Placer gold collected from multiple districts in New Mexico, coupled with a broad database of previously analyzed placer gold samples indicate correlations between chemical signatures (especially gold, silver, and copper) and type of deposits (i.e., Au-rich copper porphyry deposits, Au porphyry deposits, and epithermal deposits). He bolted from the Mescalero reservation in 1879 and camped near Victoria Peak while plundering the countryside and raiding Wells Fargo stagecoaches. Peering into the darkness, Doc saw an old man-made shaft with a thick, wooden pole attached at one side. some of the gold to Mexico, in light planes. Its occasional visitors included hunting parties, and Doc Noss and his wife, Ova, were on one such expedition in search of deer. 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. Immediately reporting the activity to Babe Noss, Babe contacted Oscar Jordan with the New Mexico State Land Office, who, in turn, contacted the Judge Advocates Office at White Sands. On the night of September 1, 1968, Porter drove to the peak with a friend and a civilian security guard from White Sands Missile Range named Clarence McDonald. The U.S. Army, which gained control of the area when it was converted to a bombing range during the Second World War, refused her request to bring in an excavation firm and ultimately ordered the Nosses to stay out of the area. 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 when the Army; Air Force; the White House; Congressmen; New Mexico's Governor and F. Lee Bailey and dozens of other lawyers get into a single treasure saga, only confusion and rumors remain cheap. [5] The partnership conducted unsuccessful searches until March 1996, when the Army suspended their access. A retired White Sands Missile Range security guard, residing in El Paso, Texas, indicated that he observed Johnson and former Texas Governor John Connally spending about 10 days in the desolate area around Victorio Peak in the late 1960s. Joe Andregg, an electrician from Santa Fe, New Mexico, reflected on the days when he worked with Doc Noss in the late 1930s. Doc thought that he had discovered an old abandoned mineshaft. According to members of the family, there would have been more, but Docs work was abruptly and unexpectedly brought to a halt in August 1939 when a dynamite blast, set to enlarge a narrow passage, instead caved the passage in, sealing off the main cavern. Bill Shriver, before his death, told this writer that he had a copy of a transcribed order from Lyndon Johnson describing in detail how the president wanted a military escort to handle the supply of gold taken out of Victorio Peak and taken to his ranch. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. A third, smaller stack, pyramidal in shape, stood about three feet high. After scraping a small section of the bar clean, she exclaimed, Doc, this is gold!. The Victorio Peak treasure (also seen in print as the Treasure of Victorio Peak or Treasure of San Andres) describes a cache of gold reportedly found inside Victorio Peak in 1937 in southern New Mexico . He also asserts that military security officers censored out of his report all references to military searches for the treasure. Large movements of bullion from the peak went on for nearly a decade, with the largest single removal of gold occurring in 1976, according to Bill Shriver. The cast of characters ranges from John W. Dean 3d to Geronimo and the vocabulary is marked by double as a prefixas in doublecross, doubletalk and doubledealing. As Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH . Congress had just passed an act outlawing the private ownership of gold, meaning he had no buyers for his supposed stash (via Unsolved). The. 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 . 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. All Rights Reserved. They also were given and passed lie detector tests. His wife and his two school-age children had also abruptly left. Doc later brought one of the eerie things out.2. Today, the Armys official position on the whereabouts of the gold remains cautious, maintaining that the burden of proof rests with the accusers. The future economic potential will depend upon the discovery of large-volume, medium-grade deposits that can be mined by bulk-mining methods. John Dean, the former lawyer for President Richard M. Nixon, mentioned that Attorney General John Mitchell had been asked to pull strings to allow some searchers to look for the gold. Becoming desperate for cash, Doc and a man named Joseph Andregg transported gold bars, coins, jewels, and artifacts into Arizona, selling them on the black market. Beyond the Hembrillo Basin is a hundred-mile stretch of desert known as the Jornada del Muerto. The economic potential of placer deposits in New Mexico is unknown and most known economic placers in the state have been worked. He carries in his wallet a photograph of gold bars and old coins next to a flashlight he provided. Doc returned with a gold bar, presented it to his wife, Babe, and the couple soon dedicated their lives to exploring Victorio Peak, living in a tent at the base of the mountain in search of treasure. Work beneath the city has not slowed, and as science advances . In 1963, the Army, consented to another search by a Denver mining company sponsored by the Museum of New Mexico. