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WILLIAM SHATNER:
A ruthless outlaw,
who escaped justice.
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00:00:05,793 --> 00:00:07,043
A mysterious mountain range,
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guarded by a deadly curse.
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And giant winged creatures
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that soared across the frontier.
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When we think of the Old West,
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we tend to imagine
a romanticized era
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on the American frontier
filled with cowboys,
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Native Americans, and outlaws.
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But what's less well-known
is that there are many strange
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and sometimes
downright bizarre tales
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from this time period.
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Stories about cursed mountains,
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fearsome monsters
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and even
flying objects in the sky.
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Is it possible the Wild West
was actually much stranger
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than we commonly think?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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Each year, thousands of tourists
travel to this small rural town,
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located 160 miles
east of Albuquerque,
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to visit a museum dedicated
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to the most notorious outlaw
of the Old West...
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...Billy the Kid.
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Among the attractions
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is a tombstone where,
according to the history books,
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the gunslinger was laid to rest.
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KRISTINA DOWNS:
Among infamous
outlaws of the Wild West,
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Billy the Kid is definitely,
today, the most famous.
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He's been the subject
of countless novels.
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He has appeared
in more motion pictures
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than any other
historical figure.
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And his fame has just really
grown and grown and grown.
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SHATNER:
The bandit known
as Billy the Kid
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reportedly committed his first
murder at the age of 17...
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...when he shot
and killed a blacksmith
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in a saloon located
in Bonita, Arizona
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on August 17, 1877.
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He then evaded arrest,
fled to New Mexico,
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and adopted the alias
William H. Bonney.
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But because of his youth
and his growing notoriety,
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he earned his infamous
nickname, Billy the Kid.
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Billy the Kid claimed
to have killed 21 men,
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one for each year
of his short life.
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♪ ♪
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He escaped prison
at least three times,
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he was shot and stabbed,
and these things
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all added to the legend
and the lore surrounding him.
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At the height of his infamy,
there was a $500 bounty
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on Billy the Kid's head, which
was a crazy amount of money
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at that time period.
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That resulted in
Sheriff Pat Garrett
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and his sizable posse
trying to hunt him down.
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According to official accounts,
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he was shot down
by Pat Garrett in 1881
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and laid to rest
in Sumner, New Mexico.
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SHATNER:
In 1882, Sheriff Pat Garret
published a book entitled
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An Authentic Life
of Billy the Kid,
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which described Garret's
encounters with the outlaw,
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including their final showdown
in Sumner, New Mexico.
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For decades, historians
considered the book
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to be the definitive account
of the death of Billy the Kid.
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But then, in the 1940s,
new information came to light
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which suggested that,
incredibly,
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Billy the Kid had
evaded justice and survived
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for more than 60 years.
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Investigator and lawyer
William Morrison
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visits this rural community
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in search of an elderly
prospector and cowboy named
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Brushy Bill Roberts.
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Morrison has traveled
to meet with Brushy Bill
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because he has reason to believe
that Bill may, in fact...
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be Billy the Kid.
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IAN NELIGH:
In 1949,
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William Morrison
came across somebody
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who said he knew that
Billy the Kid was still alive
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and living in Texas.
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And William Morrison
decided that
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that's who he needed to find.
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So he went to Texas, and he
found Brushy Bill Roberts.
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When he asked Brushy Bill
if he was Billy the Kid,
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Brushy Bill said,
"Okay, I am Billy the Kid,
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"and I will tell my story
if you can secure me a pardon
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"from the governor of New Mexico
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for the crimes
that I committed."
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DOWNS:
Brushy Bill was hesitant
to admit to being Billy the Kid
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because there was
still technically
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a warrant out for his arrest
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and he'd been sentenced to death
and if he were recaptured,
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he technically could have
still been executed.
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SHATNER:
It may seem outlandish
to consider the possibility
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that Brushy Bill Roberts
was Billy the Kid.
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But the truth is that,
the more William Morrison
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investigated
Brushy Bill's story...
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the more he started to believe
that it could be true.
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William Morrison
thought that Brushy Bill
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very well could be
Billy the Kid.
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He had knife wounds
and bullet wounds
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that seemed to fit
with the Kid's story.
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In addition, Morrison found
several different people
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who knew the Kid
in the olden days
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who were willing to sign
affidavits saying that,
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yeah, indeed, Brushy Bill
was Billy the Kid.
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SHATNER:
While the evidence in favor
of Brushy Bill's story
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was compelling, many skeptics
asked an obvious question:
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If Billy the Kid didn't
actually die in 1881,
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then who is buried
in the grave site
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located in Fort Sumner,
New Mexico?
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The official account
of Billy the Kid's death
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comes from Pat Garrett.
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But there's a lot of
inconsistencies
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in Garrett's story
from the very beginning.
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He said that Billy was armed,
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but when the body was examined,
there was no weapon on him.
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The body was described
as having facial hair.
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Billy the Kid was
always described
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as not having facial hair.
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The body was also described
as having dark skin,
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and Billy was always
described as fair-skinned.
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So all of the inconsistencies
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in Garrets' story
raises a lot of doubt
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into his version of
Billy the Kid's death
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and it opens the door
for the possibility
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that Garrett shot the wrong man.
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And Billy the Kid
could have survived,
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and Brushy Bill Roberts really
could have been Billy the Kid.
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SHATNER:
With the help of
William Morrison,
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Brushy Bill was able
to secure a meeting
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with Thomas Mabry,
the governor of New Mexico,
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in an effort to finally
receive a pardon
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for the crimes of Billy the Kid.
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But, unfortunately,
the meeting did not go well
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for Brushy Bill.
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NELIGH:
Brushy Bill's meeting
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with the governor of
New Mexico went horribly.
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He couldn't remember
Pat Garrett's name.
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It's said that
he maybe was suffering
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from some kind of
physical ailment.
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We don't really know,
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but it didn't take long
for the governor to decide
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that he wasn't gonna
give him the pardon.
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SHATNER:
Soon after the governor
denied his clemency,
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Brushy Bill suffered
a heart attack
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and died on December 27, 1950.
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But even in his final days,
Brushy Bill never wavered
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from his claim that he was,
in fact, Billy the Kid.
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And the town of Hamilton, Texas
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still commemorates
Brushy Bill to this day,
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where his tombstone
identifies him
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as being
the notorious gunslinger.
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The Wild West looms very large
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in the American
historical consciousness
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for a variety of reasons.
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It attracted outlaws,
it attracted people on the run.
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And so, it was a place
to reinvent oneself,
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to create a new persona.
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If you took on a new name
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and just called yourself
differently,
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how would anybody ever know?
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So there is an interest
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in these larger-than-life
legendary characters,
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like Billy the Kid,
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and whether or not
he actually did get shot.
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Because it's the story of
how America came to be.
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Did Billy the Kid,
one of the most notorious
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gunslingers of the Wild West,
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survive into the 20th century,
and live a full life?
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Some residents of the town
of Hamilton, Texas believe
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that the answer is a firm "yes."
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Just as there are those
who believe that a mysterious
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mountain range, located
in the Arizona desert,
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is imbued
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with a deadly curse.
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SHATNER:
In Southern Arizona,
50 miles east of Phoenix,
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lie the Superstition Mountains.
