Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1876-10-13
The Adventures of a Convict.
From the Carson Appeal. !

from the carson Appeal.
We are indebted to Mr.. James Hume.
well-known as a detective in the employ
Of Wells, Fargo e. Cos Express and
Banking Company, for the facts upon
which IS based the following narration:
On the 10Th of August 1871 J1hn Burke,
convicted of manslaughter in Esmeralda
county arrived, as per sentence of Court,
at the State prison and va, ,urned over
to the keeping Of the Ware the late
Frank Denver. On the 18th Of the sue
ceeding month Burke with sevt raj others
ESCAPED from the Prison; aud he was one
of psrty of six who killed mail rider
betN een Wellington's and Aurora He
was captured with Tilt Cockrell and re-
turned to the prison October %. Then,
on the LIST of March, 1872 he and several
others, being under Indictment for
prison breaking, were placed in the
Ormsby county Jail. As many of our
readers will ember, the whole batch
OF them broke Jail aud scattered. Burke
and Clifford (who was lately pardoned
out of the Penitentiary) were among
the number thus escaping. While they
were still at large, Burke and Clifford
robbed the stage between Eureka and
Mineral Hill, and were arrested. but be-
ing identified as convcts who had es-
capped from the prison upon whose heads
was reward. they were brought in here
aud delivered up without having been
indicted for said robbery. ct being
more than two years since the said crime
was committed. their indictability has
expired by act of limitation.) They were
returned to the State Prison on the 18th
of September 1S72-Burke having been
sentenced to one year for prison break
ing and one year for breaking Jail. He
served out his entire term, less bis
credits, and was discharged February l.
1876. Last June Burke and man who
called himself Willis, turned mp in the
role OF stage robbers in Beaver county,
Utah. (The stage road between Phoebe
and Salt Lake runs through that coun-
ty.) They robbed the stage two days
hand running" Besides robbing
Wells, Fargo & Co., they robbed the U.
S. mail. They were arrested and lodged
in the Beaver Jail, from which they
effected their escape. They were soon
captured and taken to the Utah peniten-
tiary for safe keeping. Gan this time
Burke gave his name as Harker.) They
had been in the prison little while
when, with others. they managed to es.
cape-this making no less than foul
escapes for Burke. In a few days,
however, Burke was again in the hands
of the officers of the law, was tried in the
U. S. District Court (meantime being
identified by Mr.. Hume, who went tc
Salt Lake to take look at him), and
sentenced to hard labor in prison fol
life-the Judge designating the Michigan
State Prision at Detroit as his place OF
confinement. He made q desperate effor
to escape from the officers who conveyed
him, but he failed of success. When
Burke committed bis first crime. that OF
killing man at Pine Grove, Esmerslda
county, he was not at all identified with
the criminal class; and much sympathy
was expressed for him there, as for q
young man who had met with a great
misfortune, and his pardon would mos
likely have been forthcoming In good
time If be bad remained in prison anG
behaved himself His adventures make
quite romance and entitled him to be-
classified with the Jack Sheppards ant
Claude Duvals of the criminal calendar