Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-17
GREAT DETECTIVE WORK.
B. EUME's CAPTURE OF DORSEY
AND sHINN.
The Careers of Two Noted Desperadoe,
Who Escaped From San Quentin
Three Years Ago.

Warden Aull of the Folsom State Prison
and Captains E. A. Reddy and c. N. Fish
of the San Quentin State Prison came up
from San Francisco last evening. The two
latter went at once to the Governors office
to secure fequisitions on the Governor of
Illinois for Charles H. Thorne, alias Dor
sey, and George H Shinn, and left on the
midnight train for Chicago, where the two
desperadoes are under arrest. They Will
bring them back and return them to their
cells in the San Quentin prison, whence
they escaped on the LIST of December, 1857
Dorsey and Shinn are two of the most
notorious desperadoes with which the off,
GERS of this State have had to deal for
many years. On Septembsr1 l, 1879, Thorne
and man named Patterson stopped the
Moore's Flat stage-coach while it was on
its way from Moore's Flat to Nevada City.
They presented two cutoff shot guns,
loaded with buckshot, at the heads of the
driver and passengers and compelled all to
get out of the stage and stand in row on
the road Among the passengers was an
elderly banker of Moore's Flat, named
William Cummings. who had IS 600 or
$4,000 worth of gold bars, which he was
taking to Nevada City. Thorne stood
guard while Patterson gathered up the
spoils. When he came to Cummings, the
old man resisted, exclaiming: This is my
property and you can't have it, He
grappled with Patterson, and the two rolled
over and over on the ground. Thorne
walked along the line of passengers.
deliberately placed his gun to Cummings
head and blew the whole top of his head
off, killing him instantly. The Mortified
passengers offered no further resistance,
and the robbers, after taking everything of
value, departed.
Although the officials secured the country
far and near, the desperadcel escaped.
Nearly ayear elapsed before anything was
heard of them, and then it was when Thorne
was arrested by Captain Lees of the San
Francisco detective force and Captain
Charles Aull, now Warden at the State
Prison az Folsom. Thorne was arrested at
Union City, Indiana, where he had a fine
saloon. Patterson, the other robber, was
found at the same time in the State Prison
at St. Louis, Missouri. Both criminals
were returned to this State and tried in Ne
vada City for murder. Patterson was
found guilty and was hanged at Nevada
City on February l, 1884. In the case of
Thorne an obstinate Juror hung OUT and
the other jurors were obliged to compro-
mise Thorne was sentenced to life i'm
prisonment in San Quentin.
Shinn was sentenced on the 18th of July,
1882, in Placer county, to serve twelve
years. eight months and ten days in the
State Prison at San Quentin, having been
convicted of an assault with intent to COM
NIT robbery. During the previous year he,
in company with four other men named
Mason, Steinsgle, Rogers and Frazier, who
had been mining near Iowa Hill, made an
attempt to rob the east bound overland
train at Cape Horn. They drew the spikes
out of the fsh-plates and moved the rails
in 80 that when the train came along it ran
off the track. Two of the men covered the
engineer and fireman with shotguns, while
the others attacked the express car. The
messenger got down his rifle and refused TO
open the door and the robbers became
frightened and fled.
Tney were subsequently arrested, and
Mason turned States evidence. Steinagle,
after two trials, was convicted and SEN
fenced to fourteen years in San Quentin.
When the trial of Shinn came on, Steinagle
was brought from San Quentin to Auburn
as a witness, but when within hundred
yards of the Auburn jail he escaped from
Sheriff Boggs and his son. Though he
had handouts on, he made good his es-
cape, and has never been recaptured. Shinn
was subsequently convicted and sentenced,
as stated. Rogers and Frazier were subse-
quently acquitted. after two juries failed to
agree, and the latter was afterwards killed
by the explosion of thrashing-mach
engine.
While in San Quentin Shinn and Thorne
became good friends. Late in the after
noon of December l, 1887, Shinn, who was
a prison trusty, was driving team out of
the yard. Over the wagon was tarpaulin,
under which Thorne hid. Shinn drove out
of the gale toward the old ferry.landing,
and, when clear of the Enclosure, the two
men fled. A heavy rsin-storm and the
darkness aided the escapes. A day or so
later a row. boat which belonged at San
Quentin was found across the bay on the
Contra Costa shore, showing which way
the escapes had undoubtedly fed.
For nearly two years after their escape
the officers could find no trace of them. J.
B. Hume, Wells, Fargo & Co.'S chief de.
tective was constantly on the lookout for
them, and about year ago he commenced
to find what he thought TO be evidence of
their handiwork in three or four stage rob.
berries. Three weeks ago he went to War
den Aull and told him that he was satisfied
that he was on the trail of the two desper-
ADDE'S, and that he would probably bag his
game at Chicago, for which place he left at
once, leaving Warden Aull to look out for
things at this end. He had satisfied him.
self that Dorsey and Shinn first made their
way to Chicago. where they remained for
some time, and then returned to this State,
where they committed numerous robberies,
He believes they spent last winter in a
cabin on the banks of the American river,
Just outside the limits of this city, and
committed several minor offenses here.
When he left California the men were still
in this State, but they returned to Chicago,
Just as he expected they would, and he now
has them both safely locked up there. a
better piece Of detective work has never
been done in this State, and the veteran
officer has added another leaf to his crown
of lsurels.