Crooked Bill’s Lost Gold:

Crooked Bill’s Lost Gold:

It was in the year 1870, near what we now know today as Cleator AZ.

 Throughout the Bradshaw Mountains there have been hundreds of mining camps, tent cities and lone prospectors hunting for their fortune in gold. Many of these mining camps, tent cities had brothels and saloons in them and there was always business. In one of these tent (mining camp) cities a man nicknamed Crooked Bill was said to be a terrible miner and prospector, finding more problems and near death experiences than gold. 

So he began a new way of mining, and that was to rob other miners and prospectors and stealing from the mining camps. He would sneak into mining camps, mines, and the tent cities at night and steal what he could and then sneak away into the night. This went on for several months and over 5 people were accused of the crime and coincidentally hanged for it, one was a Apache man who was caught by some miners and sadly burnt alive while tied with wire to a wagon wheel. 

When stealing from the camps became to difficult, Bill began to be more bold and started holding people up in broad daylight by their camps. He made off with over 50 fire arms, hundreds of pounds of goods and food, over $1,500 in silver, gold and copper coin and well over 1000 ounces of gold and silver. People shot at Bill many times as he was escaping but none ever hit their mark. 

His days of stealing and robbing came to a violent end on a Hot August night when Over 40 miners surrounded his hidden camp in complete silence. Bill was laying in his cot asleep when his canvas tent was ripped down by men on horseback. He awoke shocked, unaware and in a panic he reached for a rifle and was shot in the leg and face then fell to the ground. 

The miners tied Bill upside down to a large mesquite tree nearby and began to whip him, brand him. As they began collecting their stolen property they found everything but their money, coins, gold Placer and silver ore. Bill said he hid it away near the camp. A miner who was wearing a Army sergeants coat cut off Bills ears, fingers, toes and castrated him to make him talk....... he never did. 

He died from the torture and his body was left there, tied upside down to the Mesquite tree.

(This was known as Vigilante Justice). 

The gold and silver to this day have never been found. 

If while out on your adventures this week and find your self out metal detecting 

This will be in coins, gold dust, nuggets and silver ore. 

(Please follow and respect federal, private Property and state lands) 

Have a fun and Adventurous week. 

Stay Safe, Stay Alive, Keep Treasure Hunting!!