Adolph Ruth, the mystery.

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LDM
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Adolph Ruth, the mystery.

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Post by zentull »

It should also be noted that Ruths remains were in Pinal county. This seems to be the one incident where no one was worried about shifting the responsibility from county to county.
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Post by djui5 »

Ruths remains where in Pinal, but the "death certificate" says Maricopa (written in by hand). Interesting.


I have a question, LDM, you posted a picture of Erwin Ruth and the 2 that packed his father into the supers, why was that photo taken? Taking a photo was a big deal back then, much more so than it is today, so why did the 3 of them take a photo together?


It seems obvious to me he was murdered, and even more obviously for his maps, but what I can't understand is why the strange events following? Was it because Erwin was pushing so hard to find out what happened, and Tex/his sheriff buddy didn't want the "publicity"? From what I've read (dosen't mean everything), Tex was a kind and honest person. If this was true, I'd be hard pressed to believe he was involved in a malicious manner in this whole thing.
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Post by zentull »

Sometime good people do the wrong thing for the right reason in the wrong circumstances. There are few LDM books that do not include the name Tex Barkley. Yet he is also more of an enigma in my opinion than any other Dutch hunter. He was probably as familiar with the mountains and the LDM as anyone, yet you never get even as much as a chapter on the mans life. This could be partially because he is that entwined with the lore more than anyone else to begin with.

It is very interesting how Brownie just glosses over one of the more significant chapters of his LDM career. He removes himself nicely. Bill Barkley is rarely mentioned if at all and the cowboys made themselves a nice alibi that was foolproof. Could be that whoever was involved jumped at the occasion since Tex would have packed Ruth in when he returned and kept an eye on him. Tex it appears would rather know where everyone was and utilize them and have some control.
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Post by djui5 »

LDM wrote: In all probability, someone on the fringe heard Ruth tell his tales of gold and waited for him to go into the mountains and present them with an opportunity.

Matthew K. Roberts
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Makes sense. I can't help but feel that Tex and his crew knew who did it, and so did the sheriff, etc.

That's interesting Ruth was there for a month. I "assumed" from what I've read he was only there for a few days. What I read what that Tex was going into town for a few days, and when he got back Ruth was gone. If he was there waiting for a month, then why? Why was he at the ranch for so long? Was Tex gone more than a month? Seems a long time to be gone on a trip to town, or did he go somewhere else?

Also,
I'm inclined to believe that he was buried, which explains the skin still on his skull. Maybe not buried in the traditional sense, but maybe he was buried in a cave? 8O

Maybe when Tex got back, he found out what happened, found out who did it, and got together with the sheriff to make sure it was dealt with to keep reporters/Erwin out of the area? I'd imagine Erwin put quite a lot of pressure on everyone. I know I would. I'd make everyone around me un-comfortable until I found out what happened.
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Post by zentull »

The story goes that Tex tried to delay Ruth going in due to concerns of his age,health and the summer temperatures. Ruth saw his chance to head in when Tex left. He may have been tempted with an offer ? All accounts appear to agree that Tex was hoping to wait Ruth out and send him packing home.

Barkley had cattle buisiness to attend to and left around the 11th-12th, when he arrived back around the 20th he went to check the camp with another cowboy. It is obvious at that point he knew something was wrong. After a cursory search he returned to the ranch and contacted both sheriffs offices and the search began. It should be noted that the 2 principle searchers up until late July were Tex and Jeff Adams. What they figured out if anything would have come between then and early December.
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From Walter Gassler’s 1983 Manuscript

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From Walter Gassler’s 1983 manuscript, “The Lost Peralta-Dutchman Mine”

Tex told me that he actually tracked Ruth to the grove and found him there dead. He claimed that he and one of his cow-hands (whose name I will not mention here he probably passed on too by now) wrapped the body in a tarp and burlap and transported it over to the top of Black Mesa. Of course, I did not believe him. I ask him why, and he said he had to because if people found out about him finding Ruth up at Peters Mesa, there would have been such a stamped of humanity and gold seekers, that his cattle would have been scattered from here to kingdom come and most of his large cowherd was back there, and further more, Ruth was dead.

