The mysterious death of Adolph Ruth

[somehiker]

that shot was taken from the west as your coming into florence junction..you can see mineral mountain just to the left of the texaco sign

Yah....I was thinking from somewhere close to where I have the yellow dot.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[deducer]

A question:

We have a Cal Morse and a Cal Morris. I assume both of those names refer to the same person? What's the correct spelling?

I have seen newspapers mention of Cal Morse, and the name Morse is used frequently on the other site, but no mention of Morris.

 

[azdave35]

A question:

We have a Cal Morse and a Cal Morris. I assume both of those names refer to the same person? What's the correct spelling?

I have seen newspapers mention of Cal Morse, and the name Morse is used frequently on the other site, but no mention of Morris.

i noticed that too....morris is the name of one of the mormon pioneers that started mesa...there is a street named after him in downtown mesa...

 

[deducer]

1931 June 26, Friday Morning, Arizona Republic – Page 1 and Page 8

Ruth’s wife wired to Morse yesterday an offer of $100 reward to anyone rescuing Ruth or
bringing his body out of the mountains. Ruth had been receiving his mail through Morse


I think this establishes that Adolph Ruth was staying at the Morse ranch. If Ruth was staying at the Barkley ranch, he would have had mail delivered there, I'd think?

 

[Matthew Roberts]

TEGlover

________________________________________
Jan 2013

Jim Bark on Adolph Ruth

Gentlemen,

As there has been some discussion as to just where Adolph Ruth stayed I thought the below might be of intrest.

I came across the six page document that Jim Bark wrote in 1931 about what he had discovered about Adolph Ruth from a trip(s) to Arizona. The start of the letter is below. I have posted it as it has new tid-bit or two, and it sheds light on just where Ruth was headed, and where it seems he stayed.


"Oct. 1931

This is the story of Ruth as far as I have dug the facts to date.

Ruth came to the Half Circle-U ranch situated on the south side of the Superstition Mts. in Pinal County, Arizona. On may 10th 1931. A man by the name of Mc Knight had driven the car with he and Ruth in it from Washington D. C. to the Cal Morris filling station at the junction of the Florence and Superior highways, about twenty miles south of the U Ranch. McKnight said that he could not go any further, as he did not know where the Superstition Mountains were. Much less where there was any camping place, or any roads leading from the main highway . Morris said he knew where the U ranch house was, and he thought Ruth could camp there. As all trails leading over into the Superstitions Mts. started from the Ranch. Ruth asked Morris if he would drive him to the house. Morris said he would and McKnight continued on his way to the state of Washington wither he was bound. It appeared that while Ruth owned the car, he could not drive it. ...."

TE Glover


The above is a perfect example of why the Adolph Ruth mystery is so confusing. While Jim Bark was surely a respected citizen of his day and TE Glover is considered by most to be an able researcher, sadly, the entire quote by Bark is untrue, based on rumors and hearsay and easily fact checked. That TE Glover did not look into the matter any deeper than the letter itself just compounds the rumors, misinformation and confusion.

First of all, the Ranch was well known in 1931 as the Quarter Circle U.

Jim Bark stated “all trails leading into the Superstition Mts. started from that ranch.”
Not so, several other trails were available by way of First water, Tortilla and another route east of the QCU Ranch.

Bark states Ruth stopped at Cal Morris service Station. That is not true, The Arizona Republic Newspaper clearly reported it was Cal Morse service station. There is no confusion over this issue, no confusion over the name of the man, or who the AZ. Rep was talking about.

There never was a Cal Morris service station in Florence Jct. or Mesa. In fact there was no Cal Morris. There was a man who was known as Calvin Morris Phelps but he died in 1928, 3 years before Ruth arrived.

Finally, and incredibly the most glaring example of someone who got something completely wrong and repeated the false information is Jim Bark stating the name of the man who drove Ruth from Washington D.C. was “McKnight.”

Anyone who knew the Barkley family, or knew anything about the Barkley family knew exactly who “McKnight” was, and it wasn’t the alleged man who drove Adolph Ruth to Arizona.

