The dispute was finally worked out when a federal court issued a compromise of sorts, which stated the Army would continue to use the lands surface, but no one would be allowed on the property without the Armys consent. Another source, who asked to remain unidentified, stated that he had personally interviewed several men who had brought a large load of the peaks gold to Johnsons ranch. All told, he reportedly found 27 human skeletons in the caverns of the mountain. In the meantime, Mrs. Noss said her spies, illegally visited the peak and found military men excavating it. The rate of this tax varies from 5.125% to 8.8675% depending on where the business is . In 1961, he returned to the desert and claims to have found 10 . Fearing Doc was getting a gun, Ryan fired a warning shot in Docs direction, demanding that Noss back away from the vehicle. MEXICO CITY A new scientific analysis of a large gold bar found decades ago in downtown Mexico City reveals it was part of the plunder Spanish conquerors tried to carry away . Another woman, now Mrs. Violet Yancy of Fort Worth, says she married Noss in 1947, that she is his legal widow, and that he gave her 76 per cent interest in the treasure. The treasure was allegedly found in 1937 by American businessman and gold prospector Milton Ernest "Doc" Noss. This time, the military began a full-scale mining operation at the Peak. The horde of an Apache chief? [7], Theories abound on the origins of the alleged treasure, including that it was pilfered from Mexico during the reign of the Austrian puppet Emperor Maximilian, or through collusion between Pancho Villa and Germany prior to World War I.[8]. Letha Guthrie, Ovas eldest daughter from a previous marriage, described the next few years as a very happy time for the Noss family, one of simple, hard work with a bright, limitless future. The caverns are located in and around Victorio Peak, in a remote, rugged section of south-central New Mexico. The daughter of another man, Harvey Snow, died from a gunshot wound in the head after Snow had disregarded repeated warnings in regard to the peak. Two airmen from nearby Holloman Air Force Base would later say that they had found the gold cavern from another natural opening in the side of the peak. "We're treating the gold searchers just like any other client," said Jim Eckles, a spokesman for the White Sands range. He estimated the total amount of gold coming from the peak at a staggering 96 million troy ounces, worth, at $320 an ounce, nearly $31 billion. The next day, March 5, 1949, Ryan arrived in the area, insisting that they discuss the problem of what happened to the gold. The gold was then shipped to Switzerland and sold in a new form in Zurich. Too much evidence supports the treasure, including photographs, affidavits, and relics held by the Noss family. Legend says he sent a palace full of valuables to the United States to be hidden. He was shot to death in 1949, but his first wife, Mrs. Ova Noss, now 77years old, insists she was with him. He used too much dynamite, and the cave collapsed, sealing in the treasure. Mr. Koury asserted that the General first denied the search was on but admitted it later when sworn statements from the spies were produced. Mr. Delonas said the legend of the buried treasure obsessed the family for generations. The Army says the gold was never found. Seeking out the Seven Cities of Gold, Onate was said to have been a cruel man, brutally subjugating the Indians to do his bidding by beating and torturing them. The 1.93-kilogram bar was found by a construction worker during excavations for a new building along the Alameda, a picturesque park in the heart of the Mexican capital. Returning through the main cavern, he noticed an immense stack of metal bars off to one side. He bolted from the Mescalero reservation in 1879 and camped near Victoria Peak while plundering the countryside and raiding Wells Fargo stagecoaches. 2016, Trace Element Analysis of Placer Gold Samples (abstr. Doc filled his pockets with gold coins, grabbed a couple of jeweled swords, and laboriously returned to Babe waiting anxiously at the surface. New York Times, July 29, 1992 Over the weekend, he said, someone found the chest he had buried with gold nuggets, coins, gems and artifacts. Later, some researchers would conclude that the shaft was the same as the Lost Padre Mine used by Padre LaRue in the late 1700s, then later used again by Chief Victorio to store his stolen goods. But while trying to blast his way to the gold in 1939, he accidentally closed the hole. Mr. Fertig denied that the report had been censored. And for good reason. Begrudgingly, he did