The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-13
THIEF CONFESsES AND RE-
VEALS THE HIDING PLACE.
CONCEALED UNDER WATER
And Covered By Four Feet of Mud
Recovery Progresses
Slowly.

San Francisco, Aug. 10-Jack Win.
tiers, who was arrested as a suspect
in connection with the Selby smelt.
ing works robbery has confessed, and
so far, $130,O00 worth of bullion has
been recovered from the bay where
t~ectives have tried all sorts of per-
suasion to make Winters confess, but
apparently without effect. Finally he
asked to see Superintendent Ropp, of
Selby works, who, he said, was the
only friend he had.
In his conversation with Ropp Win
ters' manner indicated that he knew
where the gold had been hidden. Ropp
told Winters they had a strong case
against him, and that he would be sent
to prison for 80 years. He said: "You
will be an old man when you get out,
and it will do you no good to hide
the gold. We know it is hidden in
the water near the works, and we will
search every inch. You may be sure
that the gold will be found before you
are out of prison."
Winters finally weakened and told
Ropp that he had taken the gold and
would take him to the spot where it
was hidden. Winters Immediately,
accompanied by Superintendent Ropp
and a force of detectives, left on a
f,,p for Troa1yo%4 T1,~,,o Ill., ,,-:4aJ
a while for low tide. Winters pointed
out a place at the end of the railroad
wharf beyond the coal bunkers, at
the head Of the Vallejo ferry slip. At
that point at low tide the mud is
about four feet deep covered by a
foot of water. When the tug first
reached Crockett, Winters pointed out
a spot in the water where he said he
had thrown the gold. Superintendent
Ropp marked the place on the wharf
and the tug steamed away to wait for
low tide. This morning Winters got
into the mud and water up to his neck
and, for an hour and a half, CROPPED
for the missing bullion. Up to 10
o'clock $4,000 worth had been re-
covered. This includes four bars of
fine gold. Winters had put some of
the bars in bags. He said one of the
bags had broken and some small bars
had dropped out.
1t is now only a question of careful
search to find the rest of the $3.50, 900.
Winters claims he did the job all
alone.
Winters, when he had made up his
mind to tell what he knew about the
crime was exceedingly wiling to give
all the information necessary tt re-
turn the ullion. He practically assum-
ed charge of the operations and led
Captain Seymour and Superintendent
Ropp to the dock. He acted more like
one of the detectives employed on the
case than a prisoner.
AS soon as he arrived at the waters
edge he called Superintendent Ropp
to his side and said: Nov watch
what | am going to show you. Be
careful that you get the locations
right STOPPING. he picked up three
stones and pacing forward he tossed
one of them in the water. 1t fell to
the south of the spot at which the
prisoner stood. another stone fell to
the east and the third was thrown di-
rectly in front of Winters.
THAT" said the prisoner. will
mark the water boundary OF the place
where your gold is hidden"
Stepping to the left. Winters drew
a nail from his pocket and asked for
a hammer. He then paced off a few
yards to the right and drove another
nail in the timber.
1.-THE gold" he continued, will be
between these two nails, somewhere
in line with the spots marked by the
stones l just threw into the water"
A small boat was secured and into
it Sheriff Vale, Detective Kimball, of
the Pinkerton agency, and two labor
ers wer loaded.
Winters assisted in the search for
the bricks. He talked glibly all the
while. Deep mud finally put a stop
to operations, and it was decided to
build a Golfer dam before trying to
recover the rest of the treasure.
Winters told the officers that he
the robbery a long time ago
with minute detail, he had been two
Or three months working on his little :
;unnel. It had taken two nights labor
o cut through the brick wall of the
Most Of the boring in the
Of the vault had been done ,
he night when the gold was taken. .