Fergus County argus., 1901-08-14
SIOlE GOLD RRICkS.
Thiei Who Tunneled lnto the Smelter Vault
Admits His Crime.

tuiti WHO iuUUetcu tulo hhc ohuihSi '"s's
Admits His Crime.
san Francisco, Aug. l0.-Jack Win
tiers, who was arrested as n suspect
in connection with the Selby Smelt-
ing Works robbery, has confessed,
and SO far $l3O,OOO worth OF the bull
lion has been recovered from the bay
In which he sunk 1t.
For three days the detectives have
tried all sorts of persuasion to make
Winters confess, but apparently
without effect. Presently he asked
to see President Roppe Of the Selby
works, who, he said, was the only
friend he had.
In his conversation with Roppe
Winters manner indicated that he
knew where the gold had been hid
den. Rope told Winters they had n
strong case against him and that he
would be sent to prison for 30 years.
lie said:
You will be an old man when you
get out and it VIII do you no good
TO hide the gold. We know il IL hid
den in the water near the works ana
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
Roppe that he had taken the gold
and would take him to the spot
where it was hidden. Winters, In
company with Superintendent Roppe
and force of detectives, left on tug
last night for Crockett. They there
waited all night for low tide. Win
ters pointed out the place Mt the end
of the railroad wharf, beyond the
coal bunkers, ut the head Of Vallejo
ferry slip. At that point ut low tide
the mud Is about four feet deep, COW
cred with about a foot OF water.
When the tug first reached Crock
cit. Winters pointed out the spot In
the water where he snld he had
thrown the gold. Superintendent
Roppe marked the place on the wharf
and the tug steamed away to wait
for low tide. This morning Winters
got into the mud aud water up to his
neck and for an hour and n hall
groped for the missing bullion. Up
to 10 O'Clock $4,000 worth had been
recovered. This included the 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 hal dropped out. 1t Il
now on,y aQuestion ofcareful search
ing to- find the rest of the S2sO,OOo
Winters claimed he did the job alone
Winters told the officers that h'
planned the robbery long ago will
minute detail; he had been two oI
three months working on his tunnel
1t had been twenty nights labor t.
cut through the brick wall of I'll,
smelter. Most of the boring in thu
bottom uf the vault was done on tho
night when the gold was taken. liz
carried the plumber, which was very
heavy, from the vault to the watc'
and deposited it where the water WA
from three To six feet deep at low
tiI, Frh. Itytap., cr,,tn thn ruulf "a
the cache Is about n quarter of 1
mile, and he made fourteen rOunC
trips. He was ut work four hour
ON Monday night. Four small barr
OF refined gold he concealed among
the stones OF the brcakwater. just al
the further mouth Oi the railroa,
tunnel.
His purpose had been To use thi'
gold for present needs. Winters, ol
his last trip, had perceived that dawI
was breaking. Not daring to com
plpte the trip, he laid on the shur
the two bricks which werciound Tues
day morning ut the point where TN
robbers boat was supposed to hay
landed. The trail ui red pepper end
ing at that point had been blind
Detective Gibson IL quoted as say
Ing that 1t was promised Winters b.
President Ralston Of the SelDy SmelI
ing Works that he should not b
prosecuted, but should receive 80, ,OOt
Winters cannot be prosecuted,
said Detective Gibson, "for there
no evidence against him. All tina
has been drawn from him was r,
ceived by the detectives under prom
ise that it would not be used agains
him. Under such circumstances
would be extremely difficult to secur
conviction"
Early Cattle Shipments.
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