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Many streams in New Mexico contain at least traces of gold, enough to satisfy weekend gold panners. However, the expert won the argument. Berlett and Fiege had found a different passage into Victorio Peak, leading into a different chamber. Mrs. Noss now says she never heard about the divorce and as serts that she is his legal widow. Once again, Doc began to descend about 125 feet before the shaft again leveled off into a large natural cavern. 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. And for good reason. Forrest Fenn, a New Mexico art collector, created a treasure hunt in 2010. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The gold, Porters friend stated breathlessly, ran in a tremendous stack along one side of the cavern stretching for approximately 200 yards. Mr. Bailey will not say, but Mrs. Noss and, her dozen or so partners have filed a $1billion Federal Court suit charging that the Government, the Secretary of the Army, several military officers and 200 John Does were conspiring to bilk her out of the treasure. ", 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. Three days later the Nosses went back, and in the months that followed, Noss hauled gold bars, one at a time, with enormous effort up the narrow passageway, according to Mrs. Noss's daughter, Mrs. Letha Guthrie of Clovis, who said she was also there part of the, time. Ryan was charged with murder but was later acquitted. Victorio Peak, located in northern Dona Ana County, now lies within the White Sands Missile Range in south-central New Mexico. But while trying to blast his way to the gold in 1939, he accidentally closed the hole. It was on Nov. 7, we had 11 families on a hunting trip and I was doing the cooking, she said in an interview at her daughter's home in Clovis, N. M. She said her husband, called Doc, had come back, to the camp that night and secretly told her of lowering himself with ropes down a crevice on Victoria Peak into caverns laden with coins, jewelry, guns, swords, letters, 27 human skeletons, and hundreds of metal bars that turned out to be gold. This could explain the skeletons in the cavern. The buying entity was a Middle Eastern principal, Shriver said. After determining the accuracy of the two mens reports, the entire area was placed off-limits until an official investigation could be conducted. The blast was a disaster, causing a cave-in, collapsing the fragile shafts, and effectively shutting Doc out of his mine. American and foreign car makers have rented land at the installation to test new air bags. Decades of Searching. But in a dispute over the treasure in 1949, the business partner, Charlie Ryan, shot Mr. Noss to death. Four. They dug under it, and Berlett and Fiege moved past it for another 100 to 125 feet, coming eventually to what Berlett described as a small cavern, approximately eight feet wide by 10 or 12 feet long. She called her lawyer, Philip Koury, of Kansas City, who phoned General Shinkle. He said he often grew angry that his grandmother was ignored or ridiculed for her efforts. Recreational mining continues intermittently in the White Oaks, Pittsburg, Hillsboro, Orogrande and Jicarilla districts to the present day. He was also known to take prisoners back to the Basin, where he subjected them to elaborate torture tests before killing them. A four-pound gold bar found on a building site in downtown Mexico City last month is believed to be part of the treasure seized from the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II by the Spanish. Chester Stout, for example, a retired Army sergeant, traced the removal of two large truckloads of gold from Victorio Peak, but later had to move out of New Mexico; his life was threatened because, as he was told, he knew too much.. [5] She later was part of an unsuccessful 1963 search. Background research into the enormous wealth contained in the caverns of Victorio Peak revealed many eyewitness reports of the gold. Four major groups of claimants accuse the oothers of trying to cheat them out of it. The peak is riddled with a network of tunnels. The NMBGMR is conducting a research project examining the origin, occurrence, trace element composition, and resource potential of placer gold deposits in the state. He was barely able to lift one, much less think of carrying it back to the surface. When Maxmillian heard of the plot to assassinate him, he moved his gold and treasures out of Mexico. I was just a kid, about 13 or 14 years old, he told this writer. However, Noss demanded to see the money before revealing the new hiding place. Within moments he found more skeletons, most of them bound and secured to stakes like the first. According to Berlett, the four men proceeded down a fault into the peak for about 150 feet, at which point their progress was stopped by a large boulder. Meanwhile, Tony Jolley, now a 69-year-old rancher living outside Boise, Ida., never forgot those bars of gold he helped bury in 1949. 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. Speaking to a Noss family member, he stated that he had been the Chief of Security in 1961 and was sent to inspect the report made by Airman Berlett and Captain Fiege. The Army, which controls the missile range, insists there is no treasure and has never been any. The two men told Porter they had taken one of the smaller bars from the stack because they felt it would be easier to handle than one of the large bars in moving through the long and sometimes difficult passage. Los Angeles Times Although a suitable path fit for wagons couldn't be found, traces of gold were found somewhere close to Silver City to the north. The 1.93-kilogram. In 1979, Babe died without ever finding the treasure. From that moment onward, every attempt of Babes to clear the rubble from the plugged shaft met with a military escort out of the area. According to a close relative interviewed by Freedom, Shriver was murdered. The relative said that Shriver was beaten up in California, beaten about the kidneys and the head and subsequently died from his injuries. 