The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-08-16
ROBBERS GOLD WAS FOUND
JACK WINTERS CONFESSED.
He Guided the Party to Place Where
Ii Was Put-He Tells of the Rob-
bery-Wiu Receive Light Punish
ment, If Any.

smelling works robbery, has con-
fessed the crime, and so far $4,000
worth of bullion has been recovered
from the bay, where he had sunk it.
For three days the detectives have
tried all sorts of intimidation to make
Winters confess. but their threats ap-
parently had no effect upon him.
Finally he asked to see Superintend-
ent Ropp of the works who, he said.
was the only friend he mad. In his
conversation with Ropp Winters man
ner indicated that he knew where the
gold had been hidden. Ropp told him
that 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 J
in the water near the works and we
will search every inch. You may be
sure that the gold will be found before
you get out of prison.
Winters finally weakened and told
Ropp that he had taken the gold. and
was hidden. The criminal, in COM
pany with Superintendent Ropp and
a force of detectives, left on a tug for
Crockett. There they waited all night
for the low tide. Winters pointed out
the place at the end of the railroad
wharf behind the coal bunkers, at
the beginning of the Vallejo 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 the
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. In the morning Winters
himself got into the mud and water
up to his neck and for and hour and
a half CROPPED for the missing bullion.
Up to 10 o'clock $4,000 worth had
been recovered. This includes the
four bars of fine gold. Winters had
put some Of the bars in bags. He said
that 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 S2S0000.
Winters claims that he did the job
all alone. He says that he made IA
trips from the vault to the wharf from
which he dropped the gold. The
smelter officials, however, are positive
that he received assistance from some
one. The detectives think that his
story that he did it all himself is cor
rect
The tug with the detectives and the
prisoner, Winters, on board has re-
turned to the city.
Winters, when he had made up his
mind to tell all he knew about the
crime, was exceedingly willing to give
all the information that was neces
sary for the recovery Of the bullion
He practically assumed charge of the
operations and led Captain Seymour
and Superintendent ROpp to the dock
He acted more like one of the detec
tives employed than as prisoner. AS
soon as he arrived at the waters edge
he called the superintendent to his
side and said: 'Now watch where
am going to show Be careful thai
you get the locations right"
STOPPING, he picked up three stone:
and pacing forward he tossed one o.
them into the water. 1t fell to thu
south of the spot at which the pris
oner stood Another stone fell to the
east and the third was thrown directl!
in front of Winters.
That" said the prisoner, evil
mark the water boundary of the place
where your geld is hidden"
Stepping to the left, Winters drew
a nail from his pocket and asked TO
a hammer. He then paced off fey
yards to the right and drove anothe
nail in the timber.
"The gold" he continued, will b
between these two nails. somewher
in line with the stones l just tosse
into the water"
A small boat was secured and int
it Sheriff Veale Detective Kimball c
the Pinkerton agency and two labor
ers were loaded. Winters assisted i
the search for the bricks. He talke
.glibly all the while. The deep mu
finally put a stop to operations. an
it was decided to build a cofferdar
before trying to recover the rest {
the treasure.
Winters told the officers that h
planned the robbery long ago wit
minute detail. He had been two {
three months on the work on his littl
tunnel.
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