During the 1870s, a man named Keoike lived most of the time on the coast at Nukoli‘i, Kaua‘i, about halfway between Hanama‘ulu and Wailua. The rest of the time he lived at Kawailoa, the area of Nukoli‘i where Kaua‘i Beach
During the 1870s, a man named Keoike lived most of the time on the coast at Nukoli‘i, Kaua‘i, about halfway between Hanama‘ulu and Wailua. The rest of the time he lived at Kawailoa, the area of Nukoli‘i where Kaua‘i Beach Villas is now located.
Keoike had earned the reputation of being a hard worker and a thrifty saver, and was reputed to possess a large cache of money hidden away at several secret spots in Nukoli‘i.
His good friend Josia Keawe had once confided to Kaua‘i Sheriff Samuel W. Wilcox — Kaua‘i’s sheriff from 1872 until 1897 — that Keoike had $10,000 stashed away, an enormous amount of money in those days.
Keawe went on to tell Wilcox that a portion of Keoike’s cache was in the form of old coins, some of which were eight-sided gold slugs (similar to that seen in the picture accompanying this story).
Keawe also informed Wilcox that Keoike had actually shown him and others one of the eight-sided gold slugs.
One day, two women, each about 20 years old, rode their horses to Nukoli‘i to go fishing. While they were looking for a place to tie the horses among some rocks, one of the women uncovered a bag filled with money.
Overjoyed, they took the bag home and told everyone they met about their lucky find. When Keoike heard the news, he came to claim the bag, but the women refused to hand it over.
Keoike then contacted Sheriff Wilcox, who ordered the women to give the money back to Keoike, which they did.
Some time later, when Keoike became ill and was near death, Sheriff Wilcox’s brother, sugar planter Albert S. Wilcox, who was the guardian of Keoike’s adopted daughter, Helen Keoike, asked Keoike where the money was hidden, so that Helen could have it when the time came.
Keoike kept putting Albert Wilcox off and died not long after without ever divulging his secret.