He also said he had the party with Brownie Holmes up to near the spot where he knew they would not miss the body. He sent them up there while he told them he would take the opposite side. He waited for their signal which he knew would come, and it did. So there is one story which I did not want to believe, but after many years looking it over, I remember something else he said at the time and it had slipped my mind as unimportant. I remember him telling me that Ruth must have gotten tired and sat on a protruding rock right at the upper edge of the tree grove and slightly to the left and above the three boulders. The rock has since disintegrated and is no more. I guess it was granite and quartz, and probably pulverized in all this time. I looked for it last time I was up there, and all I found was small rocks. Anyhow, Tex said he probably had his map out and his note book, and when his guide told him to get going, he refused. Realizing that the end of his life was near, the guide, Tex insists, then put the gun on the side of his temple and either demanded the map or told him again to move. He also knew that Ruth realized by now how the wind was blowing and pulled the trigger. Tex claimed the force of the shot was so great, the body did not fall forward but went sideways, because the gun must have been right against his temple when the trigger was pulled. So Barkley found him laying side ways. That was what I had forgotten and then while I was living in Grossville, Ten, and went over my notes, I recalled and realized that Tex indeed must have found him soon after he was shot, but where, It also could have been somewhere else.

http://home.teleport.com/~lucca/LostDut ... sSkull.htm


buscar :)
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Walt Gassler manuscript.

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Gassler's Camp

Post by buscar »

I have known the location of Gassler’s camp for many years, and have been there a number of times.

buscar :)
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Post by zentull »

Another interesting point in Gasslers manuscript is he is familiar with the Magill search and yet alludes to Ruths missing map as if it is separate and not one of those Magill had in his possession. There is no reason given. Could be because of something between Gassler and Barkley or another eyewitness account concerning the map(s). He could be referencing simply any notations or notes on the map, but it does not appear to be what he is saying.
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Ruth Mystery

Post by TC ASKEY »

LDM, Did Howland ever mention the names of the people he saw near Ruths camp ?
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Ruth mystery.

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Post by zentull »

One question I have put forward several times before that has never been answered is why Adolph Ruth was directed to and set camp at Willow springs. It is said there was rainfall during and/or his trip into the Superstitions. This appears to be his destination for some time before entering the mountains as per his conversations with Tex Barkley. During Tex's initial search he claims to have searched up and down those canyons and the immediate vicinity for Ruth.

Gassler says Tex was able to track Ruth easily to the place he found his remains. Gassler also believes that Ruth was onto the caches of the Peraltas. The relationship of his information as it pertains to the Peraltas would clear up the mystery I believe.

Joe,

As Walt Gassler would say, I believe you are partly right and partly wrong.
Ruth wasn't the most savy dutch hunter, but he did know what he was looking for........He was not planning on loading up his treasure on his back and hauling it out, he simply was getting his spot. He found what he needed, what that was is open to a lot of interpretation.
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Post by TGH »

Zentull

The story as related by Gassler was that it had rained and when Tex got serious about tracking he was able to trace Ruths trail by following the imprint of his cane/walking stick from his camp to the tree grove on Peters Mesa.

Does anyone beleive the above happened in the way Walter described? It seems to me that he is saying that Ruth hiked from Willow Spring up to Peters Mesa......something that just could not have happened. Perhaps he was packed on a horse and the folks packing him in walked, using his cane themselves, leaving the imprint.....but there is no way Ruth hiked up there, whether he had help or not.

I also have my doubts about him being taken up to that specific tree grove.

HOWEVER...one of the maps that he is purported to have did indeed show a Laurel Grove as one of the pertinent landmarks....perhaps his "abductor" saw this, knew there was a grove on Peters Mesa and decided that was the country that Ruth was interested in.

Who knows......

P
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Post by zentull »

Of course we could advertise for a 78 year old man with a bum leg about 5'4 and 115 pounds who is unfamiliar with the Superstition wilderness, set him up at Willow springs in the summer and see how far he gets ?

Then again that may be a bad idea...

