Texas Man Accidentally Finds Hidden Treasure In Old Chest From Estate Sale

This U.S. vet bought an antique chest with a marble top from an estate sale after the owner passed away. When the ex-soldier found treasures hidden in a secret compartment, he decided to do what any upstanding military man would do.

Ex-Marine and retired marketing director, Emil Knodell, 69, is fascinated with collecting antiques. So, when he learned of an estate sale of a man who had died in Missouri City, Texas, Knodell went to scoop some treasure.

Upon arriving at the sale, a vintage chest with a marble top, which dated back to around 1890, soon drew his attention and he decided to buy it at a reduced price of $100.

“Because it has a nice marble top, I hope to use it in my dining room,” Knodell from Bellville, Texas, told ABC News.

Knodell heard a rattling sound when the chest was loaded in his car. After further examination, he found a secret compartment, inside which the real treasures were hidden.

“There were rings, diamonds, gold, and all kinds of stuff. It was a real adrenaline rush. Both of us were in shock for a second,” said Jeff Allen, who helped Knodell to load the chest.

Both of them immediately decided to return the treasure back to its owner.

“I bought the chest drawers. I didn’t buy those things. If I kept them, I would never feel right about it. There would be a cloud over the whole thing. It’s a feeling more than anything else,” said Knodell.

“I’m an old ex-Marine and I try to do the right thing. Jeff also, the man in charge, his immediate reaction was, ‘Let’s call the owner.’ There was never a question of anyone keeping it; it was: ‘This is fantastic. Let’s call the owner and get the stuff back to them.’”

They got a hold of the estate owner, the son of the man who died.

“He remembers that dresser in a house in Michigan when he was a little child—in his grandfolks’ house,” Allen said. “And he had no idea there was a hidden compartment.”

This inspiring story takes us back to the good ol’ days when people believed in honesty, honor, and doing the right thing … even when no one is looking over their shoulder. Remember those days?

Photo Credit:YouTube Screenshot | United News International.

Watch the video below!