Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-10-12
rHR CApTUaED CoNvIoTs.
Terrible Justice!
; from the 1.-Two I~pdependent, Oct. II

Il GIL kAllCO VI tLO
Morton, Moses Black and the boy
Roberts) were placed In a light spring
wagon, and, with a strong guard OF
horsemen, started from Round valley
| for Carson. They proceeded without
interruption to o point not far below
| the store on Bishop Greek, known as
T.the Jews" Here the escort and
prisoners were suddenly surrounded BY
a large organized force Of well-armed
! citizens. After q moments quietness,
the question rang out: "Who Is the
captain Of this guard?" am; turn
to the left and 20 on" ~ refuse TO
do So" was the reply. Al TINS juno
ture Morton, who sat with the driver,
said: ..Giye me the reins aud I'll
| drive after them I am a pretty good
| driver myself.n And he did drive, and
ranidly. to his own funeral! Roberts,
who was lying In the wagon, said: ~
don't want to 20 with these men,"
Finding it useless to resist, after a lew
moments parley the train started
across the bottom toward a vacant
house q mile or so away. On reaching
IL. the guard were ordered to stack
| their arms. Black and Roberts were
carried into the house, both being
wounded. Morton after q careful sur
yey of all present, got down with but
little assistance and went Into the
house. Lights were procured, q jury
orcanized-consisting all present, eS-
cept the guard, who had the prisoners
In charge-with u regularly appointed
secretary. Roberts was taken into an
adjoining room, where he gave a state
ment of all he knew, from the first
inception of the plan to break prison
until his capture. This statement, as
well as those of Black and Morton, we
shall endeavor to give In our next; but
IMorton's Is substantially the same as
published last week, while the main
points of Roberts are given below.
After more than two hours spent In
obtaining these stories, every person
present having the privilege of asking
questions, III almost unanimous decl.
| sion was rendered that Roberts should
be given back to the guard, and the
others Immediately hung. A scaffold
was raised Mt the west end of the house,
one end of a long beam resting on the
top of the chimney, while the other
was supported by three pieces OF scant-
ling resting on the ground. A couple
of ropes we're passed over the beam, q
wagon driven under, and two moses
lowered. Morton heard the prepara-
tions going on, and said to his partner
In crime: "Black, are you ready to
die ?" The answer was: No; this Is
not the crowd that will hang US. '
Yes it is" said Morton; "don't you
hear them building the scaffold?"
Morton was asked II he wouldn't stand
nearer the fire, when he replied: vt
isn't worth while warming now" He
also said to Roberts, meaning himself
and Black: ave are to swing, and l
mean to have you hung with us If |
can; I want company" Black was
first carried out and lifted into tue
wagon lie had to be raised to his feet,
but stood the rest Of the time without
being supported. Morton walked out;
on turning the corner Of the house he
calmly surveyed the arrangements
paying close attention to the cross
beam and ropes. He needed but little
help to get into the wagon, and imme-
diately Commenced to place the moose
| over his head, saying to the person who
stood by him: take my coat collar
from under tho rope-don't hang 3
man with his collar under the rope
He then requested his hands to be
made more fast, as he might catch the
rope above his head. Black spoke but
once, asking for water, when Morton
incurred: "What do you want with
water now?" They were then asked
If they had anything to say, Morton
answering, "No." They were asked
If they wished to talk with a minister,
or have prayer offered. to which Nor
ton replied that he had told the minis
ter what he had to say the day before.
He said it wasn't we'll for a mar to be
taken of without some religious cere.
mony, and If the minister would con-
sent he would like to have prayer
offered. A minister took him by the
hand, a few words were spoken, and
Morton, who was facing the crowd,
said: II am prepared to meet my
God :" but Immediately added: 81
don't know that there Is any Cod"
He shook hands with q man standing
on the wagon. Black was shaken hands
with, but he said nothing. A short
prayer was offered, only broken once
or twice by sighs from Black, and as
the word "amen" was pronounced,
the wagon moved away. Black, being
a large, heavy man, died without a
struggle. Morton was n small, very
small, man, and as If Wishing to avoid
suffering, sprang high as the support
moved from under him, and he died
without the movement Of n muscle
after his weight rested upon the rope.
Thus terribly ended the career Of
crime Of two OF the murderous prison.
breakers, and never again shall their
hands be stained with the blood Of
their fellow man.
After a short time Roberts was
placed In the wagon aud driven around
TO see his late comrades. As he looked
! upon them he was reminded that he
had been sent to prison for the same
crime that they were ; that he had
made his bed with them since break
ing jail. His youth and the absence
OF proof tnaC lie ndu Cuhsl VI oaiiO-
toned the taking Of life had saved
him from death with them. We come
now to
THE BOYS STORY,
Which Is valuable only from the fact
of his association with the murderers
and his knowledge Of their plans, for
1t Ia evident that he planned or exc
cuted nothing himself. Being weak
he was easily led into crime. and,
having got out with them, was driven
about aud made a cats paw OF by his
brutal companions. Tho following
consists mainly Of information Cleaned
BY Roberts while In camp with the
desperadoes hearing them talk over
their plans and exploits: The out
break was originally arranged by CHE
ford, and when the proper time had
arrived. Hurley was to place himself
above the cells and strike three times
with his chains, as the signal for the
attack OH the turnkey. But Morton
and Clifford were the ones who finally
--AI All. 49, ~nl kIag vvnr0 fhn