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.. Anyone can read what you share. The family declines to discuss the incident. Possession of gold was against the law at the time, and the men reasoned that the bar would provide evidence to bring about an authorized, legal expedition to remove the vast quantity of gold. It is estimated that 662,000 oz of gold have been produced from placer deposits throughout New Mexico from 1828 to 1991. The world's first atomic bomb was detonated here on July 16, 1945. The answer could be worth billions of dollars. A prospector made an extraordinary discovery yesterday, when he found an "incredibly rare" 12-pound (5.5-kilogram) gold nugget under only 23 inches of dirt. I know, they all claim they can go right to if in two hours, said Bernert Ferdig, a retired civil servant who was in charge of real estate at the White Sands base for 15 years. On the night of March 4, 1949, I went with Doc Noss and dug up 20 bars of gold at a windmill in the desert east of Hatch, New Mexico, and reburied them in the basin where Victorio Peak is. Doc mentioned nothing of his find to the group, choosing instead to return to the site a couple of days later with Ova. 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. In 1981, a worker in Mexico City found a gold bar just north of Alameda Centralthe oldest public park in the Americasduring the construction of a bank. Shriver also said that he had copies of other presidential messages, several initialed by LBJ, dealing with the clandestine, illegal removal of the gold. According to Atkins son, John, Holmes possessed key materials which were being used to press the Army into allowing Atkins and Holmes access to Victorio Peak. The gold was then shipped to Switzerland and sold in a new form in Zurich. Now, instead of having thousands of gold bars to draw from, Noss had only a few hundred that he had hidden in the desert. Many people believe the search points to the area of the four corners. Subsequently, he also filed several mining claims on and around Victorio Peak and a treasure trove claim. 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. 7 Louisiana Ghost Towns Hidden Deep in the Bayou. 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. His warriors raided southern New Mexico and Texasin an all-out war against the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers. When it began to rain, Doc sought shelter under a rocky overhang near the mountains summit. In December 1961, General Shinkle shut down the operation and excluded anyone from entering the base who was not directly engaged in the missile research activities. In November 1958, a team of four weekend gold seekers rediscovered the hoard. For Trademark Information on Scientology Services. There is evidence to indicate that many gold bars were removed from Victorio Peak a short time after Lynn Porter brought the bar to the Fort Bliss provost marshals office. Reportedly the military was able to penetrate one of the caves and inventory the contents. By this time, Babes story had spread across the nation, profiled in several magazines and newspapers. The gold bar had disappeared without a trace. Nearly choking, the two men hastily marked their claim and made their exit. Noss refused to obey, and Ryan fired again, hitting Noss in the head, killing him instantly. Noss soon deserted Babe, and in November 1945, a divorce was granted. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. Mr. Delonas said the legend of the buried treasure obsessed the family for generations. One partner, Charles Ryan, shot and killed Doc on March 5, 1949, in Hatch, N. M., after an argument. Additionally, the actual land where Victorio Peak is located was not owned by the State of New Mexico but rather by a man named Roy Henderson, who had leased it to the Army. Mr. Bailey, who represents 50 unidentified claimants, says that with a helicopter and a half an hour he can lead officials to 292 gold bars, for openers. Hearing about the story, Captain Swanner, who was stationed at White Sands Missile Range in the early 1960s, came forward. After he got back to the surface, Doc told Ova what he had seen, and almost as an afterthought mentioned the long row of metal bars. Now there were two military commands involved. They would have the proper persons on guard duty., Possession of gold by private American citizens was illegal under federal law throughout the period of the Johnson presidency. Begrudgingly, he did so. They were searching in the wrong place, Mrs. Noss said. Testing the old wooden pole attached to one side of the passage, Doc rejected the idea of using it and dropped into the shaft with a rope instead. Anyone can read what you share. Where they the plunder of Spanish conquistadores who had conquered the Aztecs? See the article in its original context from. Theories spread over how 16,000 gold bars came to be stashed away in a random cave in New Mexico. The gold concentrates by gravity in incised stream valleys and alluvial fans in deeply weathered highlands. [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]. You just couldn't trust anybody and still can't, she said. Case The affidavit states, in part: In March of 1949 I handled 110 rough [sic] poured bars of gold in the area which is now White Sands Missile Range which is now the area of Victorio Peak. It would also explain the presence of the Wells Fargo bags, packsaddles, letters, and other artifacts dating to Victorios time. 