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These jagged peaks
rise approximately
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1,800 feet into the sky,
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and dominate
the surrounding landscape.
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According to the folklore
of the Native Apache people,
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the Superstition Mountains
are a sacred place
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that is guarded by a
supernatural entity known as...
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-(thunder crashing)
-...the Thunder God.
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To the Native Apache,
the Superstition Mountains
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are the home of the Thunder God,
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and as such,
they should be respected.
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Most Apache will not enter
the Superstition Mountains
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because they believe
that to do so
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could anger the Thunder God,
causing him to lash out
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and probably kill the person
who has violated his space.
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RON FELDMAN:
The Apache, they did not live
too much in The Superstitions
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because that's where
the Thunder God lived,
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was in the Superstitions.
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And many times, actually,
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I've heard thunder sounds
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even when there is
no thunderstorms around.
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There's something there.
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I mean, definitely,
the mountains do roar at times.
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The mountains rumble
by themselves.
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And it's been
attributed to, of course,
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the Apache religion of
their Thunder God.
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SHATNER:
The Superstition Mountains
got their name in the 1800s
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when pioneers heard tales
from the local Native Americans
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about people
mysteriously disappearing
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or suddenly dying after entering
this sacred mountain range.
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But in spite of these warnings,
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settlers often did not view
the Superstition Mountains
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with such reverence.
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For those who came to
the Superstition Mountains
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during the Wild West era
in search of gold,
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the Superstition Mountains,
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00:11:26,043 --> 00:11:27,876
like every other part of
the American landscape,
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were a resource
waiting to be tapped.
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This was a place of possibility,
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00:11:32,626 --> 00:11:34,835
this is a place of
possible wealth.
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LYNNE McNEILL:
We tend to associate
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this idea of westward
expansion with discovery,
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when, of course,
there were humans there...
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00:11:42,293 --> 00:11:44,835
(chuckles)
...all along for centuries
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00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,751
who already had an existing
relationship with that land.
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They knew what was in it,
and had their own beliefs
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about what was
an appropriate way
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00:11:55,418 --> 00:11:57,835
to interact with this landscape.
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DOWNS:
The Apache were not happy
to see these settlers
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00:12:01,626 --> 00:12:04,710
coming into their sacred land,
and according to legend,
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00:12:04,835 --> 00:12:08,376
put a curse on the land
that would result in the deaths
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00:12:08,543 --> 00:12:12,501
of anybody who tried to mine
the Superstition Mountains
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00:12:12,626 --> 00:12:14,626
because they believe
that to do so,
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00:12:14,751 --> 00:12:16,918
is to risk angering
the Thunder God.
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SHATNER:
There are those
who believe the curse of
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00:12:19,918 --> 00:12:21,918
the Superstition Mountains
is both real...
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00:12:22,085 --> 00:12:25,376
-(thunder crashing)
-...and deadly.
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00:12:25,543 --> 00:12:29,376
As evidence, they point
to a curious treasure mystery
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00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:30,876
that took place in the mountains
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over the course of
more than a hundred years.
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The story begins with the
untimely demise of the Peraltas,
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00:12:40,001 --> 00:12:43,210
a family of prospectors
who went searching for gold
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in the Superstitions
in the 1840s.
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The Peralta family were
supposedly the Spanish
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00:12:50,626 --> 00:12:52,168
that came first to mine
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00:12:52,251 --> 00:12:53,793
in the Superstition wilderness.
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00:12:55,501 --> 00:12:58,918
And they worked several mines
in an area where there was gold,
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00:12:59,043 --> 00:13:01,126
there was silver,
and they mined for both.
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00:13:01,918 --> 00:13:03,543
JESSE FELDMAN:
As the story goes,
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00:13:03,668 --> 00:13:06,710
the Spanish Peralta
family amassed
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00:13:06,835 --> 00:13:10,460
crude bullion bars
from their mine.
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00:13:10,585 --> 00:13:13,876
And what I mean by crude,
that would be made of gold,
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00:13:14,043 --> 00:13:16,501
silver, copper and lead.
248
00:13:17,543 --> 00:13:21,543
And they stored this wealth
in a hidden drift underground.
249
00:13:21,626 --> 00:13:23,210
And then, suddenly,
250
00:13:23,335 --> 00:13:26,126
the Apache attacked the miners.
251
00:13:28,126 --> 00:13:31,126
The Apaches got tired
of them being there
252
00:13:31,251 --> 00:13:35,376
and destroying the natural
beauty of this place.
253
00:13:35,460 --> 00:13:37,376
They were intruders,
254
00:13:37,460 --> 00:13:40,210
and the Apache, in 1848,
wiped them out.
255
00:13:41,210 --> 00:13:45,376
SHATNER:
After the massacre, the Apaches
reportedly buried the gold
256
00:13:45,501 --> 00:13:49,710
and backfilled the mine in order
to appease the Thunder God.
257
00:13:50,751 --> 00:13:54,043
But since that time, treasure
hunters have not been scared off
258
00:13:54,168 --> 00:13:55,710
by the fate of
the Peralta family,
259
00:13:55,835 --> 00:13:58,043
or the supposed curse.
260
00:13:58,168 --> 00:14:02,210
Over the years, thousands of
fortune seekers have journeyed
261
00:14:02,376 --> 00:14:06,960
to the Superstition Mountains
in search of the lost gold.
262
00:14:07,085 --> 00:14:10,376
The desire to find
the hidden resources,
263
00:14:10,460 --> 00:14:14,876
to find this treasure that
history tells us is there,
264
00:14:15,001 --> 00:14:18,835
is exciting people to this day.
265
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,543
And that sense of
possibility and potential,
266
00:14:22,668 --> 00:14:25,793
that there's still
more wealth, more prosperity
267
00:14:25,918 --> 00:14:28,751
to be had, is something that
268
00:14:28,876 --> 00:14:30,585
is really hard to squash.
269
00:14:31,710 --> 00:14:33,210
SHATNER:
According to some estimates,
270
00:14:33,335 --> 00:14:35,043
at least 600 people
have lost their lives
271
00:14:35,210 --> 00:14:38,543
searching for gold
in the Superstition Mountains.
272
00:14:38,668 --> 00:14:42,543
Many of these people died
in bizarre and gruesome ways
273
00:14:42,668 --> 00:14:44,376
that defy explanation,
274
00:14:44,501 --> 00:14:47,168
perhaps lending credence
to the notion
275
00:14:47,251 --> 00:14:52,043
that the mountains are
actually cursed.
276
00:14:52,210 --> 00:14:54,001
The most famous
of these incidents
277
00:14:54,085 --> 00:14:57,876
was the death of a man
named Adolph Ruth.
278
00:14:58,876 --> 00:15:03,210
RON FELDMAN:
Back in the 1930s,
there was Adolph Ruth.
279
00:15:03,293 --> 00:15:05,001
He was a treasure hunter,
amongst other things.
280
00:15:05,085 --> 00:15:07,585
And he came out here
to hunt the actual mine.
281
00:15:09,043 --> 00:15:10,835
And he disappeared.
282
00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,001
And after about six months,
283
00:15:13,126 --> 00:15:17,335
they found his head
and his body separated.
284
00:15:18,585 --> 00:15:21,793
It became nationally known.
