Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-12
HOME SEARCHED BY
THIEVES FOR CASH
He Was Known as THE Mlser'
and Was Supposed to Have Coin
Hidden Beneath His
House In Small
Tunnel.

Los Angeles, Cal, Nov. 12.-Fear-
full that John Gunnison, a wealthy
rancher living at Figueroa and Man
chester streets, has been murdered
or is held a captive while search is
being made for money which Is
thought to have been buried by the
rancher, the police are making every
effort to locate the man or his body.
Yesterday afternoon four detectives
were dispatched to the home of
Gunnison, who has been missing
since early on the morning Of No
vember 1.
Clues secured by detectives late
yesterday afternoon show that per-
sons have entered the home of the
aged rancher and apparently have
been searching for boarded treasure.
Close scrutiny shows that entrance
was effected by a pass key through
the front door and every effort made
to conceal the searcn which was
made under the building.
Probably Held for Ransom.
After questioning neighbors and
acquaintances of the missing man,
the police say Gunnison has either
been spirited away and Is held cap
tive while a search Is being made
for his money. or that he has been
murdered.
S. G.. Wesnern, rancher who
lives near the Gunnison place, is posi-
tive that the man ftls met with foul
play. Wethern yesterday afternoon
gave the police Information regard
ing the life of Gunnison, and 1t is
admitted that several clues were Sc
cured from the missing mans
neighbor.
''Gunnison," said Wethern yester-
day, "has been a most peculiar char
acter, and Is what is locally known
as the miser.' He owned a great
number of fancy bred horses, and
was considered in affiuent circum-
stances.
Had Hidden Treasure.
although I am not positive of 1t,
| am morally sure that the man hid
his money in secret recesses, and
that even now he has a vast fortune
hi 1den rear his home.
ut has becn generally considered
for number of years-in fact for
the past ten years-that the man
secret tunnel leading from the floor
In the kitchen in his home to the
cellar in the place.
Last Saturday morning I noticed
that Gunnison was missing and
made an investigation about the
place. He had told no one that he
expected to be gone from his home,
-Atu Aoid lO dIIdnk6menI
he care of his stock.
Someone After Treasure,
II did not think that anything was !
mysterious about the disappearance |
until Wednesday. Then / noticed |
hat the blinds on the window had |
been pulled down. 1 searched around |
he house thoroughly, but was un-
j BILE to find any trace of where Gum
1ison had been. Today the police |
claim that an attempt has been |
made to locate the buried money un-
the floor Of the building.
Il have known Gunnison for ten
'e ars and never before, during that
line, had he been away from his
10 re for more than two days.
ever went to Los Angeles without
skiing me to keep a lookout for his
tock and to watch his small house.
THE fact that he was so careful
ask me to watch his shack led
ne to believe that he really did have
quantity of money buried. Gunni-
on was peculiar, mystifylng in every
hing that he did, and was known in
his section as one who boarded his
reasure and counted the money
yer in the small hours of the MORN
lg. Many times / have seen a dim
ght burning in his home, but /
ever really suspected that he was
ounting his money"