brings me here.
35:07What's the copper map?
35:08The copper map is what was found in 1932 by Joe Hunter over on Buzzard's Roost.
35:13Bud told me about Joe Hunter back at Robber's Cave and how he found the brass bucket.
35:18But Hunter also dug up the copper map, and it sounds like Jamie has a pristine copy.
35:23This is the one that Jesse's brother Frank was looking for.
35:26And he said if he could find it, he'd find stacks of gold bars.
35:30And have a lot of folks seen that?
35:32No.
35:33Not very many people have.
35:34And can we take a look at it?
35:36Is that possible?
35:37I don't know if we should show this one on camera.
35:41You want to think about it for a second?
35:43Yeah, let's think about that.
35:46Yeah.
35:47Okay.
35:48Take a second.
35:49Think about it.
35:50Let me know what you want to do.
35:51Last time someone seen it, and then I'm part of it.
35:53I feel like this is not going to go my way.
35:55That wasn't a good deal, because...
35:56Hey, guys.
35:57Sorry not to bust you up.
35:58I have a compromise that has occurred to me.
36:00What if we don't show it to camera?
36:02You can be sure as hell I won't be able to interpret it.
36:04I'm just a dumb TV host.
36:06What if we kind of keep it from the cameras a little bit,
36:08so that the secret doesn't get out?
36:12We'll do that.
36:13Yeah?
36:14Sounds good.
36:15We can do that.
36:16Yeah, you sure?
36:17Appreciate that.
36:19Yeah.
36:20Though we can't show you the map, Jamie and his team believe
36:22that it narrows down their search grid
36:24to less than two square miles,
36:26and we're right at the center.
36:27Now, this is a pretty complicated-looking map.
36:29To me, it looks like chaos.
36:31Map has to be worked in two separate parts,
36:33north and south, south and north.
36:35And that's about all I can go into that.
36:39You guys aren't going to kill me at the end of this, are you?
36:43Look at this.
36:44This is a high-tech operation here.
36:46Jamie and his crew are on the cutting edge
36:48of the Jesse James Gold Rush.
36:50Unleash the beast.
36:51What is this?
36:52This is a metal detector.
36:53It's all electronic.
36:54This one will take you 30 feet deep.
36:56It's not your grandma's coin shooter.
36:58This square is actually the sensor.
37:01This is the...
37:02That's what finds the money.
37:03Is it safe?
37:04Sure.
37:07That's why you're holding it.
37:08Right.
37:09I noticed that you've gotten 10 feet behind us.
37:10And what is this?
37:11A Shonstadt.
37:12A Shonstadt.
37:13That's definitely a made-up word.
37:14What is that?
37:15It finds cast iron.
37:16In the event that the treasure is inside of something.
37:18Like a teapot or something like that.
37:19Yeah.
37:20This is like some 21st century treasure hunting.
37:22Are you ready?
37:23Let's ready.
37:24Let's go.
37:25What do we do?
37:26Walk that way.
37:27All right.
37:28I can do that.
37:31We're just going back and forth in straight lines here.
37:33Yeah.
37:34You have to work it kind of like a grid.
37:36Are you visually seeing data?
37:37Yeah, I'm visually seeing data right now.
37:39And what is that?
37:46It's probably the nails in your boots.
37:49Oh, yeah.
37:52If it's something more substantial, I assume it makes a different noise?
37:54If it's a short one, it's probably your boots.
37:56If it's a really loud one, then we'll guide it.
37:58I'm starting to realize that even with all this fancy equipment, treasure hunting is still a lot of walking.
38:04I can't believe how patient these guys are.
38:06It's basically like mowing along.
38:08How long are we going to be out here doing this?
38:10Do you have a tee up?
38:11Oh, boy.
38:13This is going to be a long day.
38:23Look at this.
38:24What do you got?
38:25I don't know.
38:28It's right in there.
38:29Yeah, it's definitely detecting something.
38:31This thing picks up iron, so it might be just a rock.
38:35Let's get that shovel and try and dig that out, yeah?
38:40Well, now, what if something comes running out here?
38:43Well, wait, what do you mean?
38:45Like what?
38:46I don't know.
38:47Something lives in there.
38:48Give me, like, your top three things that could be living in here.
38:51A snake, pack rat.
38:53What's a pack rat?
38:55That's a real thing?
38:56That's an animal?
38:57Yeah.
38:58I thought that was just a hoarder.
38:59Before I lose a finger to a pack rat, I need to make sure the Shonstadt isn't just picking up the iron in the rocks.
39:06So we're bringing out the big gun and getting into position.
39:10Hey, go back.
39:11Right there.
39:12Something there?
39:13Yeah, check that spot again.
39:14What's it seeing?
39:15Yeah, we got some kind of metal there.
39:17Go again.
39:20There you go.
39:21Got it.
39:22So it's just imaging something down there.
39:28Something kind of elongated.
39:29Yeah.
39:30Holy .
39:31OK, great.
39:32Let's check it out.
39:33Come on.
39:34Here, let's get that shovel.
39:39Wait a minute.
39:40What the hell?
39:44Jamie, get over here.
39:45What you got?
39:46Seriously, what the is this?
39:58I've teamed up with treasure hunter Jamie Dodson to look for Jesse James' buried Mexican gold just west of Buzzard's Roost.
40:05We got a hit on the metal detector, and I can't believe what I just found.
40:10Jamie, get over here.
40:11What you got?
40:12Seriously, what the is this?
40:15It's a bar.
40:17Are you kidding me?
40:18A bar of what?
40:19Silver, maybe?
40:21Are you me?
40:25Jamie, what is this?
40:26Some kind of bar.
40:28It weighs a ton.
40:30Yeah, it's got weight to it, don't it?
40:31It's got some written on it.
40:32Do you have a brush or something?
40:33Some water?
40:34Can you give me water?
40:35Here's some.
40:42Lyman.
40:43Lyman.
40:44What is that?
40:46It's going to be lead.
40:47Yep.
40:48That's a lead bar.
40:51They're a lead manufacturing company?
40:52Yeah, that's what they make bullet castings out of.
40:55What year you think this is?
40:56Man, I don't know.
40:57It could be 100 years old.
40:59That is unbelievable.
41:00It's not Jesse James' treasure, but it's still pretty amazing.
41:04We know your machine works.
41:05Yeah.
41:06For a split second, I thought I was rich.
41:08What's the value of lead these days?
41:11Not enough.
41:12Yeah.
41:13I was so close.
41:14Part of me thought that, just maybe, we hit Jesse James' lost gold.
41:19It's a rush, and now I understand why people like Bud and Jamie spend their lives chasing it.
41:24Is there any doubt in your mind that that treasure's still up here somewhere?
41:27That treasure's still here.
41:29It's just going to take a little more searching to find it.
41:35Too many clues have been discovered over the last century to dismiss the treasure as pure legend.
41:41The brass bucket with the contract.
41:43The cryptic markers.
41:44The copper map.
41:45As for Jesse James, beneath the myth is a man, and perhaps not a very decent one at that.
41:51Though it's easy to say he was a product of his time, his tendencies for brutal violence can't be overlooked.
41:58But the air of mystery surrounding him is undeniable.
42:01I think Jesse's fame endures because we see in him only what we want to see.
42:07A thirst for adventure.
42:09A longing for unfettered freedom.
42:11A desire to right our own destiny.
42:15The evidence suggests that Jesse's gold awaits some bold explorer.
42:20It could be claimed by anyone, and the clues are all around us.
42:24Think you've got what it takes to follow them?
42:27I'd be happy to draw you a map.
42:31A wish.
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