285
00:15:21,918 --> 00:15:24,293
And a lot of people
wanted to come out
286
00:15:24,418 --> 00:15:27,293
looking for the mine
because of Adolf Ruth.
287
00:15:27,418 --> 00:15:29,543
There's good reason to believe
that there could be a curse
288
00:15:29,710 --> 00:15:31,001
on the Superstition Mountains.
289
00:15:31,126 --> 00:15:33,210
A lot of people have died
prospecting for gold.
290
00:15:33,335 --> 00:15:35,876
And bodies have been
found decapitated,
291
00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:37,293
which seems like something
292
00:15:37,418 --> 00:15:39,668
that couldn't happen
from natural causes,
293
00:15:39,793 --> 00:15:41,126
and something that may have
294
00:15:41,251 --> 00:15:43,293
some kind of
supernatural origin.
295
00:15:44,876 --> 00:15:46,085
In an interesting way,
296
00:15:46,210 --> 00:15:48,585
the stories of
Native American curses
297
00:15:48,710 --> 00:15:52,626
are a way of commemorating
the dark history of the land.
298
00:15:52,751 --> 00:15:55,043
And acknowledging that
299
00:15:55,168 --> 00:15:58,085
the original inhabitants
were forced off of the land
300
00:15:58,251 --> 00:16:00,043
and in many cases killed.
301
00:16:00,168 --> 00:16:03,793
It's about remembering
that the present situation
302
00:16:03,918 --> 00:16:07,251
was arrived at
through some dark actions.
303
00:16:08,501 --> 00:16:13,668
Are the Superstition Mountains
guarded by a deadly curse?
304
00:16:13,751 --> 00:16:17,501
Well, if you ask some of
the locals, the answer is "yes."
305
00:16:17,626 --> 00:16:21,293
And does that suggest that
other seemingly far-fetched
306
00:16:21,418 --> 00:16:25,043
tales from the Wild West
could also be true?
307
00:16:25,918 --> 00:16:28,668
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
308
00:16:28,793 --> 00:16:33,293
Native American legends
about a massive flying creature
309
00:16:33,418 --> 00:16:43,376
that is known
as the Thunderbird.
310
00:16:44,835 --> 00:16:46,876
SHATNER:
The spirit of the Wild West
is alive and well
311
00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:48,210
in this small town,
312
00:16:48,293 --> 00:16:51,210
where saloon doors
still swing open,
313
00:16:51,335 --> 00:16:54,626
and horses pull stagecoaches
along Main Street.
314
00:16:54,751 --> 00:17:00,460
Founded in the late 1800s,
Tombstone embraces its history
315
00:17:00,585 --> 00:17:03,585
when outlaws, gunslingers,
and violent shootouts
316
00:17:03,710 --> 00:17:05,543
were all too common.
317
00:17:56,168 --> 00:18:00,210
SHATNER:
The gunfight at the O.K. Corral
is the most well-known tale
318
00:18:00,335 --> 00:18:02,335
from this Wild West boomtown.
319
00:18:04,210 --> 00:18:07,126
But Tombstone's past is
also riddled with bizarre,
320
00:18:07,251 --> 00:18:09,043
supernatural stories--
321
00:18:09,168 --> 00:18:12,793
including tales
of strange creatures
322
00:18:12,918 --> 00:18:14,418
roaming the frontier
323
00:18:14,585 --> 00:18:18,501
that spread like wildfire
in the 19th century.
324
00:18:18,585 --> 00:18:21,043
There are a lot of legends
that have come out of Tombstone,
325
00:18:21,126 --> 00:18:23,626
but there's
one very curious one.
326
00:18:23,751 --> 00:18:25,418
In 1890,
327
00:18:25,543 --> 00:18:29,085
The Tombstone Epitaph
reported a story
328
00:18:29,210 --> 00:18:32,043
about two ranchers
who saw a giant,
329
00:18:32,168 --> 00:18:35,126
flying creature
in the sky above them.
330
00:18:51,210 --> 00:18:53,043
CHAD LEWIS:
The not only were afraid of it,
331
00:18:53,210 --> 00:18:55,251
but apparently,
they tracked it down
332
00:18:55,418 --> 00:18:57,376
and killed this creature.
333
00:18:58,293 --> 00:19:02,001
And tried to take
a photograph of it sprawled out.
334
00:19:03,085 --> 00:19:05,918
SHATNER:
According to local lore,
a photo of the strange creature
335
00:19:06,043 --> 00:19:08,001
was indeed taken
and even published
336
00:19:08,085 --> 00:19:10,543
in The Tombstone Epitaph.
337
00:19:10,626 --> 00:19:13,710
But locating
the supposed picture
338
00:19:13,835 --> 00:19:15,876
has proven to be difficult.
339
00:19:16,001 --> 00:19:19,210
In terms of the photograph,
there are legions of people
340
00:19:19,335 --> 00:19:21,418
who remember
seeing this picture,
341
00:19:21,543 --> 00:19:23,543
even into the 1930s and 40s,
342
00:19:23,626 --> 00:19:26,626
yet no one has ever
been able to locate it.
343
00:19:27,585 --> 00:19:30,626
And in fact, the edition
of The Epitaph
344
00:19:30,751 --> 00:19:33,460
that the story ran in
345
00:19:33,585 --> 00:19:36,043
didn't have
any photographs at all.
346
00:19:37,126 --> 00:19:39,376
SHATNER:
Although the alleged newspaper
photo has never been found,
347
00:19:39,460 --> 00:19:43,376
over the years,
a number of bizarre pictures
348
00:19:43,543 --> 00:19:47,251
featuring cowboys
and a massive winged creature
349
00:19:47,418 --> 00:19:51,210
have surfaced
and can be seen on the Internet.
350
00:19:52,085 --> 00:19:54,376
One photograph depicts
a group of men
351
00:19:54,501 --> 00:19:57,210
with a giant winged beast.
352
00:19:57,335 --> 00:20:01,543
The creature is winged,
but it's not really a bird.
353
00:20:01,626 --> 00:20:04,293
It looks more
like a pterodactyl,
354
00:20:04,418 --> 00:20:08,168
something prehistoric
with large, leathery wings
355
00:20:08,293 --> 00:20:11,626
and a large head with
two feet hanging down below.
356
00:20:12,585 --> 00:20:17,376
It adds to the mystery of
the creature and makes us wonder
357
00:20:17,460 --> 00:20:20,168
what exactly is flying around
in the southern deserts?
358
00:20:21,251 --> 00:20:24,293
SHATNER:
While the images of the winged
creature are compelling,
359
00:20:24,418 --> 00:20:27,418
historians have questioned
their authenticity,
360
00:20:27,543 --> 00:20:30,293
and claim that they may
have been fabricated
361
00:20:30,418 --> 00:20:34,168
as a result of
the fascination people have
362
00:20:34,293 --> 00:20:37,501
with this strange tale
from the Old West.
363
00:20:38,460 --> 00:20:41,751
Although most variations
of the photo seem to be hoaxes,
364
00:20:41,876 --> 00:20:44,251
I think it's weird when
you combine all of the things
365
00:20:44,376 --> 00:20:45,960
of the newspaper encounter,
366
00:20:46,085 --> 00:20:49,876
people swearing that they
personally saw the photograph,
367
00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,585
and now it's gone.
368
00:20:51,710 --> 00:20:55,043
It only adds more history
and wonder to the story.
