The morning call., 1891-06-11
ROUGHLY HANDLED.
4 Woman'S Experience in The Hydraulic
Regions Of Placer.

SACRAMENTO, June 10.-Mrs. Victoria
WOlcott, a respectable lady who now lives
in Oakland, tells a terrible story of indig
mites to which she was subjected on a re-
cent visit to Gold Run. Mrs. WOlcOtt lived
at Gold Run until about dozen years ago.
Her husband, who died some twenty years
ago, was one of the pioneer settlers in the
hydraulic region and owned claim known
as the Benton ana Prindle mine, which he
operated until his death. After that there
was complication from the bitches, and
the property was worked very little up to
the time when the courts and laws Of the
land interpOSed to check hydraulic mining
and the attendant destruction to the valleys.
Nearly all the old timers who invested their
money in hydraulic property yielded to the
law, and most or them abandoned their
property. Mrs. WocOtt was one Of them,
although she is still the owner of eighty
shares of the original Gold Run Ditch and
Mining Company.
Mrs. Wocott says that she went up TO
Gold Run to see about her interests there.
She consulted A. j. Gould of the Gold Run
Company in relation TO her rights and the
claim which parties have jumped, and
which they have been working in defiance
OF the laws. Gould went into the mine adj
joining the Benton and Prlndle but returned
the gang. lie advised the lady to go down
into the claim and present her statement.
She protested that she might be misused,
but Cough could not believe that the miners
would abuse woman and told her not to
tear. Accordingly yesterday morning Mrs.
WolcOtt resolved 10 90 down where the men
were working. she had hardly put in an
appearance when she was ordered per-
emptOriy and rudely to leave the premises.
In an instant the lady realized her peril and
was proceeding to say that she would get
away as soon as she could when George
Betlen and George MulOn and four others
OF the men made rush for her. In vain
she shreked aud cried out that she would
go away.
The towards seized her and dragged her
for distance of nearly half a mile, finally
dropping her unconscious near a railway
track. How long she remained there Mrs.
W0lc0tt says sue has not the means of
knowing, for she had lost consciousness
from the brutal treatment Of the rCffians on
the way. The brutal aSSailants threatened
her that If she reported her experiences she
would go W" and they tugged as if at a
rope to indicate that she would be hanged
II she uttered a word about them. They
told the affrighted woman that they intended
TO throw her on The railway track when they
should reach 1t, and that they did not do so
is probably because they thought they had
already rendered her powerleSs to even re-
late the STORY Oh their c0Wafdlce and bTu-
tally.
When Mrs. Wolcott applied at the hotel
for rooms aud meals she was promptly re-
fused either. Then she called on some of
her Old friends, but they declined to supply
her with food or shelter, saying that they
had been warned not to do so, but other
wise they would be- glad to comfy with
her wishes. Mrs. Wolcott was compelled TO
pass two nights in the woods.
The law seems to be practically suspended
in that community, for when Mrs. Wolcott
applied to the District Attorney of Placer
County for the arrest of the ruf1ians, she
Was told that if she had any sympathy with
the farmers she could not get Justice. The
attorney advised the lady not 10 have the
Men arrested, and she thereupon desisled.
Mrs. NolcOtt says she is in sympathy with
neither miners nor farmers. All she went
to Gold Run for was TO look after her, inter-
eSts. She SAYS that if she is forbidden by
the courts to mine her lands, she wants
nobody else to do so. Mrs. Wolcott was in
formed by the ruffianS that if ever they saw
her again she would be handled worse than
Shirr kipp had been. Three weeks before
Kipp. who. like the Oakland lady, went up
TO look after a claim he owns, was set upon
and brutally beaten by the same gang who
assaulted the GeIenseleSS woman.