so. In 1963, the Army allowed a group of searchers, including Mrs. Noss, to search for the gold. Another source confirmed the manner and the circumstances of E.M. Guthries death, noting that it was listed as just a natural death, but hed been worked over with a baseball bat. This source said that he had hired a team of experienced investigators to dig into Guthries death and more than 30 other deaths in connection with a massive, continuing cover-up of the removal of gold from Victorio Peak. Doc Noss was born in Oklahoma and traveled all over the Southwest, seeking excitement. The gold, he said, was removed and smelted into old Mexican bars, 50-pound bars. The gold in its new form, he noted, had no marks to identify its origin. Word of the Doc Noss treasure spread, and keeping people out of the area was no easy chore. Howard, E.V., 1967, Metalliferous occurrences in New Mexico: Phase 1, state resources development plan: State Planning Office, Santa Fe, 270 p. Johnson, M.G., 1972, Placer gold deposits of New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey. Reaching a compromise, the military allowed Expeditions Unlimited, representing all of the claimants, to excavate the peak in 1977. [5] The partnership conducted unsuccessful searches until March 1996, when the Army suspended their access. However, the Army placed a two-week time limit on the group, and they had hardly started before they were forced to leave, without finding anything. Edward Atkins of Decatur, Illinois, had been a claimant to the peaks gold and was vigorously pursuing that claim via attorney Darrell Holmes of Athens, Georgia, when Holmes died under mysterious circumstances. The future economic potential will depend upon the discovery of large-volume, medium-grade deposits that can be mined by bulk-mining methods. But, she said, mint officers confiscated the five bars and gave her husband a receipt for $97,000. (1.93 kilograms), while digging for the construction of a central bank in Mexico City. Beyond the Hembrillo Basin is a hundred-mile stretch of desert known as the Jornada del Muerto. Each skeleton had its hands bound behind it to a large wooden stake driven into the ground. For Trademark Information on Scientology Services. All attempts failed, leaving him an embittered and angry man, which caused problems in his marriage. This was one of Apache Chief Victorios hideouts and was the site of a battle in 1880 between Victorios warriors and the U.S. Army Ninth Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers.. Mr. Mitchell is said to have forwarded the matter to the White House. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Published historic reserves exist for only two districts: Jicarilla with 5.4 million yd3 of 0.043 oz Au/yd3, or approximately 230,000 oz Au in place and Pittsburg with 2 million yd3 of 0.01 oz Au/yd3, or approximately 20,000 oz Au in place in 1936. He remained steadfast in his belief that the treasure remained, according to family members. Before leaving, both men had observed an old wooden cross on one of the walls. Theories spread over how 16,000 gold bars came to be stashed away in a random cave in New Mexico. In the summer of 1961, upon the advice of the Director of the Mint, Major General John Shinkle of White Sands allowed Captain Fiege, Captain Orby Swanner, Major Kelly, and Colonel Gorman to work the claim. Through the years, soldiers at White Sands have spent weekends looking for the gold. In 1955, the missile range was expanded and, the Army closed Victoria Peak to outsiders. Dangerous unexploded 20mm shells from Phantom jet target practice dot the range, the Army insists. Doc attempted illegally to sell his gold for nine years, but it wasnt easy finding buyers. With legal ownership established, Noss began to work the claim openly, but he also became increasingly paranoid, hiding the gold bars all over the desert. Lindgren, W., Graton, L.C., and Gordon, C.H., 1910, The ore deposits of New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 68, 361 p. McLemore, V.T., 1994, Placer gold deposits in New Mexico: McLemore, V.T., Dunbar, N., Heizler, L., and Heizler, M., 2014, Geology and mineral deposits of the Orogrande mining district, Jarilla Mountains, Otero County, New Mexico: New Mexico Geological Society, Guidebook 65, p. 247-259. Within just a few days, Doc and Babe were back at the site with ropes and flashlights. [5] During the 1970s, lawyer F. Lee Bailey represented clients who claimed to know where the treasure was located. After the discovery, Fiege told several people that he had caved in the roof and walls to make it look like the tunnel ended. Mrs. Ova