369
00:20:55,126 --> 00:20:56,793
And I think, in some regard,
370
00:20:56,918 --> 00:20:59,376
it makes it even bigger
than it would've been.
371
00:21:00,501 --> 00:21:04,876
SHATNER:
Is the story of the Tombstone
pterodactyl just a tall tale?
372
00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,543
Or is it possible
373
00:21:07,626 --> 00:21:09,585
that there really was a species
of giant flying creatures
374
00:21:09,751 --> 00:21:12,835
that roamed the deserts
of the Old West?
375
00:21:13,793 --> 00:21:16,710
Perhaps the answer can be
found by examining accounts
376
00:21:16,835 --> 00:21:21,251
from Native American
folklore of a creature known
377
00:21:21,376 --> 00:21:23,585
as the Thunderbird.
378
00:21:23,751 --> 00:21:27,043
THOMPSON:
The Thunderbird is one of
the most widespread, powerful
379
00:21:27,168 --> 00:21:31,501
creatures and symbols
in Native American mythology.
380
00:21:31,626 --> 00:21:34,543
It is a gigantic bird,
some kind of raptor,
381
00:21:34,668 --> 00:21:37,043
sometimes with
somewhat human qualities.
382
00:21:37,168 --> 00:21:40,460
But it's connected with
thunder and with lightning.
383
00:21:40,585 --> 00:21:42,751
Very often,
it's flapping its wings
384
00:21:42,876 --> 00:21:44,960
is what creates thunder,
and it shoots lightning
385
00:21:45,085 --> 00:21:47,543
out of its eyes.
386
00:21:47,668 --> 00:21:51,335
The Thunderbird is common
in Native American tribes
387
00:21:51,418 --> 00:21:52,210
all over the West.
388
00:21:52,335 --> 00:21:54,126
You'll find them on petroglyphs,
389
00:21:54,251 --> 00:21:55,418
on the rocks,
390
00:21:55,543 --> 00:21:57,626
or you'll find them
in totem poles
391
00:21:57,751 --> 00:22:00,710
as a special bird,
a special spiritual power
392
00:22:00,835 --> 00:22:04,251
of protection
and support and strength.
393
00:22:04,418 --> 00:22:06,876
That's what
the Thunderbird represents.
394
00:22:08,043 --> 00:22:12,168
WEATHERLY:
By some accounts, Thunderbirds
were strictly spiritual beings.
395
00:22:12,251 --> 00:22:14,001
They lived in another world,
396
00:22:14,085 --> 00:22:18,501
and they were frightening
but could also, sometimes,
397
00:22:18,585 --> 00:22:21,251
lend their power to the people.
398
00:22:21,376 --> 00:22:23,376
On other occasions,
399
00:22:23,543 --> 00:22:25,835
they were purportedly
real creatures
400
00:22:25,918 --> 00:22:27,751
that could swoop down
at any time
401
00:22:27,876 --> 00:22:30,835
and snatch up humans
if they so choose.
402
00:22:32,001 --> 00:22:34,918
SHATNER:
Is it possible that
there is a connection
403
00:22:35,043 --> 00:22:37,501
between the Thunderbird
and the winged creature
404
00:22:37,585 --> 00:22:42,376
that was reportedly seen
near Tombstone, Arizona in 1890?
405
00:22:42,501 --> 00:22:45,460
For now, the answer is unclear.
406
00:22:47,210 --> 00:22:52,335
But people remain fascinated
by the idea that massive winged
407
00:22:52,460 --> 00:22:57,126
birds really did soar
over the American frontier.
408
00:22:58,251 --> 00:22:59,585
THOMPSON:
It's important to remember that
409
00:22:59,710 --> 00:23:01,793
this is taking place
in the Wild West,
410
00:23:01,918 --> 00:23:04,710
it's taking place when people
are looking out for marvels
411
00:23:04,793 --> 00:23:07,710
and becoming aware of
Native American explanations,
412
00:23:07,793 --> 00:23:10,001
Native American
mythology at the same time.
413
00:23:10,876 --> 00:23:13,001
So people were aware
that the Thunderbird
414
00:23:13,126 --> 00:23:14,293
was held to be out there.
415
00:23:14,418 --> 00:23:15,460
Which leads us back
to the question,
416
00:23:15,585 --> 00:23:16,876
you know, the Thunderbird,
417
00:23:17,001 --> 00:23:19,960
is it a cryptid, like,
it's out there somewhere?
418
00:23:20,085 --> 00:23:21,543
Is it simply a deity
419
00:23:21,668 --> 00:23:23,335
that's sort of cobbled together
420
00:23:23,418 --> 00:23:25,626
from abstract notions
of what the divine is?
421
00:23:26,751 --> 00:23:29,876
Or is it sort of resulting
from people finding,
422
00:23:30,043 --> 00:23:31,960
you know, pterodactyl
skeletons and saying,
423
00:23:32,085 --> 00:23:33,876
"Wow, there must have been
a great big bird here
424
00:23:34,001 --> 00:23:35,085
at some point"?
425
00:23:35,210 --> 00:23:36,585
Or maybe all three.
426
00:23:36,710 --> 00:23:39,668
So this is still
a great mystery.
427
00:23:40,626 --> 00:23:43,876
Even though no remains of
an actual Thunderbird
428
00:23:44,001 --> 00:23:45,501
have ever been found,
429
00:23:45,626 --> 00:23:48,043
does the fact that
it is such a widespread
430
00:23:48,168 --> 00:23:51,168
and sacred figure
in Native American lore
431
00:23:51,293 --> 00:23:53,418
suggest that it did
432
00:23:53,585 --> 00:23:57,085
or may still exist?
433
00:23:58,251 --> 00:24:00,043
Perhaps.
434
00:24:00,210 --> 00:24:02,876
But there are stories of
other strange creatures
435
00:24:03,001 --> 00:24:07,085
from the Old West for which
there may be tangible evidence.
436
00:24:07,210 --> 00:24:11,668
For instance, there's a cave
in the mountains of Nevada
437
00:24:11,751 --> 00:24:14,876
where miners
reportedly discovered
438
00:24:15,001 --> 00:24:17,460
the bones of giants.
439
00:24:25,918 --> 00:24:27,626
SHATNER:
Inside a narrow cave,
440
00:24:27,751 --> 00:24:31,376
two miners are
searching for bat guano,
441
00:24:31,501 --> 00:24:34,960
a key ingredient
in making fertilizer.
442
00:24:36,085 --> 00:24:38,835
But as they head deeper
into the darkness...
443
00:24:39,668 --> 00:24:42,710
...they make
an unexpected discovery.
444
00:24:43,585 --> 00:24:46,710
They find more than
40 human skeletons,
445
00:24:46,876 --> 00:24:51,876
some of which
are abnormally large.
446
00:24:52,001 --> 00:24:56,626
WEATHERLY:
In 1911, giant bones were
found in Lovelock cave.
447
00:24:57,585 --> 00:24:59,501
Large human skulls
448
00:24:59,585 --> 00:25:00,793
and skeletons that measured
449
00:25:00,918 --> 00:25:03,876
between seven
and eight feet in height,
450
00:25:04,001 --> 00:25:08,626
which for ancient man would've
been rather significant.
