Silas Newton
Silas M. Newton (1897–unknown) was a Denver-based oil entrepreneur and geophysicist whose disclosure of the 1948 Aztec UFO Crash Retrieval made him one of the most controversial figures in UFO history. Newton served as the primary source for Frank Scully's 1950 bestseller Behind the Flying Saucers, which first brought the Aztec case to public attention.
| Role | Oil man and key witness/source on Aztec crash |
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Background and Career
Newton earned a bachelor's degree from Baylor University, studied at Yale, and performed postgraduate work at the University of Berlin. He became successful in the oil industry through his background as a geophysicist specializing in petroleum detection.
Newton's professional relationships led him to connect with Leo Gabau and a group of scientists collectively referred to as "Dr. G," from whom Newton reportedly received information about the Aztec crash and prototypes of oil-finding devices later called "doodlebugs."
Role in the Aztec Disclosure
On March 8, 1950, Newton lectured under the pseudonym "Scientist X" at the University of Denver, discussing the Aztec flying saucer crash. He stepped in for the original speaker — likely one of the "Dr. G" scientists — and described a crash that had occurred two years prior within a 500-mile radius of Denver.
The day after the lecture, AFOSI visited Denver radio station KMYR looking for George Kohler, who had recorded the event. Kohler was interrogated about Newton, flying saucers, and cube-like radios allegedly retrieved from the crash.
Newton subsequently provided detailed information to Frank Scully for Behind the Flying Saucers, including claims that he had seen photographs of the craft and handled equipment retrieved from it — though the items in Newton's personal possession were later determined to be replicas.
Fraud Charges and Retaliation Theory
In October 1952, Newton and Leo Gabau were charged with defrauding Denver businessman Herman Flater in connection with the doodlebug oil-detecting device. The trial lasted from November 10 to December 29, 1953, resulting in guilty verdicts — though neither man was ever sentenced and Newton simply paid $18,000 in court costs.
Researchers including William Steinman and Scott & Suzanne Ramsay argue the prosecution was targeted retaliation for Newton's role in leaking information about the Aztec crash, noting that 32 of 33 investors in Newton's ventures were satisfied with their investments, and that questionable evidence was presented at trial.
Never-Finished Autobiography
A 1954 manuscript found in Scully's archive reveals Newton's perspective on the case. He described his University of Denver lecture as the focal point of persecution, writing:
"As to my talk, it wasn't long before the finger of prosecution began pointing my way, and they've scorched my hide already, but I haven't recanted."
Newton maintained he was not the originator of the Aztec story but merely repeated what credible scientists had told him, and expressed admiration for Wilbert B. Smith's work on flying saucer magnetic propulsion.