Jason Treadwell

Joe Smith's original occupation among the money-diggers appears to have been that of a "peeper" or "treasure witch." It seems likely that Smith took over those duties for local money-diggers after the predictions and directions of a certain lady named Odle (or O'Dell) proved useless. The financier of the c. 1823-24 money-digging operations in the Great Bend area was Oliver Harper. Harper's eventual partner in the treasure hunting was Josiah Stowell. Either Stowell or Harper (or both together) contracted the services of Joseph Smith, Jr. (as a replacement for the "peeper" O'Dell) some time prior to Harper's death (by murder) in May of 1824. On page 97 of her history, Blackman reports that "Oliver Harper was murdered by Jason Treadwell." On page 325, she says that Treadwell was executed for the murder on January 13, 1825. Some reports say that Treadwell was a member of Harper's money-digging crew and that he and another man were incited to kill Harper after Joseph Smith, Jr. announced that one of the company would have to die before a certain "enchantment" guarding the buried treasure would be lifted. Whether or not these reports have any validity, Oliver Harper's widow continued to maintain a family interest in subsequent money digging operations conducted under the supervision of her husband's partner, Josiah Stowell.

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R. C. Doud said that in 1822 he was employed with thirteen others by Oliver Harper to dig for gold on Joseph McKune's land under Joe Smith's direction and that Joe had begun operations the previous year. The digging was kept up constantly, with seven digging and seven resting (Emily C. Blackman, History of Susquehanna County, 1873, pp. 580-81).

A resident of the area reported that Harper spent on the treasure quest "$2000 [and] he utterly refused to go any further" (Ibid., p. 580)

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"On a wilderness-hill--now a part of Jacob J. Skinner's farm— “peek-stone” discovered a ton of silver bars which had been buried by weary Spaniards as they trudged up the Susquehanna. An expedition for their recovery was undertaken as soon as Smith could muster enough followers to do the work. . . . The third hole had been sunk fifteen out of the necessary twenty feet when the treasure once more jumped to the other side of the big hole. Then the prophet had a vision: the blood of a black sheep must be shed and sprinkled around the diggings. Black sheep were scarce, and while they waited for one, the faithful obtained their needed rest. At length, no black sheep appearing, Joe said that a black dog might answer. A dog, therefore, was killed, and the blood was sprinkled on the ground.

After that the silver never went far away. Still, it waltzed about the big hole in such a lively manner that frequent tunneling to affect its capture availed nothing. At the last, the prophet decided that it was of no use to dig unless one of their number was made a sacrifice. None of the faithful responded to his call, and thus the magnificent scheme was abandoned. Oliver Harper, one of the diggers who furnished the money, was soon afterward murdered. The prophet thought this might answer for a sacrifice: he again rallied the diggers, but the charm remained stubborn and would not reveal the silver" (Lippincott's Magazine, 1880, pp. 199-200).

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By the way, the "peeper" who swindled all of Oliver Harpur's money (and many others’)??? Joseph Smith, the self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the Latter Day Saints and the Mormon Church.

More about peep stones and the practice of peeping.

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In 1823, shortly after the preceding events, at a location across the Susquehanna River from camp, an angel named Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and told him of the existence of an ancient record engraved on plates, buried in a hill near his home. Moroni, referred to as the last ancient record keeper to inscribe his teachings on the plates, appeared to Joseph on a number of occasions between 1823 and 1829, guiding and mentoring Joseph as he obtained the plates and translated them using his seer stone.