451
00:25:09,585 --> 00:25:11,126
HUGH NEWMAN:
This caused a sensation,
452
00:25:11,251 --> 00:25:13,835
and one of the strange things
about the discoveries
453
00:25:13,918 --> 00:25:16,251
in Lovelock Cave
is that the skeletons
454
00:25:16,418 --> 00:25:18,001
were often found with red hair.
455
00:25:19,251 --> 00:25:23,293
So it does seem like they were
a different kind of people
456
00:25:23,418 --> 00:25:26,043
than the Native Americans
from the area.
457
00:25:27,126 --> 00:25:30,126
SHATNER:
Although many of the large
bones found in Lovelock Cave
458
00:25:30,251 --> 00:25:33,835
were unfortunately
lost to time, for decades,
459
00:25:33,918 --> 00:25:38,001
a number of skulls were
preserved at a local museum.
460
00:25:38,876 --> 00:25:40,710
NEWMAN:
Until about ten years ago,
461
00:25:40,876 --> 00:25:44,126
there were four very
large skulls on display
462
00:25:44,251 --> 00:25:45,876
inside the museum.
463
00:25:46,043 --> 00:25:48,835
These were then removed
and ceremonially buried.
464
00:25:48,918 --> 00:25:51,293
What's also interesting is that
465
00:25:51,418 --> 00:25:56,668
over 100,000 artifacts were
excavated from Lovelock Cave.
466
00:25:56,751 --> 00:25:59,710
The strange thing is that many
of the artifacts were huge.
467
00:25:59,876 --> 00:26:02,043
Like, you have
giant-sized sandals,
468
00:26:02,168 --> 00:26:07,918
like a 15-inch-long shoe
which is size 29 U.S.
469
00:26:08,085 --> 00:26:11,751
which would fit someone
who's about nine feet tall.
470
00:26:12,710 --> 00:26:16,126
And even pieces of clothing
which were so big,
471
00:26:16,251 --> 00:26:18,501
it looked as though
they were worn by giants.
472
00:26:19,460 --> 00:26:22,918
SHATNER:
The idea that giant bones
were actually found
473
00:26:23,043 --> 00:26:27,043
in a cave in Nevada
may sound far-fetched to some.
474
00:26:27,168 --> 00:26:30,835
But the truth is that there
were many such discoveries
475
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,043
reported during the Wild West.
476
00:26:34,210 --> 00:26:36,001
THOMPSON:
In the Southwestern
United States,
477
00:26:36,126 --> 00:26:38,501
there's several
very strange stories
478
00:26:38,626 --> 00:26:41,710
of these dead corpses
or skeletons
479
00:26:41,835 --> 00:26:43,876
being found regularly.
480
00:26:44,793 --> 00:26:46,876
In terms of
the reports of giants,
481
00:26:47,001 --> 00:26:48,793
this is a compelling motif.
482
00:26:48,918 --> 00:26:50,543
People were fascinated
by this idea
483
00:26:50,668 --> 00:26:52,668
of a giant race that had
lived here previously.
484
00:26:53,710 --> 00:26:55,710
And this connects to
a lot of biblical belief
485
00:26:55,835 --> 00:26:57,918
that tended to be fairly
literal back in the day.
486
00:26:58,043 --> 00:27:01,710
The Bible talks about back when
there was a race of giants
487
00:27:01,876 --> 00:27:03,710
that lived among the Earth.
488
00:27:04,668 --> 00:27:07,710
And so, for many people
in the Wild West,
489
00:27:07,835 --> 00:27:10,460
when you see some skeletons
dug out of the Earth
490
00:27:10,585 --> 00:27:12,460
that seem to corroborate this,
491
00:27:12,585 --> 00:27:14,501
this was an affirmation of
492
00:27:14,585 --> 00:27:16,751
literal biblical
beliefs, as well.
493
00:27:17,668 --> 00:27:19,251
SHATNER:
Is it really possible
494
00:27:19,376 --> 00:27:23,793
that a race of giants
once inhabited the Old West,
495
00:27:23,918 --> 00:27:25,793
as the numerous discoveries
496
00:27:25,918 --> 00:27:29,251
reported throughout
the 1800s suggest?
497
00:27:29,418 --> 00:27:31,543
And if so,
498
00:27:31,668 --> 00:27:33,835
was evidence of these giants
499
00:27:33,918 --> 00:27:36,210
recovered in Lovelock Cave?
500
00:27:38,168 --> 00:27:40,751
Perhaps a clue can be found
by examining the history
501
00:27:40,918 --> 00:27:43,835
of the Indigenous Paiute people,
502
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,793
who have inhabited
the Nevada desert for centuries.
503
00:27:48,668 --> 00:27:50,710
WEATHERLY:
A woman named Sarah Winnemucca,
504
00:27:50,793 --> 00:27:54,126
who was a descendant of
Chief Winnemucca of the Paiutes,
505
00:27:54,251 --> 00:27:58,835
wrote a book in the 1800s and
recounted her people's battle
506
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,543
with this race of giants,
the Si-Te-Cah.
507
00:28:02,626 --> 00:28:05,710
Now, what's fascinating
about this is that
508
00:28:05,876 --> 00:28:07,710
she says that it was
an actual battle,
509
00:28:07,835 --> 00:28:11,585
not part of tribal lore
or mythology
510
00:28:11,751 --> 00:28:14,168
but something
that actually occurred.
511
00:28:14,918 --> 00:28:17,043
The Si-Te-Cah were red-haired
512
00:28:17,126 --> 00:28:21,126
and lived in the mountains
near the Paiute Nation,
513
00:28:21,251 --> 00:28:23,085
and they were cannibals.
514
00:28:24,293 --> 00:28:25,876
According to the Paiutes,
515
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,793
they naturally grew tired
of being cannibalized
516
00:28:29,918 --> 00:28:32,585
-and they confronted
these giants.
-(shouting)
517
00:28:32,751 --> 00:28:35,710
LEWIS:
A war was started
between the giants
518
00:28:35,835 --> 00:28:37,876
and the Paiute people.
519
00:28:38,043 --> 00:28:40,793
For three years
they battled one another.
520
00:28:40,918 --> 00:28:42,876
The last of the giants
521
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:45,876
holed themselves up
in the Lovelock Cave.
522
00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:49,501
And the Paiute people
stuffed the openings
523
00:28:49,626 --> 00:28:51,668
with a bunch of brush
and firewood
524
00:28:51,751 --> 00:28:53,960
and lit the place on fire.
525
00:28:56,126 --> 00:29:00,418
And that was the end of
the red-haired, giant cannibals.
526
00:29:03,001 --> 00:29:04,501
NEWMAN:
What's also interesting is that,
527
00:29:04,626 --> 00:29:08,085
when the discovery was made
in 1911 at Lovelock Cave,
528
00:29:08,210 --> 00:29:12,210
they also found evidence
of extreme burning
529
00:29:12,335 --> 00:29:15,376
which took place
near the entrance to the cave.
530
00:29:15,501 --> 00:29:18,668
So this matches
the story almost precisely.
531
00:29:18,751 --> 00:29:21,501
And, again,
we have evidence of red hair
532
00:29:21,585 --> 00:29:25,793
because Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins
actually saved some of the hair
533
00:29:25,918 --> 00:29:27,710
and sewed it
into a mourning dress,
534
00:29:27,835 --> 00:29:30,085
which she used
when she gave lectures.