“McKnight” was Wil McKnight, a close relative of Tex Barkley who was living in Mesa at that time in 1931. Tex Barkley’s mother was Betty McKnight-Barkley.

Tex’s mother, Betty (McKnight) Barkley was living in Mesa with other members of her “McKnight” family in 1931. Wil McKnight had worked for Tex Barkley on and off since coming to Arizona from Tennessee. He was known throughout Mesa and the Quarter Circle U Ranch. Brownie Holmes mentioned him on a tape recording once. How McKnight became the man who drove Ruth to Arizona, or how that false rumor began, is anyone's guess.

Betty McKnight-Barkley (Tex’s mother) died in the hospital in Glendale Arizona in 1945 and is buried in the Glendale City Cemetery. Below is a photograph of Betty (McKnight) and William T. Barkley, Tex’s parents. Also a photo of Betty’s grave in the Glendale, Arizona Cemetery.



The confusion over the mystery of Adolph Ruth’s death will never stop as long as the rumors and false information of the past continue to be spread.

Matthew

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Unlike "Cal Morris", Cal Morse was a real person and well known in the Mesa area and throughout Arizona. He was the son of Joseph R. Morse one of the prospectors who located the Goldfield mines at the base of the Superstitions.
He was born in California and his nickname was "Cal" and that is what he went by. Everyone knew him as "Cal" Morse.
When his mother died in 1921 her obituary read :

Mrs. Arminda Morse died last Wednesday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ed Burris on Pasadena Avenue in Mesa, following an illness of little more than a week. Funeral services were held at the home of Mrs. Burris and were conducted by Elder Anders Mortensen, under the direction of the first ward bishop.

Prayer was offered by Elder Ephriam Mortensen and members of the choir sang, "Some Time We'll Understand." and "I Need Thee Every Hour." During the services the quartette "She's Gone," was sung by Anders and H. A. Mortensen, Mrs. Ephriam Mortensen and Miss Leona Mortensen.

The speakers were Elder Collins R. Hakes, M. A. Stuart and Anders Mortensen. By request of Mrs. Ed Burris, a part of the fifteenth chapter of Corinthians was read by Anders Mortensen an intimate friend of the deceased.
The speakers all spoke in terms of high praise of Mrs. Morse, of her love and kindness as a 'wife, mother, and neighbor, and her kind assistance to the sick and those in need. The benediction was pronounced by Elder Gull Phelns.

Mrs. Arminda Carter -"Morse was born January 29, 1844, in Adams county. IILinois. In 1850 she came across the plains with her parents with an ox team company to Salt Lake. With her parents, she was among the first settlers who moved to Parowan, Utah. In 1851, where as a child she was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was married to Joseph R. Morse at Parowan where their three oldest children were born.

Their son Collins R. (Cal) Morse was born at San Bernardino, California. They were among the first to move to San Bernardino. The family came to Mesa January 1. 1882 where they shared in the hardships endured by the early settlers of Arizona.
As a child Grandma Morse can remember the hardships endured by the Mormons in Illinois and Missouri and the hardships they encountered crossing the plains and pioneer life in the west, but never would complain and was always' willing to share her fate with her husband and those who were with them.

She leaves to mourn her loss three daughters, Mrs. John Richards, Mrs. Ed Burris. Miss Melissa Morse and son Collins R. Morse.

Collins R. Cal Morse died at Mesa in 1951 and is buried in the Mesa City Cemetery.

 

[azdave35]

Unlike "Cal Morris", Cal Morse was a real person and well known in the Mesa area and throughout Arizona. He was the son of Joseph R. Morse one of the prospectors who located the Goldfield mines at the base of the Superstitions.
He was born in California and his nickname was "Cal" and that is what he went by. Everyone knew him as "Cal" Morse.
When his mother died in 1921 her obituary read :

Mrs. Arminda Morse died last Wednesday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ed Burris on Pasadena Avenue in Mesa, following an illness of little more than a week. Funeral services were held at the home of Mrs. Burris and were conducted by Elder Anders Mortensen, under the direction of the first ward bishop.

Prayer was offered by Elder Ephriam Mortensen and members of the choir sang, "Some Time We'll Understand." and "I Need Thee Every Hour." During the services the quartette "She's Gone," was sung by Anders and H. A. Mortensen, Mrs. Ephriam Mortensen and Miss Leona Mortensen.

