Local News
Texas Veteran Finds Hidden Historic Treasure in Antique Dresser
When Emil Knodell of Bellville, Texas, went to an estate sale to look for an antique, he was just happy to have found a chest with three drawers and a marble top to put in his dining room. However, he wasn’t expecting what he found in the secret bottom drawer after purchasing it.
For only $100, Knodell was satisfied with his antique find since he collects as a hobby. When he asked for help to lift it into his trunk and the bottom started rattling, he knew he was onto something. While there are three obvious drawers in the chest, there is a secret fourth drawer that was filled with historic treasures.
Inside of the drawer, as reported by ABC News, Knodell and Jeff Allen, who works for Premiere Estate Sales Network, found “currency, jewelry with emeralds and diamond, a lock of hair, military dog tags, and even Civil War memorabilia.” Apparently the dresser was over 100 years old, dating back to around 1890.
However, Knodell knew the right thing would be to return those priceless items to the rightful owner. The two men, both Knodell and Allen, immediately thought to call the owner. As Knodell put it, he’s “an old ex-Marine and [he tries] to do the right thing…I bought the chest drawers. I didn’t buy those things. If I kept them, I would never feel right about it.”
The items were returned to the son of the man who passed, and recalled seeing the dresser in his grandparent’s home in Michigan. However, even he had no idea what was hidden in those drawers.
