Longest Time-Delayed Prank in History
A funny link
by John Hargrave | 10/06/2009 03:18 PM | 6059 views
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Talk about a prank from beyond the grave.
Earlier this year, Illinois resident Patty Henken thought she had found the key to buried treasure. After buying an antique wicker chair at a local auction, she found a mysterious piece of paper hidden inside the cushion. "Finders Keepers!" was typed on the front.
Inside, she found a key. A typewritten message explained that the key would unlock a lead chest filled with gold pieces, worth about $15,000 at today's market value. The message also gave an exact street address where the chest was buried: 1028 N. Fifth Ave., Springfield, Illinois.
The note also had instructions to notify the local newspaper if the treasure was found. It was cryptically signed, "Chauncy Wolcott."
Thrilled with her discovery, as anyone would be, Henken and her husband drove to the spot. There was no longer a house at that address, just a vacant lot, owned by the house next door. Henken cut a deal with the owner of the property: he'd let her dig for treasure, provided he got a cut.
For the next week, Henken rented an assortment of heavy machinery, metal detectors, and excavation equipment, tearing up the yard while the neighbors watched. The local paper mentioned in the note, the State Journal-Register, wrote a piece about the mystery, trying to locate the enigmatic "Chauncy Wolcott" without success.
That article was seen, however, by a woman named Betty Atkinson Ryan, who had once worked for a notorious prankster named Jay Slaven. A classified ad manager for the State Journal-Register, Slaven was also known as a joke writer who would often sign his jokes "Chauncy Wolcott." Ryan contacted the paper, saying, "When I saw that name, I am sure Jay had something to do with the treasure hunt."
Jay Slaven: mad pranking genius.
One of the most interesting pieces of evidence is that Slaven lived in the house next door to that address. This has got to be one of the best time-delayed pranks of all time. Could it be that Slaven didn't get along with the neighbors, and planted this prank to annoy them in the future -- never suspecting it would be discovered 50 years later?
Or maybe the real prankster was someone else. The entire story sounds like something a struggling local newspaper might cook up to boost circulation -- the State Journal-Register is at the center of the hoax, and their articles on this story have now been read millions of times.
On the other hand, Slaven was an avid coin collector, and may have indeed buried the coins. Most press reports are now claiming it was a prank, but the truth is that nobody knows for sure. The mystery deepens -- just like the huge, gaping hole in that yard.
Original story here.
Follow up story here.
Discuss.
And now the link:
http://www.sj-r.com/bakke/x593064925/Dave-Bakke-Author-of-treasure-note-known-as-practical-joker
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Like This? Rate It!
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Hilarious
8 votes
4.3
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Funny
1 votes
3.0
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PorterHouse Steak
10/06/2009 03:24 PM
John, How long is your prank (to keep ZUG Frosted up so no one can find the live page going to last? That might end up being the longest prank!
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Funny
6 votes
3.8
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Whistler P. McManus
10/06/2009 05:20 PM
John has not deleted the Live page. It's just restricted now to those who are clever enough to find it, or dumb but beloved enough to be given explicit instructions for getting there.
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0 votes
0.0
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Hydrant-monkey
10/06/2009 05:24 PM
The live page is the new secret Zug page? Sweet! I finally found it!
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0 votes
0.0
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Just Ravos
10/06/2009 05:25 PM
It's really more like a secret handshake for the gabbers. Only official club members can enter.
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Funny
2 votes
3.0
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Just Ravos
10/06/2009 05:26 PM
Plu, this is probably John's dirty secret least profitable area, so he probably wants to hide it to avoid scaring off the people who might buy his viagra.
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Funny
11 votes
3.0
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panicBoy
10/06/2009 07:02 PM
The Bible is a way older prank than this. Just saying.
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0 votes
0.0
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Matheline
10/07/2009 01:30 PM
Well, something happend in his there life, they had something to tell.
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Chuckleworthy
2 votes
2.5
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HalloJeeni
10/19/2009 05:01 AM
Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this golden ticket key!
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Chuckleworthy
3 votes
2.7
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KChiki #668 - Neighbor of the Beast
10/29/2009 03:40 PM
Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this golden ticket nasty corroded brass key!
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Amusing
1 votes
1.0
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TimmyTheTalkingToilet
10/30/2009 04:08 AM
Joke or not, that's pretty damn brilliant.
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0 votes
0.0
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Reverend Dave 'Hell' Rodriguez
10/30/2009 04:45 AM
You know, I can confirm that that really is a true treasure, however, the original owners of the home found it and buried it in their new home. The new address they moved to is one 1011 Clinton St Plano, TX 75075.
The treasure was never re-dug up, and the current home owner would be more than happy to let you have it if you stop by and dig it up.
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Funny
2 votes
3.5
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8th Anniversary Jeeni
10/31/2009 02:27 AM
That's one way to get a foundation dug for free.
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