Noss said she shad filed papers retaining mineral rights in case the area opened up again. The affidavit states: I, Thayer Snipes, first being duly sworn, on my oath state: That in the latter part of 1972, I had stopped by the Airport Chevron Station at the corner of Airway Blvd. They had trekked in from Hot Springs, New Mexico, a town since renamed Truth or Consequences. Becoming even more complicated, a search of mining records failed to turn up any existing claims including that of Doc Noss. The 1.93-kilogram. A number of sources also independently named Major General John G. Shinkle, the commander of White Sands Missile Range from June 1960 to July 1962, as knowing about the movement of tons of gold from Victorio Peak. However, Terry Delongas stated, Were not accusing the military of stealing the gold, but I do feel that the Department of the Army in the 1960s treated my grandmother unfairly However, weve worked very hard over the years to establish a working relationship with the military, and were certainly not going to jeopardize that by accusing them of theft.. Our Mineral Museum Moon, said that he was from the White House Secret Service detail and he showed the officer a green, laminated card which stated Secret Service, Division of the White House. Another man, an engineer named Dick Richardson, told the officer that he was a boyhood friend of Lyndon Johnsons and that he had personally counted 18,888 gold bars in one stack in a cavern at Victorio Peak, each bar weighing about 60 pounds. The Mystery Of The Lost Victorio Peak Treasure, a group of researchers who published their findings. Noss agreed with Ryan to exchange some of the gold bars for $25,000 to reopen the shaft. A deal with a man named Charlie Ryan went south, and Noss was gunned down. History [ edit] Doc Noss The treasure was allegedly found in 1937 by American businessman and gold prospector Milton Ernest "Doc" Noss. But the legend of the hidden gold was fueled again during the Watergate hearings in 1973. A gold bar found in a Mexico City park in 1981 was part of the Aztec treasure looted by Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors 500 years ago, a new study says. The economic potential of placer deposits in New Mexico is unknown and most known economic placers in the state have been worked. Ryan hinted that if Noss did not reveal the whereabouts of the gold, Doc would not live to enjoy it. His main source of income cut off, and his marriage to Babe already deteriorated, Noss was desperate to sell his remaining gold bars on the black market. Hunting by himself, Doc scouted the base of the mountain. What looked to be a piece of iron was a solid gold bar. In November 1958, a team of four weekend gold seekers rediscovered the hoard. Article content. Chester R. Johnson Jr., a museum archeologist at the time who wrote the official report of the treasure's history, says the 1963 search was inconclusive because, for example, seismic geophones do not work well near the surface. The sources of this threat, according to the man who relayed the threat to Scott, were two agents of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Topic at Watergate Hearings. The reports of the massive treasure would consume his marriage and eventually his life, and mysteries around the treasure persist to this day (via Legends of America). Description: Victorio Peak is surrounded by inhospitable environment near Hot Springs, New Mexico. After determining the accuracy of the two mens reports, the entire area was placed off-limits until an official investigation could be conducted. Now, scientists confirm it was part of a plunder by Spanish conquistador Hernn. While waiting for the rain to subside, he noticed a stone that looked as if it had been worked somehow. He stood guard while McDonald and the other man descended into a large cavern, returning with a crudely formed gold bar roughly 2 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches long. Now, scientists confirm it was part of a plunder by Spanish conquistador Hernn. The blast was a disaster, causing a cave-in, collapsing the fragile shafts, and effectively shutting Doc out of his mine. That I walked over to E.M. Guthrie on this occasion in 1972, greeted him, and invited him out to dinner with myself and Frank Foss. The Lost Padre Gold Mine in New Mexico. The engineer suggested eight sticks of dynamite, to which Noss heatedly disagreed, claiming the mountain was too unstable. Many people believe the search points to the area of the four corners. 