Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1909-08-14
Identity of Desert
Victim Revealed

Through a chain of circumstances
as interesting as it is peculiar, the
identity of the man found dead up
on the desert Tuesday morning last
five miles south of this city was yes
terday revealed. He was known TO
a number of people in this city
and in Goldfeld. His name was
Kunakieke. the initials being II. F.
or F. c.. He was a photographer
by profession, though of late years
he followed the occupation of disa-
washer. In October, 1906, he came
to Tonopah and was associated with
II. T. Shaw in the Photographic bus
mess. In that same year he quit
the business Of photographer and
went to Goldield, where he was en-
ployed in different restaurants
about that town. He was employed
in the Mocha cafe in the southern
camp for quite a lengthy period, re-
naming there until the place If
business suspended. some two
months ago. Following his employ
ment there, he worked at intervals
in the Mission cafe. conducted by
ex-Assemblyman Thomas Tighe.
4 chance remark I'D to his iden-
tity. Patrick Merriam, a miner, 4
recent arrival from Goldfield. had
known the nan for three years.
Yesterday, within his hearing, the
story of the finding of the man was
related. When mention was made
of the two checks on the Hermitage
saloon in Goldfield, he recalled that
a friend of his had shown similar
checks to him upon his arrival n
this city from Goldield one week
ago Sunday. He remembered also
that the man said he left a pack
age in the California Beer hall, this
city. Merriman conveyed the infor-
nation to the police who upon in.
v~estigation found that the package
was there. 1t consisted of a coat,
a pair of pants and two shirts. These
were identified by Merriman as be.
longing to Kunakicke. They were
also identified by Jack Barnett, who
had worked with the man in Gold
field, and by John Ekins, bette
known as Jimmy, the Giant" TIL,
latter had furnished the dead MAJ
money with which to eat. That wa
one week ago Monday. At that tim,
the man told Ekins that he was go
ing to return to Goldfeld If he ha;
to walk. He was considerably I'm
der the influence of liquor. Evi
IDENTIFY, he started on the %journe,
which led him to his death.
; DR.. Elftman yesterday brought t,
town a vest which he found abou
200 yards from where the body wa
found. In one of the pockets wa.
a piece of paper bearing the nam
Dan Petesh." Petesh worked will
| Kunakieke in the Mocha cafe, ac
cording to Barnett and Ekins, boil
t of whom are restaurant men ant
2 who were in Goldfeld at the tim,
the deceased was employed there
/ In the pants which were in tn,
package left at the California Bee,
hall was an Odd Fellows pin. /
/ is not known whether or not he wa.
a member of that order.
Mr.. Shaw was perhaps better ac
quainted with the man than any
8 one else. In a statement to a rep
: resentative of the Bonanza he sail
t that he was one of the finest work
: men he had ever seen. He was on
s who said little OF himself, thong!
at times he did mention havinI
children in Chicago. He gave on
the impression that his wife wa
h dead. Mr.. Shaw believes the mai
was born in Kentucky and says h
e was a German-Ameriean. He learn
ed the Photographic business 4
d either C~oyington or Paducah, Ken
: lucky. At one time he worked TO
a man named Johnson in San Fran
5 cisco, going from there to Los An
e geles where he was employed by
s photographer named Pierson.
Efforts will be made to locate hi
S relatives If he has any.