The speakers were Elder Collins R. Hakes, M. A. Stuart and Anders Mortensen. By request of Mrs. Ed Burris, a part of the fifteenth chapter of Corinthians was read by Anders Mortensen an intimate friend of the deceased.
The speakers all spoke in terms of high praise of Mrs. Morse, of her love and kindness as a 'wife, mother, and neighbor, and her kind assistance to the sick and those in need. The benediction was pronounced by Elder Gull Phelns.

Mrs. Arminda Carter -"Morse was born January 29, 1844, in Adams county. IILinois. In 1850 she came across the plains with her parents with an ox team company to Salt Lake. With her parents, she was among the first settlers who moved to Parowan, Utah. In 1851, where as a child she was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was married to Joseph R. Morse at Parowan where their three oldest children were born.

Their son Collins R. (Cal) Morse was born at San Bernardino, California. They were among the first to move to San Bernardino. The family came to Mesa January 1. 1882 where they shared in the hardships endured by the early settlers of Arizona.
As a child Grandma Morse can remember the hardships endured by the Mormons in Illinois and Missouri and the hardships they encountered crossing the plains and pioneer life in the west, but never would complain and was always' willing to share her fate with her husband and those who were with them.

She leaves to mourn her loss three daughters, Mrs. John Richards, Mrs. Ed Burris. Miss Melissa Morse and son Collins R. Morse.

Collins R. Cal Morse died at Mesa in 1951 and is buried in the Mesa City Cemetery.

View attachment 1460717

good job on finding that matthew

 

[Matthew Roberts]

azdave35,

The following excerpt appeared in an article in the Phoenix Gazette the evening of July 10, 1931.
The article described Dr. Ruth staying at Cal Morse ranch which was situated 13 miles east of Mesa on the Apache Trail.
This would have put the Cal Morse ranch just past where Meridian Road is today.
This is consistent because several Mesa newspapers had notes about the Morse citrus orchards near where Recker Road and the Buckhorn Bath's are today.
Cal Morse operated two service stations but I cannot determine where either one was exactly located.
(keep in mind the Mesa City Limits in 1931 was about where Hobson Road is.)


1931 July 10, Friday Evening, Phoenix Gazette, - Page 5, Column 6 and 7
Son Finds Diary of Prospector Believed Dead On Superstition

Dr. Ruth has been living at the ranch home of Cal R. Morse, on the Apache Trail highway 13 Miles east of Mesa, since his arrival from the east.

 

[azdave35]

azdave35,

The following excerpt appeared in an article in the Phoenix Gazette the evening of July 10, 1931.
The article described Dr. Ruth staying at Cal Morse ranch which was situated 13 miles east of Mesa on the Apache Trail.
This would have put the Cal Morse ranch just past where Meridian Road is today.
This is consistent because several Mesa newspapers had notes about the Morse citrus orchards near where Recker Road and the Buckhorn Bath's are today.
Cal Morse operated two service stations but I cannot determine where either one was exactly located.
(keep in mind the Mesa City Limits in 1931 was about where Hobson Road is.)


1931 July 10, Friday Evening, Phoenix Gazette, - Page 5, Column 6 and 7
Son Finds Diary of Prospector Believed Dead On Superstition

Dr. Ruth has been living at the ranch home of Cal R. Morse, on the Apache Trail highway 13 Miles east of Mesa, since his arrival from the east.

there are probably some old timers around here that would remember where his service stations were...i'll ask around

 

[deducer]

The above is a perfect example of why the Adolph Ruth mystery is so confusing. While Jim Bark was surely a respected citizen of his day and TE Glover is considered by most to be an able researcher, sadly, the entire quote by Bark is untrue, based on rumors and hearsay and easily fact checked. That TE Glover did not look into the matter any deeper than the letter itself just compounds the rumors, misinformation and confusion.

First of all, the Ranch was well known in 1931 as the Quarter Circle U.

Jim Bark stated “all trails leading into the Superstition Mts. started from that ranch.”
Not so, several other trails were available by way of First water, Tortilla and another route east of the QCU Ranch.

