The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-04-04

to Shasta, and he was indicted
There, dye sec that little pointo
rocks there in the road ahead
; Well. that's old Bass place. Hs's
postmaster here now, and, if Ia
amt gone to bed, he'll come on
and tell you all about it,
The stage drew up in front of 8
little, plain-looking, implanted
house, which nestled in a clumE
of frs. This was the station fol
changing horses, and, while six
splendid steeds were being
brought out to replace those al
ready tired out and jaded, the
Chronicle reporter looked for Afr.
Bass. The driver pointed him
out. The old man had gray hair
and seemed to be very intelligent.
In reply to the reporters ques-
tions he said he owned the place;
that he was postmaster OF Bass
Station, and had lived there for a
number OF years. He knew
Heiner Miller well, and laughed a
coed deal about Miller's position
now when contrasted with what il
had been. While the six fresh
horses were being put in the stage,
the reporter, from his seat on the
box, talked with old Mr.. Bass, and
gathered the material for the fol
lowing story Of Milier's operations
while in that vicinity:
| sEnrTt1 raSr ararr.,,ss v--,,,, 49,.
1t is pretty generally understood
by those acquainted with Joaquin
Miller's writings, that the tale of
the ''Tall Alcalde" is nothing more
than q history of Miller's own
career while dwelling with the In
dams in Shasta county. PartIcu-
larry does it give an account of the
DEMONSTRATING operation, and sub
sequent flight, pursuit, capture,
indictment, etc., of the poet. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Bass story, on the
9th Of July, 1859, he went to
Churntown, little mining camp q
few miles distant, to attend a pc
litical meeting. He staid there all
that day, and all the next, on the
latter part Of which day his ami
NAL was stolen from the stable
yard where he had tied him.
Heiner Miller was around the
camp on both those days, but as
he, being q "squaw man." was
rather looked down upon in the
vicinity, but little attention was
paid to him. About dusk in the
evening Miller came to the bar
room, where Bass and the rest of
the boys we're having a good time,
peered in for a moment and then
vanished. Two hours after that
Bass horse, saddle and bride
were all missing. The horses
were all tethered in a yard, the
only entrance to which was a
huge gate. In his late years, in
writing his famous Gina" Miller
seems to have remembered this
nights work. for he tells US Just
how he took the horse and started
with it on his journey. OF the
gate he says:
For two went through but one returned;
And when its rusty hinges turned,
They creak'd as If in pain or fright"
The horse was missed about
midnight. Next morning before
daylight, Bass, Nelson Babcock
1.-THE constable) and a man named
William Kappel started in hot pur-
suit. They felt sure that Miller
had taken tho horse, and as they
knew where his cabin was on the
McCloud, had no difficulty in get
ting on his trail.
HIS FLIGHT.
OF the scenes which transpired
between the stealing Of the horse
and NIiller's capture by Babcock,
the constable, we have no other
information than that given in the
''Tale of the Tall Alcaide.' Mil
Ter there gives US the whole story
of the flight in 4 manner that
neither Mr.. Bass nor the Chroni-
Gle could ever dare hope to do.
After taking the horse from the
corral and through the gate where
'Two passed out-but one returned
Miller describes his fight:
By gulch and gorge and brake, and an,
swift As the shining nleteors fall,
| We hy, and never sound nor word
But ringing mustang hoofs is heard,
| And limbs OF steel and lungs of steam,
| Could not be stronger than theirs seem.
Grandly as some joyous dream,
| League on league. and hour on hour,
Far from keen purEnit, OF power
| or sheriff, or bailiif, high or low,
Into the bristling hills We go.
'<Into the snowy.haired McCloud,
White rs the folding OF a shroud;
We dash into the dashing stream,
| We breast the tide, we drop the rein,
Out in its foam, its rush, its roar,
Breasting away to the farther shore;
Steadily, bravely, gained at last,
Gain'd where never bastard foe
/ Has dared to come, or friend to go.
Pursuit is ba1fled and danger pass'd.
But pursuit was not baffied nor
danger passed, for on the morning
of the second day the pursuers
surrounded the cabin where Mil
Ter then lived with his "beautiful
Indian Maiden" and took him
into custody. The impression
Miller seems to want to give in
his poem is that he escaped, but
this Is not true, at least not then.
Later on in his poem he tells how
he was imprisoned in the Jail in
Shasta, and of his subsequent es.
cape by the aid of the Indian girl
bat that he was actually arrested
/ Aw.1 M
there is no manner of doubt.
The horse was found tethereG
Just outside of Miller's cabin, GOV
cred with foam and almost ready
. to drop from exhaustion. The
squaw was inside getting the poe
something to eat, while the lattel
J was lying down snatching a few
moments rest preparatory to q re
newal of his wild flight through
the mountains.
| TIE POETS ARREST.
Mr.. Bass and the constable frs
; secured the horse, and then knock
J ed at the door of the cabin. A
/ once there was a terrific commo
. ton inside. The Indian woman
! cried and wrung her hands, Will
t Miller seized his gun and prepared
4 to defend his castle. But seeIni
who his visitors were and KNOWN;
!, full well their elrand, he wisel,
forebore, aud finally confessed al
3 and surrendered. The party a
}, once put the prisoner in irons
J. and, after an hours rest, set on
j together with the Indian squaw TO
j, Shasta. What Immediately fol
e sowed is best described BY tn
e great poet himself. He says: