Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-09-19
MARROW ESCAPE.
A Minors Adventure with Frontier Dcs-
peradO9H.

Az henuIlCks ludno, lives IN Olu uluu
named William Dodge. lie is surviv-
Or of the days of prosperous placer
mining in Montana and Nevada, 35 years
ago, and, though a man of peace him.
self, he had many desperate adventures
with the criminals who ranged the min
ing regions in those days, intent on Sc
curing the wealth which others had ac-
cumuldted by industry. Mr.. Dodge
lately told reporter of the Spokane
(Wash.) Spokesman-Review some sto-
riee of his adventures, one of which,
with some adaptation of its language
and incidents, we may relate.
One winter he heard of rich diggings
over on the He'll Gate, and went there
alone on snowshoes. He did extremely
well for a time, sometimes taking as
much as $T5 out of single pan. After.
wards, returning to Bannock City, he
fell in with several desperadoes, among
whom were the notorious Buck Stinson
and Charley Reeves.
These men knew that Dodge had
money, and were bent on robbing and
possibly numbering him, though the
operations of the vigilance committees
had made them somewhat less bold in
their movements than they had once
been.
Dodge started one day for Virginia
City on his horse, and stopped for the
night at the cabin of en- innkeeper
named Prickett, paying dollar for the
privilege of sleeping on the floor. After
he had curled up under his blankets in
corner, q man, unknown to him, came in
and asked for the privilege of rolling in
with him, as he, the stranger, had no
blanket. Such u request Dodge could
not refuse, as the season was winter and
the weather cold.
Dodge was next the wall. His COM
panion soon gave every sign of being
fast asleep, and so did dodge; but he
was wide-awalke. There was no light in
the room, but the night was starry with.
out, and the cabin was not "chinked,"
so that a little of the light filtered
through.
Not long after Dodge had apparently
fallen asleep horseman rode up to the
door, and presently Dodge heard him
ask Prickett in a whisper if he, Dodge,
were there. The questioner, as Dodge
soon discovered, was Buck Stinson.
Prickett, without word, indicated the
place where Dodge was lying, tucked
in behind the other man.
Two or three times Dodge saw the
dim form of Stinson passing up and
down beside him. Evidently the other
man was not a confederate, for no
communication seemed to pass between
him and Stinson. The man was, more
ever, to all appearances, sound asleep.
BY and by second horseman APP
peared. There was whispered talk be-
tween him and Stinson, and Dodge knew
that the newcomer was Charley Reeves.
He, too, walked past the seeming sleep
ers, but did nothing; if the pair wished
to kill Dodge, they evidently did not
care to kill the other man. too. BY and
by Stinson and Reeves lay down to-
gether on the other side of the room,
and Dodge soon felt sure they were
asleep.
Dodge had no doubt they had come
for him, and that they would presently
take steps to get him. He had his re-
volver cooked, and was resolved to fight
for his life. But as he lay against the
wall, he noticed that there was a very
wide chink where crooked log had
been put ina sort of curve that might
afford passage for a mans body. He
tried to see if he could not work his way
out through it, and presently found
himself on the outside.
This had been done with extreme
slowness and stealth; he had worked
his way out of the blankets and through
the hole so carefully as not to disturb
even his fellow-sleeper.
Once on the outside, Dodge went to
the rude stable and got his horse, maxi
ing no noise. 1t is only the old frontiers
man who can manage horse silently.
Virginia City was the nearest place Of
safety, and that was 60 miles away.
Dodge rode hard for it, outdoing, he is
sure, either the ride of Paul Revere or
Phil Sheridan. He reached Virginia
City in safety, but his horse fell dead as
he entered the town, He had, like many
dhObhCl iitll III u dangerous pOSlllOLl,
sacrificed the animal to save himself.
At Virginia City, he had hardly gath
cred some friends around him before
Stinsou and Reeves made their appear
ance III a very desperate frame of mind.
With Dodge, rs the desperadoes came
up. was Sheriff Dillingham;.
What was your hurry, Dodge?" Stin-
son called out. "Way didn't you wait
for company"
All day the fury Of the desperadoes in
creased, and in the afternoon, excited
by liquor, Stinson shot Sheriff Dilling-
ham drought the heart. Reeves and
Stinson were both convicted of the muir
der, and were sentenced TO death, but
were helped by n mob of their own
friends TO escape on the day set for their
execution.
THE wonder is am now living" said
l.. Al.