Even Gassler had his doubts not of Barkleys moving the body, but of where he claims to have found it. Seems odd that Walt notes his doubt of that in particular. Tex had to know a bit more of the where and why concerning Ruth. Walt also appears to disconnect the Ruth story a bit from his own search.
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Post by djui5 »

Zentull

The story as related by Gassler was that it had rained and when Tex got serious about tracking he was able to trace Ruths trail by following the imprint of his cane/walking stick from his camp to the tree grove on Peters Mesa.

P


Maybe whoever killed him helped (by choice, or by force) him up there. If that area was on the map, it would make sense that whoever killed him possibly got the maps from him, and forced/helped him up to that area to see what the map was talking about, killed him there, and hauled him back to where he was found.

Or, they went up to that spot, looked around a little, didn't find what they were looking for and went back, then Ruth was shot.

Then there's the idea that whoever killed Ruth used his cane to make prints in the dirt up to that area for some reason. This could also have been done by the person who found Ruth for some reason.

Speaking of the cane, I don't recall reading anywhere that the cane was found?
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Post by zentull »

.....or Ruth got them to where he was going and it wasn't what they expected and not clearly understanding Ruths directions or intentions accidentally shot him while trying to scare him.
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Still Looking?

Post by Joe Ribaudo »

Zen,

That is the question, isn't it? Did Ruth see what he knew would be there, before ever setting foot in the Superstitions? That is exactly what happened in Borrego.

Is the entire story, after he left the ranch, a smokescreen. Let's see.....
How many people are we told were "in the area"? Was Howland there by chance? Why didn't he speak to Ruth? Not like he would have had to speak that loudly (canyon ain't that wide around Willow Spring). Did Howland and the "others" enter from First Water, as well? Busy little place for that time of the year.

Don't mean to cause any trouble with these questions, just asking.

Respectfully,

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Post by TGH »

If Ruth did make it up to Peters Mesa then he did so on horseback or muleback. Thats being the case he would have had some help getting there, obviously.

If you read the part of the Gassler Manuscript that was written in the early years, Walter concentrated on the west side of Peters Dome and the various washes and ravines in that area.

His musings in his later years, however, take him to an entirely different place altogether.The terrain changes to rough, steep slopes, hidden arroyos, boulder -choked ,pot- holed canyons ,precipices and lots of vegetation. The exact terrain that the mine is likely hidden in.
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Post by zentull »

Tex wanted Gassler in a specific area. Walt knew this and understood the reasoning. If Ruth was killed in that area, it may simply be he had nothing to offer in that spot. Suddenly the plan (which was pretty stupid, however you look at it) was falling apart. Frustration boils over and Ruth is shot.

That is if Ruth was ever there........

Peter,

That is a hell of a piece of tracking to get from point a to b.
There are those who could do it, but not as easy as it is made to sound. More so by horseback.
Not to mention Ruth's ability to leave sign the entire way.
Unless you knew where you were going on a hunch.
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Post by TGH »

>>Unless you knew where you were going on a hunch.<<

Or knew where you were going on purpose. I dont think it was any secret back then that lots of Dutch Hunters who stopped at the Ranch tried their hand looking for the mine on Peters Mesa, amongst other places. It was a popular, logical place to look and if Tex had an inkling of what happened (and I beleive he had more than an inkling) he may have headed up that way on purpose, tracking be dammed.
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Post by zentull »

Erwin Ruth speaks of just one smaller map concerning the Superstitions. It did not fit with the California maps the Ruths had received.

When Erwin comments on Adolph arriving in Arizona, he now has "maps of the mexican mines" in the Superstitions.

When Adolph talks to Gertrude Barkley, again it is a single map, on his person.

Erwin Ruth later gives Magill maps that were copies of those that his father carried into the Superstitions.

Jeff Adams says he had possession of the "map or directions".

The newspaper accounts report of a single map.

Do we have anything of an accounting of the size or description of the map by other eye witnesses, other than the composite sketch ?
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Post by djui5 »

zentull,
I found it strange that most places I read about a single map, but in a couple read about "maps", plural.

How many maps did Ruth have?
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