Bark states Ruth stopped at Cal Morris service Station. That is not true, The Arizona Republic Newspaper clearly reported it was Cal Morse service station. There is no confusion over this issue, no confusion over the name of the man, or who the AZ. Rep was talking about.

There never was a Cal Morris service station in Florence Jct. or Mesa. In fact there was no Cal Morris. There was a man who was known as Calvin Morris Phelps but he died in 1928, 3 years before Ruth arrived.

Finally, and incredibly the most glaring example of someone who got something completely wrong and repeated the false information is Jim Bark stating the name of the man who drove Ruth from Washington D.C. was “McKnight.”

Anyone who knew the Barkley family, or knew anything about the Barkley family knew exactly who “McKnight” was, and it wasn’t the alleged man who drove Adolph Ruth to Arizona.

“McKnight” was Wil McKnight, a close relative of Tex Barkley who was living in Mesa at that time in 1931. Tex Barkley’s mother was Betty McKnight-Barkley.

Tex’s mother, Betty (McKnight) Barkley was living in Mesa with other members of her “McKnight” family in 1931. Wil McKnight had worked for Tex Barkley on and off since coming to Arizona from Tennessee. He was known throughout Mesa and the Quarter Circle U Ranch. Brownie Holmes mentioned him on a tape recording once. How McKnight became the man who drove Ruth to Arizona, or how that false rumor began, is anyone's guess.

Betty McKnight-Barkley (Tex’s mother) died in the hospital in Glendale Arizona in 1945 and is buried in the Glendale City Cemetery. Below is a photograph of Betty (McKnight) and William T. Barkley, Tex’s parents. Also a photo of Betty’s grave in the Glendale, Arizona Cemetery.

View attachment 1460668 View attachment 1460669

The confusion over the mystery of Adolph Ruth’s death will never stop as long as the rumors and false information of the past continue to be spread.

Matthew

Matthew,

I think that with the work that you have done, there is actually less confusion about the Adolph Ruth mystery now. For me, at least.

We have at least established where he really stayed and who really packed him out.

In that I have no reasons to doubt the Dan Jones letters, and combined with corroborating facts that support the letters, I can effectively narrow the list of suspects down to one: L.F. Purnell. He had means, motive, and opportunity.

And we know that Ruth wasn't out there on a whim. This was something that started in 1928, and was a deliberate and calculated approach. And Ruth had very good information he was working on.

While there was a coverup and obstruction of justice, I'm not sure it was well-coordinated at all, or that there was a deliberate smokescreen.

 

[starman 1]

Hello Mr. Roberts:

Thank you for the kind words.

If the issue of Ruth`s murder is fundamental. Then an examination of that event is fundamental to where you end up in your journey. One assumption of the event is the murder was carried out by locals and subsequent history is driven by understanding their actions and efforts in using the maps and other things of Ruth. Perhaps this is a false trail.

On other hand if you think radically and suspect just maybe Ruth`s activities in the Superstitions attracted the attention of others who were playing a separate game and removed Ruth`s maps, etc., and replaced them with other less revealing things then all subsequent searches is just one major leap into a rabbit hole.

This scenario leads you to exploring the common thread that weaves its way though Ruth and Walter.

Great work.

Have a good day.

Starman

 

[cactusjumper]

Hello Mr. Roberts:

Thank you for the kind words.

If the issue of Ruth`s murder is fundamental. Then an examination of that event is fundamental to where you end up in your journey. One assumption of the event is the murder was carried out by locals and subsequent history is driven by understanding their actions and efforts in using the maps and other things of Ruth. Perhaps this is a false trail.

On other hand if you think radically and suspect just maybe Ruth`s activities in the Superstitions attracted the attention of others who were playing a separate game and removed Ruth`s maps, etc., and replaced them with other less revealing things then all subsequent searches is just one major leap into a rabbit hole.

This scenario leads you to exploring the common thread that weaves its way though Ruth and Walter.

Great work.

Have a good day.

Starman

Starman,

That's an interesting theory. Since all of Adolph's maps went thru the hands of Erwin, is it your opinion that he just didn't notice the difference?

