The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-02
A New and Startling Story Regard
ing the Now Celebrated
Pegleg Mine,
Assassination by the Indians
Added to the Many Nat
ural Dangers.
Many Victims Believed to Have Fallen by
d. Their Hands-A Minor Who
Knows 1T All.

~ "4AA u9No - 49, NN~
patty thar that which recently leftsan Fran
CISCO to locate the famous Pegleg mine. s.
emphatically declares Oliver Roberts, one
of the best informed mining men on the
coast, and he backs his assertion by relat-
ing the following interesting and hitherto
unpublished facts regarding that elusive
Golconda. In an interview with a Sar
Francisco Examiner correspondent ut Car
son, New, he made this startling opening
sentenoe: N do not think it possible for a
small party of prospectors to find the Peg
leo mine and live" He then continued;
'Sonle years ago when 1 was quite a boy !
spent considerable time In tho section OF
the oountry where the Pegleo mine IS be-
liaved to be, and seldom did l find q pros
peotor that doubted the existence OF the
Pepler. but few dared to explore that re-
zion. for fear tina the renegade band of
indians who live in the vicinity would
destroy them. There are about a dozen OF
these half breeds, seemingly q cross be-
tween a Mexican and an Apache. 9
met an old prospector by the name OF
Morris, He was an 1rishman and had
been near the spot and knew that the
description furnished by old Peggy Smith
tallied with the country. He made a special
study of the landmarks that would guide
him to the famous three hills and felt sure
he was on the right track.
.When every geological feature he sought
came in regular order, and no was almost
certain of finding this wonderful deposit OF
cold, an old Indian Appeared on the scene
armed with an old-fashioned rifle and a
49, - \ A,ll rfckr1o A nn1n.
Gil wal held and the lone warrior warned
the miner to tread no longer on such GAN
eerous ground, but to leave it at once II ne
valued his life. saying ] n substance as no
to nav for the land taken by the paleface.
See, il is here, strung to my belt and in the
three hills yonder 1 know Of plenty more,
displaying az he spoke a heavy string of
nuggets fastened to his girdle.
.'That was enoughto discourage any half
starved and weary prosIeotor, go ne turned
from his course and came into Darwin,
whore he repeatedly told his tale and de-
scribed the country he had passed through.
There is no doubt in my mind that many
have zone too near the Pegleg and died at
the hands of the Indians, who guard their
treasure with the avariee and vigilance OF o
white man. Of course. we hear that they
died of thirst or hunger. but it appearsvery
peculiar that no bones are found. The lay
OF the country is such that a well-drllled
band Of cutthroat Indians could guard it
against quite Il body of white men whose
energies had been wasted on the long trip
necessary to get anywhere near the spot.
'In the '7O's Morris, the tlreless worker
for gold and silver. died. But q short
time before he told me that the Pegleg was
a reality, pointing at the same time south
by southeast from Darwin, in which direc'
tion he said it lay. I asked him how Ions
il would take him to reach the spot, and ht
assured me if he was accompanied by {
band of well-provisioned and armed men hs
could get through the Indian country anc
find the three hills inside of a month. HI
was afterward beaten into in%sensibility
with the butt end of a pistol, from ths
effects of which he died."
In answer to an inquiry as to whether hs
knew about where the three hills lay, Mr.
Roberts said: II only know so fal
as direction is concerned, and l CON
slider my informant reliable, as Morris neve!
lied to me in regard to anything. As fa'
as l am able to learn his knowledge of tht
country was very complete, and l may somt
time follow his cue by searching for thu
miue myself, but" Roberts said smiling
sIll be- accompanied by thorough noun.
taineers that know as much about handling
Indians as they do about mineralogy, a
the redskins will be the greatest obstacle t.
the discovery Of the Pegleg mine. TIL
odds would, Of curse, be greatly against u
as their ambuscades are unknown, and eX-
treme caution would be necessary. tTh'
if a deposit of about twelve of the rec
devils could be located in one heap. the,
the gold would receive some attention. Th
fact that they are u~ntrammeled by Lax
assures me thut the venture would be ex
tremely dangerous"