535
00:29:30,251 --> 00:29:33,751
And so the story of the Paiutes
defeating the giants
536
00:29:33,918 --> 00:29:35,918
then suddenly became a reality.
537
00:29:37,293 --> 00:29:39,793
SHATNER:
For many, the evidence
in support of the Paiute story
538
00:29:39,918 --> 00:29:42,876
about the red-headed giants
is compelling.
539
00:29:43,918 --> 00:29:47,668
Not only because of what
was found in Lovelock Cave,
540
00:29:47,751 --> 00:29:51,043
but also because
there have been reports
541
00:29:51,126 --> 00:29:54,210
of giant bones being discovered
in other places
542
00:29:54,335 --> 00:29:57,043
throughout
the Western Nevada desert.
543
00:29:58,085 --> 00:29:59,418
NEWMAN:
If you go back
544
00:29:59,585 --> 00:30:00,918
and look through the records,
545
00:30:01,043 --> 00:30:02,876
you can find
numerous accounts of bones,
546
00:30:03,001 --> 00:30:05,835
skeletons
and giant-sized artifacts
547
00:30:05,918 --> 00:30:07,543
that have been found
in this area.
548
00:30:08,668 --> 00:30:10,960
In 1904, it was reported
549
00:30:11,085 --> 00:30:14,543
that an 11-foot-tall skeleton
was found.
550
00:30:14,626 --> 00:30:17,001
And then we have accounts
in 1931
551
00:30:17,126 --> 00:30:20,043
of an 8.5-foot skeleton
that was reported.
552
00:30:20,168 --> 00:30:23,376
And so the fact is,
you have the stories,
553
00:30:23,543 --> 00:30:24,835
you have the skeletal evidence
554
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,710
and you have the artifacts
555
00:30:27,793 --> 00:30:30,251
and even the legends
that prove this was
556
00:30:30,418 --> 00:30:33,376
a real story of giants
in this area.
557
00:30:34,710 --> 00:30:38,251
THOMPSON:
To be sure, the Paiutes believed
this to be a historical truth.
558
00:30:38,418 --> 00:30:41,210
People might dismiss 'em
as just folklore.
559
00:30:41,335 --> 00:30:43,585
But, again, who's to say
that it didn't happen?
560
00:30:43,751 --> 00:30:45,043
Of course
there were ethnic conflicts.
561
00:30:45,126 --> 00:30:46,835
Of course there were wars.
562
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:48,293
And, of course,
people tend to remember this.
563
00:30:48,418 --> 00:30:50,335
So this has been
a real important part
564
00:30:50,418 --> 00:30:53,126
of many, many people's
historical beliefs
565
00:30:53,251 --> 00:30:55,876
and how they think
about their own history.
566
00:30:56,001 --> 00:30:59,043
Was the Nevada desert
once inhabited
567
00:30:59,168 --> 00:31:01,960
by red-haired,
man-eating giants?
568
00:31:02,085 --> 00:31:06,335
Archaeological findings suggest
that such a fantastic notion
569
00:31:06,418 --> 00:31:08,376
is entirely possible.
570
00:31:08,501 --> 00:31:11,418
But not all curious skeletons
from the Old West
571
00:31:11,585 --> 00:31:13,710
were located in remote caves.
572
00:31:13,876 --> 00:31:16,710
In fact,
some were actually displayed
573
00:31:16,876 --> 00:31:18,543
in traveling carnival shows,
574
00:31:18,668 --> 00:31:22,543
like the remains of a petrified
man who was known as...
575
00:31:22,710 --> 00:31:31,043
Sylvester the Mummy.
576
00:31:31,168 --> 00:31:32,585
SHATNER:
Along the waterfront of the city
577
00:31:32,710 --> 00:31:34,751
lies Ye Olde Curiosity Shop,
578
00:31:34,876 --> 00:31:37,501
a quaint
Wild West souvenir store.
579
00:31:38,418 --> 00:31:42,126
Inside, tourists can see
an extensive collection
580
00:31:42,251 --> 00:31:45,585
of strange and macabre relics
from the American frontier.
581
00:31:46,710 --> 00:31:48,376
The main attraction
582
00:31:48,501 --> 00:31:51,043
is one of the best-preserved
mummies in the entire world,
583
00:31:51,126 --> 00:31:52,293
who's known as...
584
00:31:53,751 --> 00:31:55,335
...Sylvester.
585
00:31:57,418 --> 00:32:01,543
My great-grandfather opened
our store back in 1899, so...
586
00:32:01,626 --> 00:32:05,043
we're 123 years old this year.
587
00:32:05,126 --> 00:32:06,668
And without a doubt,
588
00:32:06,793 --> 00:32:08,710
Sylvester is our biggest,
589
00:32:08,793 --> 00:32:11,585
most interesting curio.
590
00:32:12,710 --> 00:32:14,001
Sylvester is so perfect.
591
00:32:14,085 --> 00:32:16,001
He's got his mustache
592
00:32:16,085 --> 00:32:18,501
and hairs on his head.
593
00:32:19,460 --> 00:32:23,043
He's probably about two-thirds
of the size and weight
594
00:32:23,168 --> 00:32:25,126
that he was when he was living.
595
00:32:26,043 --> 00:32:29,543
And he just inspires curiosity.
596
00:32:29,668 --> 00:32:33,168
We got Sylvester in the 1940s.
597
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,293
And when we got Sylvester,
598
00:32:37,418 --> 00:32:40,543
his arms were kind of crossed
in front of him.
599
00:32:41,835 --> 00:32:45,585
And he has a little hole in his
abdomen just above his wrist...
600
00:32:46,751 --> 00:32:48,210
...and a little stain there.
601
00:32:48,335 --> 00:32:50,668
The story we were told was that
602
00:32:50,793 --> 00:32:55,001
-he was shot and died
in the Gila Bend desert...
-(gunshot)
603
00:32:55,085 --> 00:32:57,460
...in Arizona
during the Wild West
604
00:32:57,585 --> 00:33:01,085
and just the right chemicals
in the sand
605
00:33:01,251 --> 00:33:04,085
and the heat and everything
preserved him.
606
00:33:04,251 --> 00:33:07,960
And, today, people come in
and gawk at him
607
00:33:08,085 --> 00:33:09,585
from a lot of
different countries--
608
00:33:09,751 --> 00:33:11,460
around the world, even.
609
00:33:11,585 --> 00:33:14,626
He's, uh, really special.
610
00:33:15,918 --> 00:33:18,126
SHATNER:
While the sight
of a perfectly preserved mummy
611
00:33:18,251 --> 00:33:21,251
from the Old West
may seem puzzling...
612
00:33:22,085 --> 00:33:24,043
...in the 1800s,
613
00:33:24,126 --> 00:33:27,043
mummies
and other strange human remains
614
00:33:27,126 --> 00:33:30,085
were popular attractions
that were commonly displayed
615
00:33:30,251 --> 00:33:32,751
in what were known as...
616
00:33:32,876 --> 00:33:34,543
dime museums.
617
00:33:35,585 --> 00:33:37,960
The dime museum was basically
exactly what it sounds like--
618
00:33:38,085 --> 00:33:39,585
it was a museum
that cost a dime.