Good luck,

Joe Ribaudo

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Hello Mr. Roberts:

Thank you for the kind words.

If the issue of Ruth`s murder is fundamental. Then an examination of that event is fundamental to where you end up in your journey. One assumption of the event is the murder was carried out by locals and subsequent history is driven by understanding their actions and efforts in using the maps and other things of Ruth. Perhaps this is a false trail.

On other hand if you think radically and suspect just maybe Ruth`s activities in the Superstitions attracted the attention of others who were playing a separate game and removed Ruth`s maps, etc., and replaced them with other less revealing things then all subsequent searches is just one major leap into a rabbit hole.

This scenario leads you to exploring the common thread that weaves its way though Ruth and Walter.

Great work.

Have a good day.

Starman

starman1,

I have always felt (my personal opinion) that Walter Gassler was told much more by Tex Barkley than merely he had found Ruth's body on the Mesa and moved it down into Pinal County.
Walter wrote of Tex telling him about the Ruth discovery in Walter's manuscript. But Walter seemed to know more and was holding a secret or a confidence he kept to himself.
What that might have been I don't know, but certain things Walter would say, certain questions he would ask, and references to the Ruth time period led me to have suspicions that Walter knew more than he was willing or able to say.
When I think back on the "common threads" that Adolph Ruth and Walter shared it truly causes me to pause and reflect.

Adolph Ruth's son Erwin knew his father had a copy of the Peralta-Perfil map with him, but was unclear on just exactly what other maps, diagrams or directions the elder Ruth carried with him to Arizona.
The Arizona Republic Newspaper, Sheriff's report and Dan Jones letters all illustrated Erwin was not clear which "maps" his father had or didn't have.
Erwin was totally unaware of the map/directions that Jeff Adams and Tex Barkley used to try and locate a mine near a cave. This map/directions were found by Tex on Ruth's body.
No one knows the maps/directions that were not found with Ruth. Someone could have taken one or more and no one would ever know.

For all anyone knows, Ruth could have been carrying a map/directions totally unknown to any of us.

Matthew

 

[cactusjumper]

starman1,

I have always felt (my personal opinion) that Walter Gassler was told much more by Tex Barkley than merely he had found Ruth's body on the Mesa and moved it down into Pinal County.
Walter wrote of Tex telling him about the Ruth discovery in Walter's manuscript. But Walter seemed to know more and was holding a secret or a confidence he kept to himself.
What that might have been I don't know, but certain things Walter would say, certain questions he would ask, and references to the Ruth time period led me to have suspicions that Walter knew more than he was willing or able to say.
When I think back on the "common threads" that Adolph Ruth and Walter shared it truly causes me to pause and reflect.

Adolph Ruth's son Erwin knew his father had a copy of the Peralta-Perfil map with him, but was unclear on just exactly what other maps, diagrams or directions the elder Ruth carried with him to Arizona.
The Arizona Republic Newspaper, Sheriff's report and Dan Jones letters all illustrated Erwin was not clear which "maps" his father had or didn't have.
Erwin was totally unaware of the map/directions that Jeff Adams and Tex Barkley used to try and locate a mine near a cave. This map/directions were found by Tex on Ruth's body.
No one knows the maps/directions that were not found with Ruth. Someone could have taken one or more and no one would ever know.

For all anyone knows, Ruth could have been carrying a map/directions totally unknown to any of us.


Matthew

_______________________________________________

Matthew,

Quite true but, it's also more than possible that Ruth only had the map that was found with his remains. Anything else, I believe, would be simple conjecture.

In that regard, I believe father and son had their heads together on a regular basis. It would be hard to imagine otherwise. What Erwin remembers, publically, may only be a smokescreen.

Good luck,

Joe Ribaudo

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Was Adolph Ruth murdered, or was his death just a case of natural causes ?

This question has been argued back and forth now for 86 years. Many insist he was shot in the head by person(s) unknown while many others say he simply died of heart failure or dehydration. Why is there this discrepancy ? How did it come about ? Didn’t the coroner rule his death to be natural causes ?

The answer is not a simple one and to even begin to understand it one has to look at what REALLY happened in this complex and confusing death investigation.

