Interview of Grand Junction witness re A. C. 'Ace' Hartley and mining claims

FD-302 (REV. 11-27-70)

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Date of transcription April 2, 1973

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(1)

[REDACTED] was contacted at her residence, [REDACTED] Grand Junction, Colorado, and disclosed as follows:

[REDACTED] advised that in July of 1972 she had met A. C. HARTLEY, who was identical to the photograph shown, and who was known under the name of "ACE." HARTLEY was made known to [REDACTED] by [REDACTED] of Grand Junction, Colorado. HARTLEY had appeared at [REDACTED] in July of 1972 and was interested in a machine for separating gold which [REDACTED] was supposed to have in production. HARTLEY was also interested in Placer gold claims. HARTLEY was described as well versed in mining procedures and jargon but a person with little money of his own.

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[REDACTED] and is employed throughout the western slope as a mining consultant. HARTLEY was not at his residence in Rangley, Colorado, one week ago when [REDACTED] visited the residence which was the home of [REDACTED] Rangely, Colorado. HARTLEY is not identical to [REDACTED] who was staying at the Bar X Motel in Grand Junction and whom the Mesa County Sheriff's Office has been looking for on a charge of [REDACTED] HARTLEY does know people in Louisiana; however, [REDACTED] advised that she was not aware of HARTLEY's having been in the Louisiana area for six or seven months. HARTLEY at one time had stated he was a paratrooper but never mentioned any recent jumps or if he was interested in jumping. HARTLEY alleged to have a current pilot's license; however, [REDACTED] advised she had not seen the license and could not identify the license further. HARTLEY traveled extensively to research mining claims especially gold, silver, and uranium.

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[handwritten] sub 437 [handwritten] 16 481-4058

Interviewed on 3/21/73 at Grand Junction, Colorado File # Denver 164-98

by SA BEN C. BROWER/jmb Date dictated 3/27/73

[stamp] MPR 2 8 1973 [stamp] [partially illegible routing stamp]

This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency.

DB COOPER-5084

DN 164-98 (C-)

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[REDACTED] advised that she had accompanied HARTLEY, after first meeting him in July of 1972, to the Delta, Montrose area where they investigated two or three claims and later in Fairplay, Colorado, had also investigated some claims. In August or September of 1972, she was with HARTLEY in the Gila National Forest, New Mexico, investigating claims.

[REDACTED] advised that [REDACTED] had developed a gold separating machine and that is why HARTLEY had come to the Grand Junction, area. [REDACTED] stated she has not known HARTLEY to be in Washington or Oregon but that [REDACTED] lived in California and he is the father of [REDACTED]; HARTLEY's daughter and grandson were victims of a recent murder in California, names and places unknown to [REDACTED].

[REDACTED] stated at the time she rented the budget rent-a-car in Grand Junction, she took the car to Salt Lake City, Utah, and was accompanied by HARTLEY who went to contact people with mining in- terests in the Salt Lake area. [REDACTED] advised she never met the people contacted by HARTLEY, she allegedly stayed in the car or with her aunt in the Salt Lake City area.

[REDACTED] advised that she had never seen hand guns in the possession of HARTLEY and that while in Grand Junction HARTLEY used a credit card under the name of (First Name Unknown) [REDACTED] allegedly was [REDACTED] HARTLEY's and his function was to pay for the research expenses in looking over the mines by HARTLEY.

[REDACTED] advised that to her knowledge HARTLEY had taken a bus from Rangely to Salt Lake City and was going to Old Mexico to check out some mining claims.

[REDACTED] advised she did not know the date HARTLEY rented the room from the [REDACTED] in Rangely, Colorado, and she was not aware of how HARTLEY paid

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DB COOPER-50845

DN 164-98 (3)

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for the room at the [REDACTED] residence.

[REDACTED] stated that the motor home belonged to HARTLEY and that she assumed a bank in Phoenix, Arizona, had repossessed the motor home and that HARTLEY did all of his banking at the same bank. [REDACTED] advised she did not know the name of the bank.

[REDACTED] advised the photograph displayed of HARTLEY was a good likeness of HARTLEY and that HARTLEY was not an old acquaintance of [REDACTED]

[REDACTED] advised that the artist's concept of DAN COOPER was definitely not the person known to her as ALVIN HARTLEY.

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b6 b7C

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DB COOPER-50846