Other Deaths and Disappearances
Since Ruth's death, there have been several other allegedly mysterious deaths or encounters in the Superstition Mountains, but it's unclear how many of these can be regarded as reliably reported. Other searchers for the mine have disappeared in what have been reported as likely wilderness accidents.
- In the mid-1940s, the headless remains of prospector James A. Cravey were reportedly discovered in the Superstition Mountains. He'd allegedly disappeared after setting out to find the Lost Dutchman's mine.
- 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.
- In late November or early December 2009, Denver, Colorado resident Jesse Capen (35) went missing in the Tonto National Forest. His campsite was found abandoned, but he was not located. He was known to have been interested in the mine for years and had made previous trips to the area. Capen's body was found in November, 2012 by a local search and rescue organization, wedged into a crevasse.
- On July 11, 2010 Utah hikers Curtis Merworth (49), Ardean Charles (66) and Malcolm Meeks (41) went missing in the Superstition Mountains looking for the mine. Merworth had become lost in the same area in 2009, requiring a rescue. On July 19, the Maricopa county Sheriff's department called off the search for the lost men. They presumably died in the summer heat. In January 2011, three sets of remains believed to be those of the lost men were recovered.
Read more about this topic: Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
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