The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine

Other mysterious deaths

Since the Adolph Ruth story reached the media other similar stories were popping up describing mysterious deaths or disappearances of people, who were also after the Lost Dutchman’s Mine and died or vanished in or around Superstition Mountains. Some of them could be just legends, but still the list is quite disturbing. In many cases the victims were reported with their heads severed from their bodies, but since their remains were found only in skeleton form this could be explained by the wild animals activity.

Elisha Reavis, also known as the "Madman of the Superstitions", lived in the secluded area of the mountains from 1872 until 1896. His badly decomposed body was found near his home. Coyotes had eaten him, his head, severed from his body, was found lying several feet away.

Around 1900, two prospectors Silverlock and Malm, began an excavation on the northern edge of the Superstition. At the beginning they found some gold, but with time their luck run out. Still they were working in the area for years, until in 1910, Malm appeared at the Mormon cooperative in Mesa. He was babbling incoherently that Silverlock had tried to kill him. Deputies brought the man in and he was judged insane and sent to the asylum. Both men died within two years.

In 1927, a New Jersey man and his sons were hiking on the mountain when someone began rolling rocks down on them from the cliffs above. A boulder ended up crushing the legs of one of the boys. In 1928, a person rolling huge rocks down on them also drove two deer hunters off the mountain.

In December 1936, Roman O’Hal, a broker’s clerk from New York City died from a fall while searching for the mine. It was believed to have been an accident.

In 1937, an old prospector named Guy Frink came down from the mountain with some rich gold samples. That following November, he was found shot in the stomach on the side of a trail. A small sack of gold ore was discovered beside him. His death was also ruled to be an accident.

In 1947 the headless skeleton of prospector James A. Cravey were discovered in the Superstition Mountains, a good distance from his camp that was found few months earlier. His skeleton was tied in a blanket and his skull was found about thirty feet away. The coroner’s jury ruled that there was "no evidence of foul play."

In his 1945 book about the Lost Dutchman’s mine, Barry Storm claimed to have narrowly escaped from a mysterious sniper he dubbed "Mr. X". Storm further speculated that Adolph Ruth might have been a victim of the same sniper, although the coroner report of Adolph Ruth death suggest he was shot point-blank and not from distance.

In February 1951, Dr. John Burns, a physician from Oregon, was found shot to death on the Superstition. It was said to have been an accidental death.

In early 1952, Joseph Kelley of Dayton, Ohio set out to the Superstition Mountains and 2 yeard later his skeleton was found. He had been shot directly from above and according to the coroner’s jury, "by accident".

In January 1956, a Brooklyn man reported to police that his brother had been missing for several weeks. It was believed that he had gone in search of the mine. His body was found the next month and a bullet hole was discovered above his right temple and even though his gun was found beneath the body it was ruled as suicide.

In October 1960, a group of hikers found a headless skeleton near the foot of a cliff. The skull was found four days later was it was determined that it belonged to an Austrian student named Franz Harrier. Few days later, another skeleton was found and identified as remains of William Richard Harvey, a painter from San Francisco. His cause of death was unknown.

In January 1961, a family picnicking near the edge of the mountain discovered the body of Hilmer Charles Bohen buried beneath the sand. He was a Utah prospector who had been shot in the back. Two months later, another prospector, Walter J. Mowry from Denver, was found shot to death in Needle Canyon.

In 1964 Jay Clapp, a prospector who had been working on the Superstition on and off for about 15 years has disappeared. His headless skeleton was finally discovered three years later. He was identified by two cameras with the initials "JC" scratched on them. His skull was never found.

In 1976 prospector Howard Polling was found dead with a single gunshot wound.

In 2009, Denver, Colorado resident Jesse Capen went missing in the Tonto National Forest. His campsite and car were found abandoned. He was known to have been obsessed with finding the mine for several years and had made previous trips to the area. Capen’s body was found in November 2012 wedged into a crevice.

On 2010, Utah hikers Curtis Merworth, Ardean Charles and Malcolm Meeks went missing in the Superstition Mountains looking for the mine. They were never found, presumably they died of the heat. Merworth had become lost in the same area in 2009, requiring a rescue. In 2011, three sets of remains believed to be those of the lost men were recovered.

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