Adolph Ruth officially disappeared on June 24, 1931.

His skull with what appeared to be a large bullet hole was discovered in Pinal County on December 10, 1931.

Back in Phoenix (Maricopa County) on December 13, 1931 three doctors examined Ruth’s skull: Dr. Orville H. Brown, Dr. James J. LaSalle and DDS. Claude M. Moore. All three agreed the hole in Mr. Ruth’s skull appeared to be caused by a bullet. None of these men were either the County Coroner or the County Medical Examiner.

On December 13, 1931 archaeologist Odd Halseth shipped Ruth’s skull to anthropologist Ales Hrdlicka in Washington D.C. for examination. Neither Halseth nor Hrdlicka were in any way official Maricopa County examiners. Halseth sent Ruth’s skull to Washington without the Coroner, Medical Examiner or the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department having examined it.

On December 19, 1931 Ales Hrdlicka reported back to Halseth in Phoenix that the holes in Adolph Ruth’s skull were probably caused by a bullet.

On December 20, 1931, Odd Halseth reported to Maricopa County Sheriff James MacFadden that Ruth’s skull had been examined in Washington and he probably died as the result of a gunshot wound to his head.

On December 20, 1931 Sheriff MacFadden, furious over Halseth’s actions demanded Ruth’s skull be returned to Phoenix. In the Sheriff’s report he notes the examination of Ruth’s skull had already been tainted by the handling and interference of Halseth and any further findings by Maricopa County could not be used in a court of law because of that contamination of the evidence.

Ruth’s skull remained with Hrdlicka in Washington D.C. was never returned to Phoenix and was turned over to Earl Ruth, a son of Adolph Ruth at some unknown date.

On January 8, 1932 a portion of the bones, the remains, minus the skull of Adolph Ruth were discovered in Pinal County.

On January 12, 1932 the remains of Adolph Ruth were turned over to the Maricopa County Sheriff and Medical Examiner.

On January 20, 1932 the Maricopa County Medical Examiner reported he could not find any evidence among the bones of Adolph Ruth that would indicate he died from foul play. The ME noted he did not have approximately 33% of the skeletal bones and the skull to examine. He noted that from what he had before him, he believed the deceased perished by natural causes.

On February 12, 1932 the acting Maricopa County coroner, Dr. JA Mauldin signed Ruth’s death certificate. On it he stated Adolph Ruth had died in Maricopa County. The date of Ruth’s death was unknown and the cause of Adolph Ruth’s death was unknown.

The unknown designation left the death certificate open for change at a later date if further information became available.

Unknown is still to this day the official designation of Adolph Ruth’s death, not natural causes as is believed by many.

On February 13, 1932 Phoenix undertaker AH McLellan shipped Adolph Ruth’s remains including his personal effects to his son Earl Ruth in Washington D.C.

Matthew

 

[deducer]

starman1,

I have always felt (my personal opinion) that Walter Gassler was told much more by Tex Barkley than merely he had found Ruth's body on the Mesa and moved it down into Pinal County.
Walter wrote of Tex telling him about the Ruth discovery in Walter's manuscript. But Walter seemed to know more and was holding a secret or a confidence he kept to himself.
What that might have been I don't know, but certain things Walter would say, certain questions he would ask, and references to the Ruth time period led me to have suspicions that Walter knew more than he was willing or able to say.
When I think back on the "common threads" that Adolph Ruth and Walter shared it truly causes me to pause and reflect.

Adolph Ruth's son Erwin knew his father had a copy of the Peralta-Perfil map with him, but was unclear on just exactly what other maps, diagrams or directions the elder Ruth carried with him to Arizona.
The Arizona Republic Newspaper, Sheriff's report and Dan Jones letters all illustrated Erwin was not clear which "maps" his father had or didn't have.
Erwin was totally unaware of the map/directions that Jeff Adams and Tex Barkley used to try and locate a mine near a cave. This map/directions were found by Tex on Ruth's body.
No one knows the maps/directions that were not found with Ruth. Someone could have taken one or more and no one would ever know.

For all anyone knows, Ruth could have been carrying a map/directions totally unknown to any of us.