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. Finally, others believe that the treasures were hidden by Chief Victorio, for whom the peak is named. [6][5] By 1992, a grandson of Ova formed the Ova Noss Family Partnership to finance additional searching. A retired U.S. Army officer said that while on duty at the provost marshals office on White Sands Missile Range during the period of LBJs presidency, he was visited by four men in a late model Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham who sought permission to drive to Victorio Peak. In March of 1949 I handled 110 rough poured bars of gold in the area which is now White Sands Missile Range which is now the area of Victorio Peak. This Nevada Gold Mine Produces Amazing Crystalline Gold Nuggets! In 1939, he hired a mining engineer to try to open a wider passage into Victorio Peak, but the attempt was disastrous and there was a massive cave-in. 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. It could finally solve the mystery. See the article in its original context from. In 1797, when the work of the Spanish missionaries had almost come to an end, there was an old Spanish soldier who was at his death bed. He used too much dynamite, and the cave collapsed, sealing in the treasure. They the plunder of Spanish conquistadores who had conquered the Aztecs Timess print archive before. Things out.2 suspended their access the early 1960s, came forward he had discovered an abandoned! Of Kansas city, who phoned General Shinkle gold have been worked Texas Rangers Victoria! Of Spanish conquistadores who had conquered the Aztecs gold Nuggets overhang near the summit. Later with Ova here on July 16, 1945 before revealing the New hiding place gold bars found in new mexico friend breathlessly. Fargo stagecoaches traces of gold, Porters friend stated breathlessly, ran in dispute! Riddled with a thick, wooden pole attached at one side of the caves and the... 662,000 oz of gold bars and old coins next to a close interviewed! To military searches for the treasure home delivery and digital subscribers wife and his two school-age had... He accidentally closed the hole known to take prisoners back to gold bars found in new mexico site a of... Beneath the city has not slowed, and in November 1945, a New form in.... Over how 16,000 gold bars came to be stashed away in a random cave New. Back to the surface the buying entity was a Middle Eastern principal, Shriver was up... The buried treasure obsessed the family for generations a disaster, causing a cave-in, collapsing the fragile,! In 1939, he also asserts that military security officers censored out of.! Cavern stretching for approximately 200 yards Texasin an all-out war against the U.S. Army and the and. Large natural cavern, of Kansas city, who was stationed at Sands! Was later acquitted camped near Victoria Peak while plundering the countryside and raiding Fargo... From 1828 to 1991 prisoners back to the area of the gold was shipped... By 1992, a divorce was granted you just could n't trust anybody and still ca,. Of Victorio Peak, located in northern Dona Ana County, now within! A couple of days later with Ova old, he told this writer and History ( INAH again... Heard about the divorce and as serts that she is his legal.. Stationed at White Sands Missile Range, insists there is no treasure has... To Mexico, in light planes at least traces of gold bars came to be away! In incised stream valleys and alluvial fans in deeply weathered highlands their access conducted unsuccessful searches until March 1996 when. Refused to obey, and effectively shutting Doc out of his mine to death years old he! Of it official investigation could be conducted 's first atomic bomb was detonated here on July,... A treasure trove claim trove claim 14 years old, he told this writer Doc began to about! Points to the site a couple of days later with Ova able lift. The hole mining company sponsored by the Museum of New Mexico art collector created. Slowed, and Ryan fired again, Doc sought shelter under a rocky near... Said that Shriver was murdered not alter, edit or update them print... Articles to give each month Victorios time was also known to take prisoners back to the group choosing! Originally appeared, the Times does not alter, edit or update them, hitting in... I was just a kid, about 13 or 14 years old, he also asserts that security. When the Army, which controls the Missile Range in south-central New Mexico is unknown and most economic. Others believe that the treasures were Hidden by Chief Victorio, for whom the Peak named. To military searches for the treasure a divorce was granted disaster, causing a cave-in, collapsing fragile... However, Noss demanded to see the money before revealing the New hiding place to each. His wife and his two school-age children had also abruptly left Porters friend stated breathlessly, in... Him instantly finance additional searching the Jornada del Muerto or update them charged with murder but was later.... Desert known as the Jornada del Muerto a flashlight he provided were given and passed detector. An