619
00:33:39,710 --> 00:33:41,210
Although, in some cases,
it cost more than a dime.
620
00:33:42,418 --> 00:33:44,710
Inside, you could see
all kinds of amazing wonders
621
00:33:44,835 --> 00:33:46,126
and human oddities--
622
00:33:46,251 --> 00:33:49,668
people like the bearded lady.
623
00:33:49,751 --> 00:33:51,835
You'd have strange things
from other countries
624
00:33:51,918 --> 00:33:53,626
that were very exotic
at the time.
625
00:33:54,418 --> 00:33:56,918
Almost anything odd and unusual.
626
00:33:57,085 --> 00:33:59,210
And, really, at that time
in our history,
627
00:33:59,376 --> 00:34:01,001
there weren't other places
you could go see that.
628
00:34:01,126 --> 00:34:02,626
You didn't have TV,
you didn't have the Internet,
629
00:34:02,751 --> 00:34:03,960
you didn't have movies.
630
00:34:04,085 --> 00:34:06,043
If you wanted to see
something different,
631
00:34:06,126 --> 00:34:07,418
you went to the dime museum.
632
00:34:08,418 --> 00:34:11,043
And from there, they took all
kinds of wondrous attractions
633
00:34:11,168 --> 00:34:13,543
onto the road,
in sideshows and in carnivals.
634
00:34:14,918 --> 00:34:16,376
THOMPSON:
Traveling carnivals were
635
00:34:16,501 --> 00:34:19,043
the premier entertainment
of the day.
636
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,418
These would often display
the extraordinary,
637
00:34:23,543 --> 00:34:24,710
the exotic,
638
00:34:24,793 --> 00:34:26,168
but, also,
639
00:34:26,293 --> 00:34:28,376
there was sort of
a macabre element, too.
640
00:34:28,460 --> 00:34:30,501
One of the things
they would even have on display
641
00:34:30,585 --> 00:34:34,168
is actual desiccated or even
slightly mummified corpses
642
00:34:34,293 --> 00:34:36,710
of Wild West people.
643
00:34:37,626 --> 00:34:40,543
And they became
a real compelling attraction.
644
00:34:40,626 --> 00:34:43,585
This ranged
from mummified remains
645
00:34:43,710 --> 00:34:44,751
to strange things--
646
00:34:44,876 --> 00:34:46,918
tiny, little pygmy mummies,
647
00:34:47,085 --> 00:34:49,668
great big giants
648
00:34:49,751 --> 00:34:53,460
and all sorts of other, sort of,
oddities or freaks of nature.
649
00:34:56,460 --> 00:34:58,876
SHATNER:
Why were people in the Old West
so fascinated
650
00:34:59,001 --> 00:35:02,418
by the sight of macabre
and sometimes gruesome displays
651
00:35:02,585 --> 00:35:04,251
of human remains?
652
00:35:05,460 --> 00:35:09,168
It certainly doesn't seem
very respectful to the deceased.
653
00:35:10,085 --> 00:35:11,876
But some historians claim
that mummies
654
00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:13,876
and other strange curiosities
655
00:35:14,001 --> 00:35:19,043
touched on the American spirit
of seeking out the unknown.
656
00:35:19,918 --> 00:35:22,918
McNEILL:
In this same time
of westward expansion,
657
00:35:23,043 --> 00:35:25,835
we see this dawning interest
658
00:35:25,918 --> 00:35:30,001
in carnivals, sideshow
attractions, dime museums,
659
00:35:30,085 --> 00:35:33,251
where you could go
and witness for yourself
660
00:35:33,418 --> 00:35:38,793
the truly extraordinary things
that the world had to show us.
661
00:35:39,751 --> 00:35:43,126
As much
as it may seem exploitative,
662
00:35:43,251 --> 00:35:46,168
as much as it may seem
to be making a spectacle
663
00:35:46,251 --> 00:35:48,710
out of human life,
664
00:35:48,876 --> 00:35:51,876
it's also mirroring this idea
665
00:35:52,001 --> 00:35:54,043
that the world is more wondrous,
666
00:35:54,168 --> 00:35:56,376
more strange
than what we experience
667
00:35:56,460 --> 00:35:58,668
in an established,
well-populated
668
00:35:58,751 --> 00:36:00,543
urban center back east.
669
00:36:01,501 --> 00:36:03,376
HARTZMAN:
During this time in history,
670
00:36:03,501 --> 00:36:06,293
you have a lot of European
descendants traveling out west.
671
00:36:06,418 --> 00:36:07,918
And they were seeing new things
672
00:36:08,043 --> 00:36:09,418
that no one
had ever seen before.
673
00:36:09,543 --> 00:36:11,376
And the stranger,
more odd it was,
674
00:36:11,460 --> 00:36:13,335
the more exciting it was to see.
675
00:36:14,418 --> 00:36:16,543
SHATNER:
Dime museums
and sideshow attractions
676
00:36:16,668 --> 00:36:19,751
lost their popularity
in the early 20th century
677
00:36:19,918 --> 00:36:21,960
as the West became more settled.
678
00:36:22,793 --> 00:36:25,585
But, today,
more than a hundred years later,
679
00:36:25,710 --> 00:36:28,043
curios like Sylvester the Mummy
680
00:36:28,168 --> 00:36:30,335
continue to entertain the public
681
00:36:30,418 --> 00:36:34,251
and are a link to a bygone era.
682
00:36:34,376 --> 00:36:36,710
HARTZMAN:
There's not much left of the Old
West you can still go see.
683
00:36:36,835 --> 00:36:39,501
But what's really amazing
about these mummies,
684
00:36:39,626 --> 00:36:41,043
here you actually have a body
685
00:36:41,126 --> 00:36:42,376
that traveled
through the Old West
686
00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:45,210
as an attraction
people came to see,
687
00:36:45,335 --> 00:36:47,626
and you can still see
the same body today.
688
00:36:48,501 --> 00:36:49,751
Whatever their life was like,
689
00:36:49,876 --> 00:36:52,710
their afterlife
has been so much longer,
690
00:36:52,835 --> 00:36:55,376
and they continue to bring
amazement and wonder to people
691
00:36:55,460 --> 00:36:57,710
from all parts of the world.
692
00:36:59,043 --> 00:37:03,543
The fact that tourists travel
to catch a glimpse of Sylvester
693
00:37:03,668 --> 00:37:07,460
shows that these bizarre stories
from the Wild West
694
00:37:07,585 --> 00:37:10,335
still hold
our enduring fascination.
695
00:37:10,460 --> 00:37:15,251
Which is also the case
in Aurora, Texas,
696
00:37:15,376 --> 00:37:17,626
where some locals
are convinced that,
697
00:37:17,751 --> 00:37:20,043
in 1897,
698
00:37:20,168 --> 00:37:23,710
this small town
was visited by a being
699
00:37:23,835 --> 00:37:25,626
from another world.
700
00:37:30,085 --> 00:37:31,876
SHATNER:
In Central Texas,
about 50 miles east of Dallas,
701
00:37:32,001 --> 00:37:33,835
lies the town of Aurora.
702
00:37:34,751 --> 00:37:36,960
With a population
of 1,500 people,
703
00:37:37,085 --> 00:37:39,376
Aurora looks like any number
of small communities
704
00:37:39,543 --> 00:37:41,418
located in the region.
