Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-14
Remains of Man Discovered
Near San Antonito Last Week
Believed to be Those of
George Oliver of Albuquerque
WANDERED AWAY AND
WAS NEVER HEARD FROM
Well Known SaIoonkeeper Suf-
fered from Curious HaIIucina-
tom Left Camp Whitcomb in
NIGHT and Never Returned,

That tho finding Of the body of It
man buried in a shallow grave near
san Antonito, ia Tijeras canyon. by
"A party OF goat hcrders several days
ago, clears up the mystery which has
for seven years hung over the strange
disa ppcarance Of George Oliver, a
well known saloonkeeper OF this city.
is firmly believed by Judge w. c..
HeacOck and other well known per-
sons of Albuquerque who were well
acquainted with Oliver and who par
ticiIated in the search for him. dead
or alive. at the time of his disappear
ance. The fact that the body was
found near san Antonito, and that it
was enclosed in a suit Of undercloth-
ms similar to that worn by oliver on
the night he wandered away from
Whitcomb Springs, III July, 1903, in
dicates strongly that the body, when
endowed with life. was none other
than George Oliver.
Those who lived in Albuquerque
seven years ago will plainly recall the
sensation which was caused by the
rather tragic disappearance or
Oliver. He drank excessively and be-
came afflicted with delirium remens
Whitcomb Springs was ut that time
a noted health resort. and Oliver was
sent there to recuper3tte, accompanied
by a physician. DR.. J. A. Henry. now
dead, and two other attendants.
Oliver Was in bad shape physically and
mentally, and refused to do anything
that he was ordered to, even to tax
ing his clothes off to sleep at
night. lie had been at the springs
only 4 couple of DAYS when he devel-
oped a strange hallucination, insisting
that he WAS in a court room and that
he was about to be sentenced to be
hanged. so persistent was he in the
hallucination that his companions be-
came alarmed, and were considering
returning With him to Albuquerque.
one evening, shortly after dark, he
jumped up from a camp stool where
he was sitting. and rushed out of the
gent before his eomD% anions could
stop him, crying wildly; There they
come. they're going to hang me;
they're going to hang me-
That was the last ever seen OF
George Oliver. His companions, in
Guiding Tom Donohue and others, fol-
lowed him down the m~ountainside, !
but the darkness Was so intense that
they were unable to catch up with
him. His delirium lent strength to
his purpose TO flee away as far as pos
sible from his supposed eXecutioners,
and it was but a few moments until
ne WIS ioSl. 1idNft u W. dlN Aiilil6 |
in the darkness, the aearchcrs re-
turned to camp, but started on a de-
termined search at daylight the next
day. Assistance was called for from
Albuquerque, n fifteen friends of
Oliver, including Judge Heacock, went
to the scene and aided in the aunt,
remaining at Whitcomb and vicinity ,
for several days. \ large reward was
offered for the recovery Of the mar
"a l4e.g -a, lSC I.a1 IAlx~ MIN son tth |
awaited nothing. however, and George
Oher was never found.
When he left the camp, Oliver wore !
a heavy tweed suit of clothes, q Ola I
mona ring. three diamond studs, a
pair OF gold cuff buttons and a heavy i,
gold watch and chain, the jewelry al
together being valued at several hun
bred dollars ut a low estimate.
The theory advanced by Judge Hea-
cock Is that Oliver wandered round
in the mountains for several days and
then died as the result of his naturally
weakened condition and abstinence !
from food and water. His body was
evidently found some time later. The
jewelry on the body proved to be of
greater value thar the reward offered
for the return of the body, cOnse-
quently the finders decided to retain
the iewelry and bury the body.
Al an inquest held over the body
found near san Antonito last week, a
verdict was rendered to the effect that
the man met death by some unknown
cause. n that he was evidently an
American, his light hair indicating
this. The body, according to reports
brought in from T%iieias, a small VII
lage near san Antonito, was badly de-
composed. and mutilated, mainly from
Icing torn by coyotes. 1t is a Wen
known fact tina bodies, when buried
in the mountains. remain in a good
condition for several years, and 1t may
be supposed, with some certainty, that
divers body would not AYE turned
to lust during the past seven years.
Looking at the matter from every
Wow point. it is almost an absolute Ger
taintv that the body is that of oliver
n his friends in Albuquerque con-
slider hat the mystery of his strange
disappearance is solved at last.
Theories we're advanced at the time
OF his disappearance that liz ran
away from the country to evade pay
ment of his obligations, hut an inNes-
tigation Of his affairs refuted this, II
be ing found that he vas in good con-
dition financially.