Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-02-14
Statement of VIM. Sheridan

In the Court of Sessions, on Thursday.
this person plead guilty to the charge of
Grand Larceny. He stole a horse from
Messrs- Deamer & Bordwell of this place in
December last, and was traced to Grass
Valley, Nevada County, where he was ar
rested by Deputy Sheriff Mclaughlin, and
brought back. He was induced to take the
horse from here by one Charley Hardy. who
pointed out the horse and barn, and stood
guard fer him, he never having seen the
place until it was shown him by Hardy
Hardy was to meet him in Placerville with
another horse, when they intended going to
Salt Lake, and from thence to the Atlantic
States in the coming spring.
He came to California in 1913, in Company
Z Third Artillery, and after his discharge,
served as a volunteer, in Capt. Bowiiu's Co
during the Indian troubles of 81 Followed
mining until "a, when he was arrested for
grand larceny, at Mokolumne Hill, Calaver-
as County, and sentenced to States Prison
for term Of two years, eighteen months of
which he served out, and then effected his
escape. He says that there were less es-
capes while the prison was under the man
agement Of Estell, than when it was under
the management of the State Directors, and
that the prisoners had better fare. After
his escape, he went south, and at Sonora,
became associated with gang of horse
thieves. There was also an organized band
Of horse thieves at Grass Valley, which has
been broken up bp the arrest of Jim Web
ster, now in the Marysville Jail. and one or
two others now in the Nevada Jail. Web
ster has just been convicted of grand lar
ceny in Yuba County. Sheridan says
Webster is an escaped convict, and was
known in Prison as Rattlesnake Dick.
This organized band of horse thieves ex-
tends throughout the S ate, with agencies
for selling stolen horses at Jackson, Sonora,
Shasta. Tom Edwards was their agent in
Sonora, and Jack Boyle in Jackson. He
was unacquainted with the Agents name in
Shasta as he had never been at that place !;
of Shasta, are connected with the band
He says there are more thieves at the pres
ent time in the State than ever, and that
nearly every town contains an organized
band. lie states that there is an establish
ment near Auburn, Placer County, where
counterfeit coin is manufactured, and which
he assured us was exceedingly well executed
and calculated to deceive the most expert
enced money changers.
When he first came to Oroville, he recog-
nized about fifty old offenders, with whom
he was formerly acquainted. He says they
extend from Oroville, to Spanishtown and
Wyandotte When he entered Smith s
gambling House in Oroville, and glanced at
the crowd there assembled, he really con-
sdered himself in the eden of the forty
thie' es." They had congregated here from
every portion of the State.
Some time in December q plan was laid by
these scoundrels, to fire Orovlle and plum
der the town, but that it was postponed until
next spring, when the miners would be at
work in the immediate vicinity, and money
much more plenty. He was so informed by
person called ''Du bin Jack -
We visited Sheridan in his cell and receiv-
ed this statement from him He says he
was good man once, and means to be again,
when his term in the State Prison, for his
present offence shall have expired. He will
be sentenced to-day.