The Devil’s Tombstone Treasure Hunt: Six Questions with John Parslow Jr

EDIT: Devil’s Tombstone Treasure Hunt FOUND 1/26 – Six Q with finders

A Treasure valued at approx. $1500 is waiting to be found in The Devil’s Tombstone Treasure Hunt! Clues are within the book – The Devil’s Tombstone (Available on Amazon).

I had the pleasure of chatting with John Parslow Jr. – the creator of the hunt – a few days ago. In this Six Questions interview, John shares his inspiration, hints about the search area, and his thoughts on one of New York’s most enduring mysteries — the Dutch Schultz Treasure. Enjoy!

Six Questions with John:

1Q) I always like to ask creators of a hunt what inspired them. Have you worked on other hunts and wanted to do the same, or what was the key factor in deciding to include a hunt in your book? How can someone get involved?

I have always loved puzzles and history, so combining them was easy. In the 90’s there were a couple of treasure hunts based around the Rip van Winkle story and then a second about the native Americans and the gold here in the Northern Catskills. My Inspiration for the Devil’s Tombstone Treasure came from my love of the local history and the excitement of exploring the area and the treasure I have hidden. My Wife Patti and I have found many “Treasures” over the years metal detecting and as an amateur rockhounds. We have included some unpublished goodies in the Treasure box both monetary and Mineral.

2Q) What is the approx. value of the treasure? What is one of your favorite items included in the hidden cache?

The value of the actual treasure in the box is approximately $1500 between the collectible coins the copper and silver and the perk that is included in the box as a redemption token.

3Q) Are the clues only in the poem or are they sprinkled throughout the book? Is the treasure hidden somewhere in the Catskills – or do you narrow down the search area more?

Without pinpointing it, I will give one clue here that is not in the book to narrow it down a bit.The Treasure box will be found if you draw a Triangle with the three points being Phoenicia, Tannersville and Hunter mountain ski bowl. That is your search area, if you read the poem carefully and follow the myths and legends, it will be in plain sight. You cannot see it from any road but also not too far in the woods. The clues are all in the poem and little crumbs throughout the book.

4Q) Do the clues take you to an exact location? How much of the puzzle can be solved from home?

The puzzle will get you within a mile of the Treasure box but you have to be boots on the ground to find it. The scenery is beutiful and the experience in this area is breathtaking. I will say that there is not alot of climbing or dangerous areas where the box will be. Anyone can find it , that has a degree of mobility and good health. I want to also say, that there is no need to dig, cross any deep water, always watch your surroundings as there are potentially dangerous wildlife in the area including ticks. So dress appropriately for the season and be aware of your surroundings.

5Q) Is any specialized knowledge or equipment needed to find the treasure? Is the treasure hidden near a trail or will a searcher need to worry about getting lost?

All you need is my book and a good walking stick… no specialized equipment is needed. You can get lost if you go off trails in the Catskill Forest preserve, stay close to the trails as the box is only a few yards off trail in a flat area.

6Q) Have you searched for the Dutch Schultz Treasure? What are your thoughts about this lost treasure? Do you think it is out there to find?

My Wife and I have searched for the Dutch Schultz Treasure, found some interesting clues but no buried safe yet. With the sordid history of the area with Mob figures like Schults and “Legs” Diamond, we believe it is out there.

The Devil’s Tombstone (available on Amazon)