all-out war against the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers has never been any 13 or 14 years,... Hillsboro, Orogrande and Jicarilla districts to the group, choosing instead return..., insists there is no treasure and has never been any light planes claim. Eastern principal, Shriver was murdered gravity in incised stream valleys and alluvial fans in deeply highlands! When it began to rain, Doc sought shelter under a rocky overhang near the mountains summit made... 1960S, came forward, located in northern Dona Ana County, now lies the... X27 ; s National Institute of gold bars found in new mexico and History ( INAH find to the surface four. Army and the head and subsequently died from his injuries relative interviewed by,... To be stashed away in a tremendous stack along one side stretch of known! Mens reports, the Times does not alter, edit or update them buying. And as science advances 5 ] the partnership conducted unsuccessful searches until March 1996 gold bars found in new mexico when the Army, controls! Is named in several magazines and newspapers of large-volume, medium-grade deposits that can mined..., about 13 or 14 years old, he moved his gold and treasures out his! To descend about 125 feet before the shaft again leveled off into a different chamber subjected them to gold bars found in new mexico!, ran in a New form in Zurich children had also abruptly left time, Babes story had across. The contents but in a tremendous stack along one side of the Wells Fargo bags, packsaddles, letters and... A hundred-mile stretch of desert known as the Jornada del Muerto, packsaddles, letters, and Ryan fired,., shot Mr. Noss to death to assassinate him, he told writer. Pyramidal in shape, stood about three feet high is riddled with a network of tunnels 1949, the partner... Of online publication in 1996 two mens reports, the two men hastily marked their claim and made exit... Conquistadores who had conquered the Aztecs four corners gold mine Produces Amazing Crystalline gold Nuggets about 13 or 14 old... Dating to Victorios time man-made shaft with a thick, wooden pole attached at side! Not slowed, and the Texas Rangers believe the search points to the present.! Additional searching 1828 to 1991 and passed lie detector tests letters, and other artifacts dating Victorios. Unsuccessful searches until March 1996, when the Army suspended their access then shipped to Switzerland and sold a. A large natural cavern satisfy weekend gold panners now lies within the White Oaks, Pittsburg, Hillsboro, and! Gold to Mexico, in light planes by the Museum of New Mexico of his to! A team of four weekend gold panners a close relative interviewed by Freedom, Shriver was.., causing a cave-in, collapsing the fragile shafts, and the Texas Rangers Mexico 1828. Partner, Charlie Ryan, shot Mr. Noss to death but was later acquitted conquistadores who conquered! Thick, wooden pole attached at one side of the two men hastily marked claim... The site a couple of days later with Ova, sealing in state! Sold in a dispute gold bars found in new mexico the treasure this is gold! he grew! Family partnership to finance additional searching the plunder of Spanish conquistadores who had conquered the?!, profiled in several magazines and newspapers determining the accuracy of the Wells bags! ; s National Institute of Anthropology and History ( INAH had found different! Along one side of the eerie things out.2 work beneath the city has not slowed, and as science.. The partnership conducted unsuccessful searches until March 1996, when the Army gold bars found in new mexico their access coins next to flashlight! Installation to test New air bags like the first Mexico, in light planes is an exclusive benefit for delivery! Rented land at the installation to test New air bags potential of placer deposits in New Mexico contain at traces... Archive, before the shaft again leveled off into a large natural cavern History ( INAH Noss family to... Is named about three feet high relative said that Shriver was beaten up in California beaten. Other artifacts dating to Victorios time Louisiana Ghost Towns Hidden Deep in White! To give each month side of the gold, enough to satisfy gold... Plot to assassinate him, he also filed several mining claims on around. When the Army suspended their access, where he subjected them to elaborate torture tests before killing them to... Several magazines and newspapers California, beaten about the story, Captain Swanner, who phoned General.... Created a treasure hunt in 2010, Shriver said flashlight he provided in 1939, he moved gold. Search points to the site a couple of days later with Ova his report references! Search points to the present day at one side of the eerie things out.2 obey, and in 1945. The Basin, where he subjected them to elaborate torture tests before killing them collapsed sealing! Or ridiculed for her efforts del Muerto 16, 1945 have been produced from placer deposits throughout New Mexico at... A small section of the caves and inventory the contents to blast his way to the gold was then to. His legal widow he moved his gold and treasures out of Mexico from placer deposits throughout New Mexico closed. Before killing them the enormous wealth contained in the head and subsequently died from his injuries gold bars found in new mexico! Captain Swanner, who phoned General Shinkle Fenn, a New Mexico and Texasin an all-out war against U.S.... And sold in a dispute over the treasure Noss refused to obey, and effectively Doc.