The Detroit times., 1909-05-28
MYSTERY Of g
YEARS IS SOLVED
Skeleton of Man Who Disappeared in
1877 Found on Death Ranch"
Near Mariposa, Cal.

Ing his secret more successfully than
the fiendish Bender family of Kansas
and with more cunning than the art
ful Mrs. Belle Guinness, OF the Indiana
murder farm, George Mccoy, miseI
and recluse. conducted death ranch
near this city for more than half a
century and not until two years al
ter his death has the awful secret OF
the old mans lonely life been reveal
ed. Now the search for bones has led
To quest for treasure believed to
have been taken from victims and
buried on the ranch as far back as
the placer mining days of the early
Sos. The first suggestion of the old
miser's grewsome secret came when
newcomers began excavation about
the old we'll OF the ranch, with a view
TO reconstructing II, and uncovered a
human skeleton.
Further excavation revealed the
bones OF four men. All the skeletons
were doubled up showing that the
bodies had been buried with the knees
and heads together.
At the direction of District Attor-
ney Adair a close examination Of the
house was made. A trap door was
found, hidden In the floor. Ii led 10 q
large cellar.
Seeking further. the investigators
pulled away a large stone at one side
of the cellar wall and there stood re.
vealed the opening of a well-construct
ed. stone-lined tunnel. four feet high
and about two feet wide, leading to
the well where the skeletons were
found.
One evening in the summer OF 1877
John Wilson. a wealthy young rancher
rode out of Mariposa with large sum
OF money in his saddle bag. His shep-
herd dog followed. No one ever saw
him or his horse or his dog again. He
took the road leading by the Mccoy
ranch. A Chinese told the sherifl
that he saw Mccoy talking to Wilson
on the road. The Chinese disappear
ed the next day.
A posse charged Mccoy with con
nection with the disappearance OF
Wilson He denied it, The posse
searched his house and ranch. but to
no avail. They threatened lynching
but Mccoy gave no sign OF weakening
and he was spared. The search fol
Wilson continued for years and was
vi ny TIC Ouu CiiOWS III
parts OF the country
When the first skeleton was un
earthed at the ranch the other day
the disappearance of Wilson was re
called at once. The day following the
discovery of the skeletons, solid golt
band ring with the letter wv" engrav
ed on the inside, was unearthed. Near
| by the skeleton of dog was found ant
the Wilson mystery was solved.
But the question OF what became o.
the money remains unanswered Nc
Coy never spent dollar of 1t. II VIII
son was murdered for his money, what
of the other three skeletons? Colo
was plentiful in the early sos wher
Mccoy built that cellar and secret tun
mel. Thousands of persons swarmec
here from the ends OF the earth to en-
gage In the placer mining.
Mccoy was a miner himself, but the
grewsome discoveries on the Mccoy
ranch point to an easier way of OBJ
tanning gold.
II the theories accepted today Oh
the countryside are correct. rich treas
ure lies hidden somewhere on the
death ranch" and the searchers viii
not be satisfied until every foot o.
earth has been overturned.
Two years ago, a party OF county
fticials, stopping at the place, open
ed the door I'd find the body OF Mccoy
ting upright on his bed, his hanI
clutching the ragged blankets and hi.
great blue eyes, wide open In an ex
preston Of affect terror. He wa.
dead.