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WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:39 am
by Jim Hatt
WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS


Walter Perrine was born in Trenton New Jersey in 1932. He was abandon by his mother as an infant, and raised by his Grandmother Lydian Perrine, who was a full blooded Chiricahua Apache, and was born near the base of Weaver’s Needle in 1860.

The map below was drawn by Walter Perrine, and shows approximately where Lydian was born.

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The next photo is of Lydian Perrine, taken in Trenton New Jersey sometime in the mid 1940's.

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According to Walter’s story she lived at the base of Weaver’s Needle with a small band of Apaches, until she was around 10 years old.

When Lydian was on her deathbed, she summoned Walter to her side, and told him the story about the cave with gold bars, and said that it was his destiny to go there, and for him to have the gold bars.

Her story went like this… While growing up, she heard many stories about a large underground cave in the immediate area with several rooms, and only one small vertical shaft leading down into it. One of the rooms contained a large stack of gold bars in it, that the Apaches considered sacred, and kept a close watch over.

She told Walter that one of the other rooms, had a large underground spring in it, and that there was a ledge on the left side upon which the water was only about 1 foot deep, and that if he followed that ledge to the back of the cave. He would find embedded into the back wall, ½ of a geode. The other half had been removed by the Apaches. Lydian had the half that had been removed, and gave it to Walter when he was about 12 yrs. old. She told him that if he could ever bring both halves together. He would be have control over all the Apache tribes.

Just prior to the Apaches sealing up the entrance, she was asked if she wanted to see what was inside. She said yes, and was lowered down into the cave. She said she saw a pile of gold bars, that was almost shoulder high to her, and went far enough back into the darkness, that she could not see the end of it.

Walter was intrigued with the story, but he had already made plans to go to Florida, and open a Body Building and Martial Arts studio with a partner who was going to put up all the money required to open it. Eventually the studio failed because it was infiltrated by the mafia, and Walter found himself broke, and in a position where he needed to “Get out of Dodge” pretty quick.

He went to Ralston, Georgia where he had some friends, and eventually met a man named Bill Sims, who he went to work for as a Whiskey Runner. Knowing that this was not going to be a life-long career, and afraid that it could eventually put him into prison if he were ever caught. He started thinking of what else he could do to support himself,

Having no marketable skills, other than a body building and Martial Arts instructor at that time, (I believe Walter said he got his engineering degree using his GI Bill after his service in the Army) and not being able to find gainful employment in that field. He started remembering his Grandmother’s story about the cave of gold bars in the Superstition Mountains, near Phoenix, Arizona.

Broke again, with no transportation of his own, and getting that old familiar feeling for the need to "Get out of Dodge". (Which he did not go into detail about) He wrote a bad check for a Greyhound Bus ticket and arrived in Phoenix, with $1.35 in his pocket.

(Click on each photo of Walter to view related video clip)
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Backing up a little here, I first heard the story about Walter's cave of gold bars in the mid 1990's from Carl Boderick and John Combs. They had both worked with Walter, and believed his story. They told me how they had helped him haul a 6 cylinder ford engine, and an 85 cubic foot air compressor, up the the area where Walter believed the entrance to the cave was.

John even drew me a map to the area which showed the lay of the land, and where he had carved his initials (JRC) on the side of the cliff up there.

According to John and Carl there was even a member of the Globe Archeological Society in the group, who was very impressed with the whole operation, and was convinced that "something" big had gone on in the area, because someone had hauled a lot of material from the bottom of the canyon up to where Walter wanted to dig.

The map John drew for me. (By the time I met Walter in 2008 he had decided that he had been digging in the wrong spot, but believed he then knew where the right spot was).
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Walter's story about getting the equipment into the area.
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

Louie Kaywood
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

The reason Lydia said the cave was sealed.
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A couple stories about Walter's friendship with Bob Ward
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

A short story about Walter's friendship with Ed Piper
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

Story about a small group of people shooting at Walter and his crew from Bluff Spring Mountain
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

In 2008 Walter knew his time in this world was growing shorter, and shorter, and there was only one more thing he wanted to do before he cached in his chips.
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

A couple of Walter's drawings of a copyrighted gun design that he was working on when I was there interviewing him.
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Last but not least, although a bit off topic... Walter's opinion about what should be done with corrupt Politicians.
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(Click on photo of Walter to view related video clip)

END

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:06 am
by silent hunter
More More!!!!! This is the story that I believe the most out of them all. I wish it had not been posted on here, but it's not my story to tell.

