The saga of the Ruggles Brothers Treasure remains one of California’s most intriguing tales of frontier justice, a desperate robbery, and a fortune lost to time. This compelling narrative centers on John and Charles Ruggles, two brothers whose ill-fated venture into stagecoach banditry in 1892 led to murder, a shocking lynching, and the disappearance of a substantial gold cache. The elusive Ruggles Brothers Treasure continues to capture the imagination of treasure hunters and historians alike, adding a layer of mystery to their infamous story.
Hailing from a respected family in Tulare County, California, the Ruggles brothers presented a study in contrasts. Charles, the younger brother, was a college-educated man, seemingly destined for a conventional life. John, however, was a different sort. From a young age, he exhibited a rebellious streak, culminating in an arrest and imprisonment for robbery while still a youth. His father, it was said, held high hopes for Charles but little faith in John, whose path seemed set on transgression. Upon John’s release from prison, he swiftly began to influence Charles, drawing his younger brother, who had no prior criminal record, into a life of crime. John convinced Charles that an easy way to riches lay in robbing stagecoaches, a prevalent form of crime during the American West’s waning days.
The Fateful Stagecoach Robbery of May 1892
The brothers set their sights on the Redding & Weaverville Stage, a prime target transporting valuables through the rugged Californian landscape. On May 14, 1892, they positioned themselves just outside Redding, California, lying in wait. Their objective was a strongbox believed to contain a hefty sum of approximately $5,000 in gold coins—a considerable fortune in that era. The stagecoach, driven by John Boyce, was making its late afternoon journey eastward along Middle Creek Road from Shasta to Redding. Seated alongside Boyce was George Suhr, the sole passenger, while the stage guard and messenger, Amos “Buck” Montgomery, rode inside the coach, his presence a deterrent to most would-be robbers.
As the stage rounded a sharp curve in the road, its speed naturally decreased. This was the moment the Ruggles brothers had chosen. From the concealment of the trees, Charles Ruggles emerged, his face obscured by a bandanna, his form cloaked by a long coat. He pointed a shotgun directly at the driver, Boyce, issuing an order to stop the stage and surrender the strongbox. Boyce, facing the immediate threat, complied without hesitation, heaving the heavy box onto the dusty road.
What followed was a sudden and violent exchange. Almost simultaneously with the strongbox hitting the ground, a shotgun blast erupted from within the coach. Montgomery, the stage guard, had fired, riddling Charles Ruggles’ face and upper body with buckshot. As Charles collapsed, gravely wounded, he returned fire, striking Boyce and Suhr in their legs. In the chaos, John Ruggles, who had been hidden nearby, unleashed his own volley of shots into the stagecoach. One of his blasts found its mark, mortally wounding Montgomery, who would succumb to his injuries mere hours later. Terrified by the gunfire and sudden violence, the horses bolted, pulling the damaged stagecoach further down the road.
John’s Escape, Capture, and a Desperate Confession
Believing his brother Charles to be dying or dead, John Ruggles made a crucial decision. He quickly snatched the heavy strongbox, secreted it away in a nearby hiding spot, and then fled the scene, vanishing into the wilderness. The runaway stage eventually reached “civilization,” and the wounded survivors recounted their harrowing experience. A posse was quickly assembled, and Charles Ruggles, severely wounded but still alive, was soon found. He was taken to the Redding jail, where his injuries were tended to, much to the surprise of many who thought he wouldn’t survive.
John Ruggles’ escape proved to be short-lived. He sought refuge at his aunt’s house in Woodland, but upon learning of his involvement in the stagecoach robbery and the killing of Montgomery, she indignantly turned him away and reported him to the local sheriff. Six weeks after the bloody robbery, on June 19, John was apprehended while dining in a restaurant in Woodland. His return to the Redding jail brought an unexpected revelation: his brother Charles was alive and recovering from his wounds, a fact that surely astonished John.
Facing grave charges, John Ruggles devised a desperate plan to save both himself and Charles. He offered a confession to the authorities, claiming that the stage guard, Amos Montgomery, had been an accomplice in the robbery—a fabrication designed to lessen their culpability. More importantly, he revealed the location where he had hidden the stolen gold. He claimed to have stashed the strongbox in Middle Creek, attaching a floating device that would keep it within a foot of the water’s surface, making it easier to retrieve later. This supposed revelation sparked hope that the lost treasure might be recovered, yet it only added another layer to the unfolding drama.
