The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-26
LET A MILLION SLIP PAST
How Jerry Collins, Turnkey al the Jail,
Lost His Opportunity for Fortune.
Never Knew 1t Until Recent News
paper Dispatch Opened His Eyes
Murderer That He Didn't Catch.


spent few years roughing 1t in the far
West in the early days of extending the
Denver IL Rio Grande, and two little news.
paper articles published recently have
brought back flood of recollections TO
him. One OF these articles informed him
of the fact that he could have made
fortune one time out of practical joke. It
was not until q few days ago. however.
that he realized he had let chance to
make a million slip through his hands.
One of these ne wspaper articles reported
the finding on Green river. Utah. of rioh
veins of gold. and with the report was an
accurate description of the veins. the way
they run and their appearance as seen on
the surface. Jerry recognized the descrip-
tion so perfectly that he could 60 to-day and
put his hand right on one of those veins.
He could have bought one of them for
almost nothing twelve years ago. He was
ime-keeper on the railroad at thas time,
when the road was making extensions al
Green river. Border life was in it's glory
then, and the people that locked to the
country had come from almost oil parts of
the earth. There little shooting
ponics and other advertisements at all
times of the day and night. Jerry boarded.
together with number of others employed
by the company. at house kept by on old
Mormon. The Mormon was q queer chap.
close listed. and consequently rich in the
worlds goods and In lands. He also ran a
bar in connection With his lodging house.
Infrequently indeed did he invite the boys
to take something.
One of the leading spirits of the place
found the Mormon in his cups ono day. and
thought 1t would not only be good joke
to play a trick on him, but if properly
managed, might induce the old fellow to
s. -. L a e Haze l.
This leading spirit had found some Pc
Culiar veins In the rocks near the place.
and il seemed that these veins contained
an ore of some kind. No one ever suspect
ed that the veins contained precious
metal. A box of the ore was taken TO the
old man and he was told that 1t not only
contained gold, but that the stuff was
found on his land. All the boy sswore that
the stuff was gold ore. and the Mormon
had hit it rich. OF course, he had
to quench the thirst of the boys
who mad discovered this wonderful
find for him. and all hands were
summoned to the bar. The next morning,
after he had sobered. the crowd laughed at
him and told him his gold was FOOLS gold.
No more was said about the ore until the
newspaper article printed q short time ago.
The veins containing the rich ore are the
same ones from which the ore was taken to
use in o trick on the old Mormon. Jerry
remembers the location of them and the
descriptions agree to O nicely.
Now for the other article which Collins
saw. This was description from Brazil
stating that Frank Reed, q Colorado des-
peradO. had been arrested there for rob-
berry. near Clay City. 1t had also been as
certained that he was the same man W wanted
Colorado. A number of years ago the muir
der was committed. and at the time Jerry
was in Utah. Reed walked into q saloon
and was resting with his arms against the
ha. w~xh ah41
the drop on Reed. Reed Was
wanted for shooting another man.
Although the marshaPs revolver was
pointed directly in his face the desperate
drew his own weapon and shot the mar
shall dead. Reed jumped on his horse.
which as tied outside. and rode away.
He was not found after that until arrested
Gsy fna f fey h to
and many men In Colorado and Utah were
keeping lookout for him. The trainmen
at Green river thought they had man
working IN one of their gangs that an
even TO o scar on his cheek. which was sup.
posed to have been obtained in the fight
with the marshal. Three or four OF the
men and Collins thought it would be Q
good plan to capture the man that an
swered the description of Reed. The man
was asked to step out of the dining
room one evening and was confronted with
o few big revolvers. He was asked fret to
explain how he came by the wound he had
on his cheek. He easily explained that by
proving by others that he had received it
while jumping from a train coming in to the
| station q. Green River. He succeeded in
proving to his captors' satisfaction that he
was not the man wanted. Then they were
puzzled. They were afraid the affair would
leak out and they would become the laugh
ing stock of the settlement So to settle
matters all around they levied assess
ont nf nj lar ho "A
gave it to the suspect after be promised to
let no outsiderknow of the mistake.