Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-05-06
GEORGE M. pINNEY.
The Absconder,s Return.

The AbscOnder's Return.
Rumors have been flying around
San Francisco for the past week of the
return of George M. Pinney, tho man
whose flight from that city two years
ago kicked up such a sensation. BY a
dispatch from the Bay we learn that
he made his appearance at District At
torney Murphy's office yesterday
morning and surrendered himself to
the authorities. His career les been
a very checkcred one, and it locks as
If his return to San Francisco would,
il he tells what he knows, raise a
breeze in official circles. We met Is
gentleman yesterday who has just re-
turned from an Eastern trip and who
was we'll acquainted with Pinney boih
in Montana and at the Mare Island
Navy-yard, and he gave us the fol-
lowing infornation: He says his at
tention was attracted to the appearance
of a fellow passenger, whose green
goggles, SLOUGH hat and furtive move
ments seemed to betraya desire to dis
guise his identity from the gaze OF his
fellow-passengers. He watched him
pretty closely and saw him n morn
ing remove the spectacles for the pur.
pose OF performing his additions, and
Notwithstanding the fact that his hair
had turned gray, instantly recognized
him as the notorious Pinney. Calling
bin by name he approached him, bu
Pinney affected to not recognize him,
and insisted that the gentleman was
laboring under a mistake. The dodge
would not work, and he finally owned
up that he was the man and begged
that our friend preserve his secret.
During the ride between Cheyenne
and Palisade he became quite CONT
dental and explained that he was on
his way back to San Francisco for the
purpose of making it warm for his
had been shamefully treated by people
high in authority. who made him the
scapegoat of their populations and had
induced him to fly the country, prom
ising hat as soon as they could get
the affair in the right shape they
would fix it so that he could return.
The story that he absconded with ove
one million dollars vas absurd. His
cash capital, on the day of his
flight, was just $1,000, and this sum
was furnished him to support him
self for one year, the time named as
necessary for Lin to be absent. He
does not deny that the defalcations
amounted to over l,000,0 900, but in
sists that very little of ii fell 10 his
share. His illusions to several prom
inent politicians on the Pacific coas is
by no e fattering to those gentle
men, and there is no doubt that If be
holds out in his resolution to expose
their connection with his crooked
transactions that there will be several
dead ducks in California before long.
He claims that alter he left San
Francisco these men threw the
whole odium upon him and
relying on the fact that he was a Grim
inal fleeing from justice and would not
dare return, saved themselves at his
expense. He seemed utterly broken
down, and his enforced exile had
prematurely aged him. He prefers
to face the law rather than to live
outside of its pale, but says there is
no danger of his ever being i'm pris-
oned. That these men will, in order to
save themselves, be forced to stand by
him, and hints at the wonderful reve-
lations he could make if it became
necessary for him to do it. Summing
up the case, it appears that he was in
duced to absent himself until after
Paymaster Spalding's trial, and-until
such time as the forged certificates
could be arranged and affairs compro-
missed. He is especially bitter on "
United States officials and a pronii-
nent contractor, and threatens the dir
est consequences to these men unless
they right him before the public. In
this connection, our informant strong
ly limited that General Lagrange, Sem
ator Sargent, and a Mare Island o IN
tractor named /. Powell, would not
rejoice at his return, and would rather
that the train had run off the track
and killed Pinney before his arrival.