Alabaster Cross

[S.C.]

A few nights back, I was re-reading through parts of Curt Gentry's "The Killer Mountains." I came across something I had forgotten about for a long time - but something that kind of always intrigued me.

In the book there is a reference to Maria Jones "blowing up" a white alabaster cross that was supposedly on top of Weavers Needle. This was linked as a "clue" to the Lost Jesuit Treasure - or at least "evidence" the Jesuits had been in the mountains.

Is this true? Was there such a cross? Anyone know anything about it?

Sometimes things like that are urban legend - or in this case- "Mountain lore." And are often just perpetuated through time - but in reality have little or no basis in fact.

Said action (blowing up the cross) would have been in the mid to late 1950s during the hey-day of the Piper-Jones feud.

There have been and are all sorts of things on Weavers Needle - including crosses. Some probably were erected AFTER the Piper-Jones Days. But, who is to say that if Jones really blew something up, was it even a "Jesuit" cross. It could have been something so simple as a monument of faith erected in semi-recent times.

[Joe Ribaudo]

S.C.,

It would be hard to believe that she destroyed the cross, without first taking a picture of it.

They were taking plenty of pictures, but I have never seen this one. I really like the stories of artifacts, without evidence which would have been simple to gather.

Anyone seen a picture?

Robert Sikorsky never mentioned the alabaster cross. He also said that Maria never mentioned that she was after Jesuit treasure. Since he was in her camp for awhile, and talked a great deal with her, why no mention of a cross? As I remember, he said she saw people going into and out of Weaver's Needle, something that he and the others in camp were never able to see.

Sincerely,

Joe

[azdave35]

has anyone been able to talk with sikorsky?....i talked with him for about a half hour a few years back...but every time i mentioned the superstitions or his time he spent in there he would change the subject or politely say he didnt want to talk about it....i wonder if anyone has ever gotten him to loosen up

[Wiz]

He's probably been watching this site and doesn't want to get mixed up with the likes of us. And who can blame him, lately?
I've always been fascinated by that story, too, though. A cross on top of the needle! What a thought!

[bill711]

Skorcky said Maria spent alot of time blowing up things and fighting with the Ed, But he never said anything about crosses. I beleive if they found anything their help would have spilled their guts about it. I can,t think of any reason to blow it up, She was being financed by someone so she needed all the evidence she could find.... Bill