"I will give you this on Leon Trabuco, he did not exist."
Clayton, as I have said before, proving someone did not exist is pretty impossible. Proving someone did is pretty easy.
Your quote is not entirely true because several Leon Trabuco's existed, and even today there are Leon Trabuco's who exist.
I think to truely get a grasp on how and when this name became associated with the 17 tons story you need to look at the account writen by Emile C Schurmacher in 1968, in his book Lost Treasures And How To Find Them.
The story in that book can be found in Chapter 16, Enigma Of The Twenty Million Dollar "Gold Act" Cache.
I am sure you will agree with me that in 1952 both Prentiss Moore and Bernard Klepper were both named in the newspaper reports surrounding the Grand Jury hearings ? and many subsequent publications.
In Schurmachers book he gives many names in the story he wrote, Axel Wenner-Gren, A.C Blumenthal, Maximino Camancho, Herr Schmitt, Ivan Nasicecu, King Carol II, Magda Lupescu.
All of whom were real people and for some reason Schurmacher chose not to hide their identities.
He also mentions Trabuco, Borega, Marado, Sepulvedo, Arteaga and Elliott and gives a good account of who they were.
Strangely Prentiss Moore is given the name John Smith ---- " He prudently selected an American attorney, a mysterious individual we'll call "John Smith" to negotiaite for him."
Klepper is given the name Mr X.
Every telling of the story since has used the names writen in Schurmachers book.
Why did Klepper "Mr X" and Moore "John Smith" get their names changed when everyone else is blatantly named ?
The answer is simple, Klepper and Moore were real people who were involved with the 17 tons story.
The other real people in Schurmachers account were added for credence to the story.
However we know that no man called William C Elliott flew any gold anywhere.
None of the mentioned Mexicans with the exception of Maximino Camancho can be traced (who fit the profile)
The two people who played any real part in the story have had their identities protected, even though their names were readily availiable in several publications surrounding the 1952 hearings.
The Mexicans and pilot mentioned in Schurmachers account played no part in the story.
All the other real people who were mentioned never gave evidence and were not questioned about the gold and were added to give weight and credence to Shurmachers fairytale.
All the real people involved were Californians, the only persons who were not Californian who I would TENTATIVELY add to the story would be Pancho Villa (who was long dead) and Doc Noss (died in 1949 of a gunshot to the head) and their only real link to the story would be via Emil Lewis Holmdahl.
