Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-02-24

exist, with its headquarters in San Fran
cisco, and branches in every town and
principal mining camp in the State. In
the spring of 1849 the people had risen en-
;nasse and made an effort to crush them
out, but the means adopted were too mild
to subdue the "hounds." Although they
were for time dispersed and their organ
ization disbanded, it continued to exist,
and, at the time of which we write, was a
numerous and powerful band, with per
manent place and regular time of holding
meetings. A systematized code of signals,
passwords and signs had been adopted. 1t
was differed and led by some of the most
desperate and clever scoundrels that
ever infested community, many of whom
were prominent men of the city. The
place of me citing was at the house of one
jim Edwards, on the south side of Pacific
street, between Montgomery and Sansome,
in the heart of "Sidneytown," the name
by which that portion of the city around
Clark's point was then known. The front
portion of the ground floor of Edwards
house was occupied as saloon for dane
ing, drinking and gambling, the upper
floor was divided into small apartments
and let as bedrooms to the frequenters of
the place, OF to uulucky strangers who,
either by chance should wander that way,
or were enticed thither by the decoy ducks
employed for that purpose, and who if
they ever left it alive did so minus cash,
Jewelry and often even clothing. The
rear portion of the building extended out
over the water of the bay, which at that
time had not been filled in as il now is,
and rested on piles driven into the mud.
The floor was placed at a sufficient height
above the water to enable small boat to
pass at any stage of the tide. The rear
! room was the regular rendezvous of "The
Thugs" Here were concOcted those dia-
bolical schemes that rendered them so
famous, and which finally drew down up
on them the vengeance of an exasperated
and outraged people, and led to their ex-
termination five years later by that last
great uprising of the long suffering citi-
Zens Of the town.
By an ingenious continuance in the foo.
OF this apartment, ingress and egress
could at any time be had. By. rowing a
boat underneath and touching short
lever of wood fastened to one of the piles,
a trap-door flew open and a ladder de-
scended that led up through the floor into
the Thugs Den," which, after being
used, was so effectually closed as to leave
no traces of its existence 1t is told of
two detectives of the Vigilance Commit
tee, about this time, that they were in pur-
suit one night of boat that was known
to contain three of the gang whom they
wanted. The detectives boat was close
astern, and gaining on the fugitives when
they shot under the buildings along Pa
cific street, and disappeared like plan
toms. The empty boat was picked up,
but no traces Of its occupants could any
where be seen, and it was thought then
that they had been drowned, but it was
atterward ascertained that they escaped
through the means just described One
or them was afterward hanged by the
committee; one was killed in Sacramento,
while attempting to escape from an
officer; Of the third nothing is definitely
known.
There was one other mode only of en-
trance to this apartment, and that was by
door opening into the back room of the
adjoining building, which was occupied
by an old Jew named Jacob Smart, whose
cheap sign on the front door indicated
that his business was th at of a gold-dust
buyer and money broker, but who, in
reality, was the agent of the Thugs in dis
posing of their stolen goods, and in giving
them the tip whenever a rich customer
presented himself at his counter to dis
pose of his treasure. 1t was never clearly
ascertained that old Jacob ever directly
assisted in robbery, but by his manage
ment many unsuspecting miners were re-
lieved of their plethoric bags of dust, the
profits of which Jacob participated in.
His mode of procedure was, after wheed-
ling all he could out of his customer
(Which In those early times was not diff
cult, for the miner had not then learned
to keep his business to himself, but was
rather disposed to confide in his fellow
man, especially when that man was pro-
fuse in his professions of friendship, to
entice him into his back parlor, where
over a social glass and cigar he gained
his entire confidence and the consent of
his dupe to spend the night in sport and
revelry at the Balaklava" next door.
His lifeless body foated among the piles
next day, or he found himself wandering
about the streets crazed, almost destitute
Of clothing, and without cent to pur-
chase meal.
This man Jenkins had been arrested
early in the evening of the day named by
the officers of the Vigilance Committee,
which fact was speedily made known to
the leaders of the gang. A hasty sum-
mons to meet at the den was circulated
and while the committee on Battery street
was celebrating his case, his friends on
Pacific street had assembled in council for
the purpose of devising means for his re-
lease. What the deliberations of this con-
clave were is not known, but it was re-
solved that Jenkins must be rescued from