Matthew

Would you be comfortable about approaching Clay Worst and asking him to share any information he is willing to share about the letters he and Erwin exchanged, especially the one he wrote to Erwin Ruth from the Ebbitt Hotel?

Do you ever know what happened to Cal Boyce (who later became sheriff of Maricopa)? He told Bob Corbin that Jeff Adams had given him the map that he (Adams) took from Ruth's body. He (Boyce) was going to give it to Corbin but died before he could.

 

[markmar]

I believe the " Peralta locator map " that Ruth had , beside with his notes/opinions of where he believed this map leads , was from a previous research which was occurred in his first attempts in the Superstitions .
After his investigation , Ruth knew that place was a wrong interpretation , and by his last attempt , he used the Perfil map for a new research . Maybe he had found in part what he was looking for ( veni vidi ..) but was not able ( because of his death } to " vici "

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Would you be comfortable about approaching Clay Worst and asking him to share any information he is willing to share about the letters he and Erwin exchanged, especially the one he wrote to Erwin Ruth from the Ebbitt Hotel?

Do you ever know what happened to Cal Boyce (who later became sheriff of Maricopa)? He told Bob Corbin that Jeff Adams had given him the map that he (Adams) took from Ruth's body. He (Boyce) was going to give it to Corbin but died before he could.

deducer,

I will ask Clay if he will share any information on that Ebbitt Hotel letter.

Luther C. Cal Boise was Maricopa County Sheriff for 22 years from 1946 - 1969. I believe he passed away in 1973 at the age of 76.

Jeff Adams said at one time or another he had given the map he and Tex Barkley found on Ruth's body to: Erwin Ruth, Earl Ruth, Carl Hayden, Sheriff MacFadden, John Henry Cline, ........ there may have been others.

Maybe Adams made copies of the map and gave one to all these people ? I know of at least one descendant of Cal Boise who still lives in Arizona.



Luther C. Cal Boise Maricopa Co. Sheriff 1946 - 1969

 

[markmar]

I believe also how Ruth had the maps which had Gonzales Peralta in 1930 when met Bradford at upper La Barge canyon .
And these maps were :The Gonzales map ( which was shared with Clark many years before ) , the Perfil map ( known as Ruth-Gonzales ) and the " Peralta locator " map .
These three maps are closely related each other and I put them in the order which have to be used .
Also , I don't believe Ruth had these maps from Mexico , but from the Superstitions area . How the maps came in Ruth possession , is another mystery . If Ruth was murdered for his maps , the same fate had Gonzales in his last trip in the Superstitions .

 

[Matthew Roberts]

I believe also how Ruth had the maps which had Gonzales Peralta in 1930 when met Bradford at upper La Barge canyon .
And these maps were :The Gonzales map ( which was shared with Clark many years before ) , the Perfil map ( known as Ruth-Gonzales ) and the " Peralta locator " map .
These three maps are closely related each other and I put them in the order which have to be used .
Also , I don't believe Ruth had these maps from Mexico , but from the Superstitions area . How the maps came in Ruth possession , is another mystery . If Ruth was murdered for his maps , the same fate had Gonzales in his last trip in the Superstitions .

markmar,

I agree in that Ruth's disappearance and death/murder (in my opinion) was based on the map(s) he was carrying with him to Arizona and the Superstition Mountains.
He was not killed for his money ($42 dollars a month disability payments).
And he was not killed for his personal possessions (some camping equipment).

Most people today in our ultra high-tech, internet environment have little faith in treasure maps. But in the 1920's - 1930's treasure maps were still regarded by a good many people as a means to get rich quick.
The Great Depression heightened those beliefs in a lot of desperate people. And desperate people were in no short supply around the Superstitions in 1931.
One BIG mistake many of us make today when we try to make sense of what happened 87 years ago, is we apply today's 2017 reasoning, rationale and knowledge to try to explain events that happened in 1931.

Three men that played a part in the Adolph Ruth mystery:



Odd S. Halseth Archaeologist Phoenix, Arizona 1931.



Ales Hrdlicka Anthropologist Washington D.C. 1931



OC West became the Maricopa County Medical Examiner