Public Outcry and Vigilante Justice
While awaiting trial, both John and Charles Ruggles, described as handsome and charming, became an unlikely sensation among the local women of Redding. They were showered with attention, receiving cakes, fruit, bouquets of flowers, and, astonishingly, even alleged marriage proposals. This unexpected pampering of the accused robbers inflamed the local men, whose anger was already boiling over the cold-blooded killing of Montgomery, a respected figure in the community. The notion that these criminals were being glorified, even courted, was a profound insult to public sentiment and the perceived rule of law.
The simmering outrage reached its boiling point on the evening of July 24, 1892. A formidable vigilante mob, estimated at some 40 men, descended upon the Redding jail. The lone jailer, George Albro, was utterly powerless against their numbers and determination. The mob blew open the safe containing the jail keys, bypassing any official resistance. As they forcibly removed the Ruggles brothers from their cells, John, in a desperate last plea, offered to disclose the exact location of the stolen gold if they would spare his brother. “Spare Charley, and I will tell you,” he reportedly declared, clinging to a final, futile hope for his sibling.
However, the mob was beyond reasoning. Their intent was not treasure recovery but swift, brutal justice for the murder of Montgomery and the affront to their community. They dragged the two brothers to a large tree situated next to the Redding Blacksmith shop, at the northwest corner of Shasta Street and the railroad tracks. There, in a grim display of frontier retribution, John Ruggles, aged 33, and Charles Ruggles, a mere 22, were lynched.
The following day, the grim sight of the two bandits hanging by their necks was discovered by Redding residents. In a stark testament to the public’s desire for an unequivocal message, their bodies were left suspended for three days, serving as a chilling spectacle for passengers on passing trains. A local newspaper editorial, reflecting the sentiment of the time, opined that justice had been “fairly meted out,” and further stated: “It was a disagreeable job, but, under the circumstances, appeared necessary for the public good and is an example to the courts.” Such a statement underscores the raw, uncompromising nature of justice in the frontier era, where legal processes could be overridden by collective fury.
The Enduring Mystery of the Lost Ruggles Brothers Treasure
Despite John Ruggles’ confession regarding the gold’s location in Middle Creek, the promised recovery never materialized. An express pouch, containing all the letters, was indeed found later near Lower Springs, but the substantial sum of $5,000 in gold coins—the very heart of the Ruggles Brothers Treasure—was never recovered. Middle Creek, the alleged hiding place, is situated approximately six miles west of Redding, California, a region that has likely seen its share of amateur treasure hunters over the decades.
The failure to retrieve the gold leaves several intriguing possibilities. Was John’s confession about the strongbox’s location a genuine attempt to bargain for his brother’s life, or was it a final, desperate deception? Perhaps the vigilantes, driven by their thirst for vengeance, ignored or dismissed his claims entirely. It’s also plausible that the strongbox, even with a floating device, was swept away by currents, buried by silt, or simply overlooked in the challenging terrain of Middle Creek. The fate of the Ruggles Brothers Treasure remains shrouded in mystery, a testament to the chaotic events of that fateful spring and summer of 1892.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Greed and Frontier Justice
The story of the Ruggles Brothers Treasure is more than just a tale of a lost fortune; it is a vivid historical snapshot of California’s frontier days, where the lines between law and lawlessness were often blurred, and justice could be swift and unforgiving. The ambition of John and Charles Ruggles to achieve wealth through robbery led not to riches, but to death and infamy. Their actions instigated a violent chain of events that claimed multiple lives and ultimately brought about their own gruesome end at the hands of a determined vigilante mob. The unrecovered $5,000 in gold coins continues to tantalize, ensuring that the legend of the Ruggles Brothers and their audacious, yet tragic, pursuit of an “easy way” will be remembered as a significant chapter in the annals of California’s lost treasures. The elusive gold remains a powerful symbol of a lawless past, beckoning those who dare to dream of discovering the legendary Ruggles Brothers Treasure.
