The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-26

something to eat and drink There was
no water and we were also very thirsty.
Evans was willing to trust me- but Prem
lice protested and would not allow me 10
go. He said even If I would not betray
them, thai l might be seen coming out
of the shaft, and perhaps lynched, and
that il captured they would make me in
form of the whereabouts of Prentice and
his companions. About noon that day
our thirst became unbearable and Evans
accompanied ne through the drifts and
wings to the Justice mine. where We dip
ped some water from the bottom or stump
of the incline which. although not good
drinking water would quench our thirst.
We returned TO where the others of the
party were and remained there until
about o'clock at night, when ! piloted
the party. oue-eighth of a mile 10 the Sh-
yer Elill shaft. 1 was commanded to leave
the party about seventy feet from the
Silver Fin shaft and 10 make my exit
from the mine through the Waller Defeat
or Justice shaft.
Escape of the Criminals.
At the bottom of the silver Hill shaft
there was what is called a station and a
man called the "statiOn-tender." Before
leaving the powder-room Prentice made
me promise not to inform on them, ana
as they had left their shotguns in the
powder-room and their revoivers were
concealed in their hip pockets the ap-
pearance OF four men dressed in ordinary
street clothes did not excite any great Gu
rosity, ard as the four men got on the
cage the station-tendcr gave three-bel
signal and they were hoisted to the sur
face, when they walked out of the hoist
ing works ana made good their escape
into California. The Silver Hill station
tender afterward informed me that ne did
not know the men, and that when they
ca me 10 him end requested to be hoisted
to the surface they said they had been
searching The mines looking for the muir
derers. An inquest was held on the I'VE
bodies Of the murdered men, but no clew
was obtained as to who did the killing. In
about SIX months Prentice and Evans ap
peJred on the Comstock again, apparent
~ wen supplied with money, and they
both obtained jobs as watchmen at the
Justice nine and were still there when
the writer left Gold Hill in 1876. l have
since heard that they are both dead. My
actions in. the escape of the murderers
we're all under duress.
After Prentice ana Evans returned /
was for almost two years necessarily
often in their company, but l had feel
ing that they desired me out of the way,
and l avoided being with them, especially
with Prentice, In remote or dark places.
l felt much easier when, in 1876, left the
locality. But 1t seems 1 was not 20
escape their presence forever. One day
while visiting the Centennial grounds in
Philadelphia l ran against Prentice and
Evans. They pretended to be glad to see
me. They had large supply of money
and spent IL literally. They were dressed
richly and their minds did not seem to he |
disturbed with reflections of their past
lives, but they were drinking much liquor |
They said they would return to California. |
Indeed l went with them to New York |
where we remained four days a the Astor |
House, and / accompanied them to the |
steamship wharf, where they took pas
sage for Panama. That was the last time |
ever saw them