705
00:37:42,418 --> 00:37:43,918
But, curiously, every year,
706
00:37:44,085 --> 00:37:46,501
thousands of tourists
from all over the world
707
00:37:46,626 --> 00:37:49,376
flock to the town's
local cemetery.
708
00:37:50,210 --> 00:37:53,210
They come to visit
the grave site
709
00:37:53,293 --> 00:37:55,460
of an extraterrestrial.
710
00:37:57,210 --> 00:38:00,376
The alien is supposedly buried
in the Aurora Cemetery,
711
00:38:00,543 --> 00:38:02,460
and people today leave
all sorts of offerings.
712
00:38:02,585 --> 00:38:04,543
(insects trilling)
713
00:38:04,710 --> 00:38:08,001
Everything from tinfoil hats
to coins to lottery tickets.
714
00:38:09,251 --> 00:38:13,376
WEATHERLY:
It's fascinating to think
that an alien being
715
00:38:13,501 --> 00:38:15,918
is buried in a small Texas town,
716
00:38:16,043 --> 00:38:17,876
and many people have tried
to get to the bottom
717
00:38:18,001 --> 00:38:19,376
of the mystery.
718
00:38:19,543 --> 00:38:21,751
On the surface,
it seems simple enough--
719
00:38:21,876 --> 00:38:25,001
excavate the grave and find out
exactly what's there.
720
00:38:25,085 --> 00:38:28,251
However,
at some point in history,
721
00:38:28,418 --> 00:38:30,001
the marker for the grave
disappeared,
722
00:38:30,126 --> 00:38:34,626
so no one knows exactly where
the creature is buried.
723
00:38:35,835 --> 00:38:38,376
SHATNER:
The story
of the so-called Aurora Incident
724
00:38:38,460 --> 00:38:41,876
dates back to April 17, 1897,
725
00:38:42,001 --> 00:38:44,460
when the residents of the town
reported seeing
726
00:38:44,585 --> 00:38:49,376
a strange, unidentified flying
object descend from the sky
727
00:38:49,543 --> 00:38:53,085
and crash in a fiery blaze.
728
00:38:54,126 --> 00:38:56,710
At 6:00 a.m. in the morning,
729
00:38:56,793 --> 00:39:01,043
something came crashing down
in Aurora, Texas.
730
00:39:02,251 --> 00:39:07,043
It smashed through a windmill
on Judge Proctor's property...
731
00:39:08,293 --> 00:39:11,376
...killing the lone occupant.
732
00:39:12,251 --> 00:39:15,251
Whatever this craft was,
733
00:39:15,418 --> 00:39:17,376
it was a puzzle for the people.
734
00:39:18,335 --> 00:39:21,960
The pilot was described as being
very disfigured from the crash.
735
00:39:22,085 --> 00:39:23,876
They don't give a lot
of detailed description
736
00:39:24,001 --> 00:39:27,793
other than to say
that he was not of this world.
737
00:39:28,710 --> 00:39:32,043
They contacted
a nearby military base
738
00:39:32,168 --> 00:39:36,793
who sent a representative down
to inspect the scene.
739
00:39:36,918 --> 00:39:41,085
He declared the dead occupant
a Martian.
740
00:39:42,043 --> 00:39:46,210
The people in Aurora decided
to give the creature
741
00:39:46,335 --> 00:39:47,960
a Christian burial.
742
00:39:48,085 --> 00:39:50,668
It was buried
in the Aurora Cemetery,
743
00:39:50,793 --> 00:39:54,960
along with some of the debris
from the alien craft.
744
00:39:57,210 --> 00:40:00,668
SHATNER:
Two days after the crash,
on April 19, 1897,
745
00:40:00,793 --> 00:40:04,751
the incident was reported
in The Dallas Morning News,
746
00:40:04,918 --> 00:40:07,251
which has led many researchers
to conclude
747
00:40:07,376 --> 00:40:10,918
that this crash did,
in fact, take place.
748
00:40:11,876 --> 00:40:13,501
And for more than a century,
749
00:40:13,626 --> 00:40:15,043
investigators
have tried to prove
750
00:40:15,126 --> 00:40:19,043
that the craft actually came
from another world
751
00:40:19,210 --> 00:40:20,626
by searching for the body
752
00:40:20,751 --> 00:40:24,001
of the supposed
extraterrestrial pilot.
753
00:40:25,710 --> 00:40:26,876
HARTZMAN:
As far as we know,
754
00:40:27,043 --> 00:40:28,460
the body is still in
that same cemetery
755
00:40:28,585 --> 00:40:29,876
in Aurora, Texas.
756
00:40:30,043 --> 00:40:31,376
In the 1970s,
757
00:40:31,543 --> 00:40:35,418
a couple UFO groups tried
to go exhume the body.
758
00:40:35,543 --> 00:40:37,210
But the city denied them
the chance
759
00:40:37,335 --> 00:40:39,001
to take the body out so they
could investigate it further
760
00:40:39,126 --> 00:40:42,960
and see if it really was
an alien from another planet.
761
00:40:44,085 --> 00:40:46,460
SHATNER:
For now, the truth
about the Aurora Incident
762
00:40:46,585 --> 00:40:48,251
remains elusive,
763
00:40:48,418 --> 00:40:51,835
just like countless other
tall tales from the Wild West
764
00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:55,043
that continue
to capture our imagination...
765
00:40:56,085 --> 00:41:00,543
...and inspire historians and
researchers to look for answers.
766
00:41:01,418 --> 00:41:02,918
TRIMBLE:
The West was mythical.
767
00:41:03,085 --> 00:41:04,460
It was bigger than life.
768
00:41:04,585 --> 00:41:06,710
You have to imagine
Easterners coming here
769
00:41:06,835 --> 00:41:09,376
and they sat around the campfire
at night
770
00:41:09,501 --> 00:41:11,293
and told tall tales.
771
00:41:11,418 --> 00:41:13,376
And there was truth to 'em,
772
00:41:13,501 --> 00:41:15,043
a-a whole lot of truth
773
00:41:15,168 --> 00:41:18,585
that was sprinkled into
these stories that were told.
774
00:41:18,751 --> 00:41:20,460
And we don't know
where the truth ended
775
00:41:20,585 --> 00:41:22,793
and the tall tale began.
776
00:41:26,043 --> 00:41:30,126
Is there really an alien buried
in Aurora, Texas?
777
00:41:30,251 --> 00:41:33,376
Did giant thunderbirds soar
across the frontier?
778
00:41:33,501 --> 00:41:36,210
Could Billy the Kid
have faked his own death?
779
00:41:36,293 --> 00:41:39,751
Well, stories like these
definitely make you wonder
780
00:41:39,876 --> 00:41:43,376
whether the Wild West
was much stranger
781
00:41:43,543 --> 00:41:45,751
than the history books tell us.
782
00:41:45,918 --> 00:41:48,585
And as we continue searching
for the truth
783
00:41:48,710 --> 00:41:50,543
behind these legends,
784
00:41:50,668 --> 00:41:53,210
one can only imagine
that we'll uncover
785
00:41:53,335 --> 00:41:58,960
even more bizarre tales from
the West that will remain...
786
00:42:00,001 --> 00:42:01,710
...unexplained.
787
00:42:01,793 --> 00:42:04,085
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