2003-2008 Church of Scientology International. That after he had been beaten to death, according to the information I received, his body was put back into his car, the car was doused with kerosene or gasoline, and then set aflame.. Unable to sell the gold bars on the open market, Noss was stymied but continued to work steadily to remove the treasure. The fortune of a Mexican emperor? Maxmillian was assassinated in 1867. As the years passed, Babe Noss held onto her claim at Victorio Peak, occasionally hiring men to help her clear the shaft. Los Angeles Times Seventy-nine skeletons were described in an adjacent cavern. Mr. Bryan, The Albuquerque Tribune writer, said he had gone through a chunk of Mr. Johnson's memorabilia recently and found both the censored and uncensored drafts of the report. He was barely able to lift one, much less think of carrying it back to the surface. However, with the discovery of gold, the treaty was broken in 1878, and Victorio went on the warpath. A gold bar found in a Mexico City park in 1981 was part of the Aztec treasure looted by Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors 500 years ago, a new study says. Did they even exist at all? In 1963, the Army, consented to another search by a Denver mining company sponsored by the Museum of New Mexico. Discovered by a . Army spokesmen have consistently dismissed all reports of Victorio Peak gold as rumors. An apparent propaganda campaign, in fact, has been conducted for many years by the Army in order to dispel these reports and to keep treasure seekers away from the missile range. Doc was trying to obey the law but they grabbed our gold, Mrs. Noss said, He blew up. Leon Trabuco's Gold A Mexican businessman buries 16 tons of gold in the New Mexico desert and then dies before telling anyone where it is. Most deposits are thin and less than 45 ft below the surface, but thicker deposits are found in the Elizabethtown-Baldy district (up to 275 ft) and in the Rio Grande Valley district (up to 370 ft). Only four districts have each yielded more than 100,000 oz of placer gold production: Elizabethtown-Baldy (DIS019), Hillsboro (DIS197), Old Placers (DIS187), and New Placers (DIS186). The buried cache was said to have been stolen from the Chihauhua-Spanish by the Indians during the Indian uprisings. It is one of the most celebrated legends of buried treasure in the history of the American West, a thriller that includes a gunfight, nuclear weapons and the Watergate hearings. In 1963, the Gaddis Mining Company of Denver, Colorado, obtained permission to work the site under a contract with the Denver Mint and the Museum of New Mexico. This Massive Mine in Utah Has Produced More Gold than Most States! ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victorio_Peak_treasure&oldid=1133710645, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 04:22. The Lue Map has very strange symbols. In one of the most closely guarded crimes of recent history, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tons of gold bullion were secretly and illegally removed from caverns on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the beneficiaries allegedly including former President Lyndon Johnson and individuals connected with the U.S. Army, the Central Intelligence Agency and organized crime. Mr. Noss, a traveling doctor who was known for a hot temper and an appetite for liquor, claimed that the cache consisted of Spanish artifacts and Wells Fargo chests, along with the gold. And a fourth story, pieced together recently by Howard Bryan, a reporter for The Albuquerque Tribune, centers on another Apache war chief named Victorio. Though the military confirmed that Swanner had served at White Sands during this time, they claimed there were no documents to support an investigation into the mine nor the removal of the gold bars. The Legendary Treasure White Sands Missile Range, https://www.nytimes.com/1973/10/13/archives/the-legendary-treasure-of-the-white-sands-missile-range-gold-bars.html. A third, smaller stack, pyramidal in shape, stood about three feet high. Noss soon deserted Babe, and in November 1945, a divorce was granted. Floyd and his friend Pat were getting ready to look for treasure in an area where Pat found found three old metal bars in a cave on the old Spanish trail in New Mexico. Sensing a double-cross by Ryan, Doc dug up the gold that was to be used in the exchange and reburied it in a place where Ryan was unaware. On August 5, Fiege and his party returned to Victorio Peak, accompanied by the commander of the Missile Range, a secret service agent, and 14 military police. Theories spread over how 16,000 gold bars came to be stashed away in a random cave in New Mexico. 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