Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-07-18
THE EVENING NEWS.

petition out in the Owens River country,
that there was one of the most cold
blooded and ~schocking murders commit
ted at the foot Of Owens Lake on the 23d
OF May, or thereabouts, which it has ever
been our painful duty to record. 1tseems
that an old settler in that valley, famil-
larly known as Hogg Rodgers, had liv-
ing with him for about a year previous to
that time, q man named L. s. \. king
n Methodist preacher. Rodgers had con-
siderable property, a fine ranch, twenty
or thirty head of cattle, and a fine drove
of horses. King had no property. From
the 23d of May nothing was seen Of Rodg-
ers around the ranch for several days, and
in answer TO inquiries as to his where
abouts King told some that he had gone
off prospecting, and to others that he was
getting up q guerrilla party, and had gone
over to San Francisco for arms. These
conflicting statements, and other suspi-
cious circumstances, led people to believe
all was not right, and a watch was kept
on King. About the FIRST of June. some
persons who were at the house were led,
by a terrible stencil, to look in the back
yard. where they discovered the remains
of q man that King said was an Indian
that Rodgers had killed. The flesh which
remained from the dogs, which it appeared
had fed on the carcass, was mortified
and rotten. On examination, the re-
mains were identified as being those of
Rodgers, the identity being discovered by
the front teeth all being double. King
was at once arrested. but denied his guilt.
However, while on the way to Fort indie
pendence he confessed that he did the
deed, but said that he did it in self-de-
tense. The statement he made was that
Al alteration took place while they were
at the breakfast table on the 23d of May /;
that Rodgers shot at him with q revolver,
the ball passing over his shoulder, where
upon he drew a t~ive-shooter and shot
Rodgers through the heart, killing him
instantly. The Coroner's inquest held at
the Fort showed that he was not so killed,
but that the skull on the back part Of his
head had been broken by a blow with the
poll Of an axe, and that his face, body,
limbs, and nearly every joint, had been
cut and hacked by the sharp edge OF the
same instrument. For what purpose the
remains were 50 mut;lated Is not known,
but is supposed to have been done par
TALLY at the time of the murder, and par
TALLY in making way with the body, Us
King himself acknowledged that he boiled
part of the flesh and fed il 10 the dogs.
In his possession was found forged bills
of sale Of Rodgers stock and other
personal property. 1t is probable, there
fore, that he killed him to get his money.
When Mr.. Hunt left Fort Independence,
King was there in confinement, and had
commenced writing a confession. He is
about thirty-seven years of age, was for
merly from Oswego county, New York,
and more recently from Petaluma, Cali
fornia, where il is said he is well known.
RGpAIRING.- Yesterday, we looked
in" ut the Alta shaft Of the Imperial
company a few moments, and found that
very extensive repairs of the main shaft,
commenced some two or three weeks
since, were going on. Our friend JEFF.
Mcclellan. the Foreman of the mine, gave
us the following statistical and other par
nculars: The Gold Hill Drainage Com
pany, when organized, projected the idea
of draining Gold Hill proper from water,
and by sinking deeper than the lowest
level of any of the working mines, to con-
stantly keep the main ledge drained. The
Alta shaft, south compartment, was Sc
lected for the place of experiment, and
nearly a year ago work was commenced.
Machinery was procured from below of
immense calibre, and heavy pipes shipped
10 the company, who were sanguine OF
the brilliant results attainable. Experience
ed engineers had decided that the pump
ing gear must be erected on the lift and
plunge" principle, and accordingly the
south compartment Of the shaft was filled
in with huge pumping gear. Three vast
reservoirs were constructed hundreds OF
feet beneath the surface; but the south
compartment OF the shaft being OF only
common dimensions, it was found 20 be
necessary IN many places to cut the tim
bering in order to give room to the main
pumping column TO work. Everything
for a time went on swimmingly. The
vast pipes were placed in position-the
Monster engine was nearly ready to take
wood, when all at once the company as
cer,ained the scheme to be impractical in
so SIIldIl u epdCt IN OllG-lilAkN ~ NAS AAN
shaft, and orders came TO "holst out
the vast and pondcrous apparatus and
"storc" for future use. After the shaft
was cleared It was found that the swelling
clay was pressing the manned timberS
most severely, and at last it has become
necessary TO repair the entire shaft from
the 45O feet level of the mine up $50 feet,
IN order 10 remedy the mischief done by
weakening the timberS at that point to
admit Of the working of the pumping gear.
The work goes rapidly on, and heavy tim
bers, closely framed, are being placed in
position rs fast us the old ones are taken
out. In places ii the shaft the strain is
so great that n jack-knife drawn across
the iaboring wood at the middle would
cause the same to break in two. It will
require some two weeks labor to thor
oughly repair the shaft, when it will be
repaired so substantially that no fears will
be entertained of any more warping for
many months or years perhaps to come.
The mine has recently been yielding un-
precedentedly rich ore, and as soon as the
present work is finished, work will De re-
sumed on the lower levels, and q large
quantity Of ore be raised daily.
APPoISTMgST.-We learn that u es-
teemed. fellow citizen and friend, Joseph
Low, has received the appointment OF Su-
p~erintendent of the Bacon min n mill,
and that he will enter upon the discharge
of his duties on the lst OF August. We
congratulate "McConnelrs creditor up
on his good fortune. and doubly congrat.
ulate the company upon having secured
the services of one so thoroughly compe-
tent 70 take charge OF both mine and mill.
Mr.. Low has had long experience as q
miner, and as a mechanic his practical
knowledge and workmanship entitle him
to a position in the first rank Of Washoe
artisans.
OPERA HousE.-To-night, Dan Setch-
f Rka