Best Wishes
Kurt Painter

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:43 am
by Jim Hatt
Kurt,

There are two things to keep in mind as you read this story.

1 - Walter did not disclose any "intimate" details about the location of the underground cave to me, (although I will filter some things out of the story, that I believe Walter would not wish to be posted in an open forum) because as of 2008 when I interviewed him, he still had dreams of finding the cave/gold himself.

I will be including a map drawn by John Combs (drawn and given to me by John himself around 1994) showing where Walter and his crew were digging back in the early 60's, but it was later determined by Walter, that he was mistaken, and that was not the place where they should have been digging.

2 - As far as I know Walter is still alive, (although the phone number I have for him is not a working number for him any more) and I would not want to post anything that would cause him, or any of his sons (who may still be actively searching for the opening to the cave) any problems.

With 14 other men involved with Walter back in the early 60's. Obviously the story has been told, and retold many times, and there are probably many variations of it in circulation, with no recognition to Walter for being the original source of the information.

I will be retelling the "basic" story as Walter told it to me himself, and it should be about as close to the original version of the story, that you will ever hear without hearing it from Walter's own lips. But... I do not expect anyone to be able to locate the cave based on what I know, and will be revealing. If I did have any information that I believed would take me to the spot, I would be out there searching for the cave myself, and I have never made a trip to that area to search for it.

Best,

Jim

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:45 am
by silent hunter
Hattman you tell the story. I will be waiting for part #2


Best Wishes
Kurt Painter

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:29 am
by gollum
Jim,

If he is Walter E Perrine of Phoenix born in 1932, then there is no Death Certificate for him. I guess he is still alive.

............... and I too am very interested in this story.


Best-Mike

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 12:07 pm
by cubfan64
I don't know if it's the same person, but I found a death notice for Walter Ellison Perrine of February 20, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ. He was born March 6, 1932 and was issued a SSN in New Jersey prior to 1951.

We lose more and more history with every passing year :(

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:53 pm
by Jim Hatt
cubfan64 wrote:I don't know if it's the same person, but I found a death notice for Walter Ellison Perrine of February 20, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ. He was born March 6, 1932 and was issued a SSN in New Jersey prior to 1951.

We lose more and more history with every passing year :(

That could be him Paul. That is right around the time I lost contact with him.

Best,

Jim

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:15 pm
by Jim Hatt
silent hunter wrote:More More!!!!! This is the story that I believe the most out of them all. I wish it had not been posted on here, but it's not my story to tell.

Best Wishes
Kurt Painter

Kurt,

I believe that between you and I, we have ENOUGH stories that we could never post, to last us for 3 lifetimes. We gotta give "something" up now and then. We will never get to them all in what time we have left in this world.

:(

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:06 pm
by somehiker
Jim:
Was Walter a professional gunsmith?
That pistolo looks to be chambered for .223.

John's map clearly shows an arrastra,but what would that oval object,drawn just above the "East Side" be?Looking forward to more of the story.

Regards:Wayne

Re: WALTER PERRINE’S CAVE OF GOLD BARS

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:16 pm
by Jim Hatt
Wayne,

Yes, Walter was about as professional as they came. He specialized in fully automatic weapons. (Speaking of him in the past tense now because after reading Paul's post above. I believe Walter is no longer with us).

John said he saw what looked like an old arrasta in the area where he drew it, but Walter never mentioned it to me. It doesn't really fit in with Walter's story about a cave of gold bars, but that is what John said he saw up there. (It could have just been a bunch of fractured rock that John mistook for an arrasta).

I think that oval spot was the was an area where Walter and his crew saw some Apaches gathered for some kind of ceremony, the day before all the shooting started. I believe he mentioned it in one of the video clips I posted, and referred to it as a "banana" shaped flat area.

You will have to click on each one of the photos of Walter (They are links to video clips) to get the rest of the story.

Best,

Jim