The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-02-12
HUMAN KEY I 0.
.s2500000 FORTUNE
LOSES BIG REWARD
German From HAWAII Turns Up
Month Too Late To Help
~ Friend
OWNER or PANAMA OIL Il.
CLAIM SHoRN OF RICHES
.bEa /. 49, AL
Nj Because Man Who Gould
Prove Property Could Not
..~ Be Found

The fierce Persian hero who thortalIy
5oundcd his disguised adversary only
% find that it was his own son, did
.Ut look at his victim more mournfully
al with sadder eyes than did Fred
johnson when he beheld Emil Ruther.
Ieck, an eccentric German, aged
twenty-five years, who quietly slipped
nto San Francisco from Honolulu on
january 80.
autherbeck human Key
.Rutherbeck, who is the human
key'' to $2,500,OOO fortune in Oil
lands In Panama in which Fred Robin.
son is interested, appeared on the
cast just thirty days too late to aid
Robinson in the recovery of this for
tune. On the first of January the oil
lands were by law forfeited to the
Tanama government.
Nevertheless, Fred Robinson grabbed
the old man, carried him off to Fruit.
yae, in Oakland, where he is living
with friends. Meantime Robinson
wired his attorney in Washington to
Il ess his suit against the Panama gov.
,nment for the recovery of the oil
Spperty. "a
10th Rutherbeck and Robinson are
'oldiefs Of fortune. Both have been
going up and down the world since they
we're fifteen years old.
Takes Up Rich Land
Four years ago Fred Robinson went
TO Panama and took up land there, says
he San Francisco Examiner. In few
weeks oil was discovered on it. Robin
'on interested certain people and they
anne forward with money with which
70 build oil wells. Then fortune beamed
IN Robinson. The United States gov
eminent offered him a huge price for
The land.
The Standard Oil Company came
llong and bid even higher 1t offered
Gobinson 100000 for his land.
Robinson was about to close the deal
when the Panama government stepped
in. 1t was found that the land which
Robinson claimed and was about to sell
had been. located and claimed in 1865
Nv Emil Rttherbeek, then twenty five
years old.
According to the law, Rutherbeck g
IL; I'M to the land was the only one
Lat war valid Bu+ there was string
attached even to Rutherbcck 8 claim.
Unless Rutherbeck turned up by De.
cemher 81, l0I4-fifty years after he
Fl st discov and claimed the land
A.s tile to it would be forfeited, and
the entire property would revert to the
Panama government.
Search For Missing Man
1t was then Fred Robinson started
his frantic search for Ruthcrbeck. The
eccentric German wandercr was traced
to Chicago and then to Oregon and
then to A,ahcim, Cal. Here, however,
all traces of him ran into sand.
Robinson offered reward Of $780,
NU0 to the man or woman who would
rive the whereabouts of Rutherbeck 80
nat he could be brought back before
midnight December 81, 1914, in time
to notify the authorities at Washing
on and the government of Panama of
lis aDpca an,c and of his claim to the
amt
In spite of the 100000 offer of re
ward for the finding Of Ruthcrhcck II"
Body could trace the old man. One day
~ walked into San Francisco, calICC
upon friends, and on January r. Eohu.
3on met him face to face for the firSt
time.
Aged Man WeepS
When Robinson briefly acquainted
Rutherbcck with the fortune they
have both missed by his coming IL
month too late, the gaunt old German,
with bristling mustache and stubbi"
beard, wcpt like a child.
~ am not sOrry,' Ruthcrbeck said,
- for the fortune that have missed.
"But | am sorry for you, boy, very
sorry And ! will help you recover it.
will do all | can for you. have a
little diary with dates and particulars
pertaining to the claim. You are wei
come to it. r4.E1'g