The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1901-08-16
ROBBERS GOLD WIS FOUND
lcx WINTERS CONFESSED.
Ne GstseA the ravty - Place whore
u Mas rss-He Tesls 81 The Rss-
h~vy-wiii Receive LisAs rsaish-
nseat, ~ Any.

e1sA& fteHSisSos Aukr A<r-Jhfk WIN
tiers. who was arrested for the Seiby
smelling works robbery. has con.
leased the crime. and 80 far $40. 900
worth Of bullion has been recovered
from The bay. where he had sunk IL.
For three days the detectives have
tried ali sovts OF Intimidation to make
Winters confess. but their threats np-
p4yentiy had no effect upon him.
Finally he asked To see auperintend.
euf Ropp Ut the works. who. be said.
Vas the only friend he bad. In his
conversation with Ropp Winters man.
ner indicated that he knew where the
gold had be@n hidden. Ropp told him
that they had = strong case against
him and that he would be sent 10
prison for - years. lie said:
for Will be an old man when you
xsi out and IL win do you no good 10
hide the gold. We know II Is hidden
in the water near the works and We
will search every inch You may be-
sure that the gold viii be found before
you <~s out Of prison
Winters nnaiiy weakened and told
Ropp thar he had taken the gold. and
would take him TO the spot where II
MAS hidd~a. The criminal. in com.
rany with Superintendent Ropp and
n force of detectives. left on . tug for
Crockett There they waited ALL night
for the low tide. Winters pointed out
the place ~ the end OF the railroad
wharf. behind tho coal bnnkers. Al
the beginning u the Vallejo slip. Al
that point II low tide the mud il about
four feet deep. covered BY 4 foot Of
water. When the fuK nrsi 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 walt for
low tide. In thc morning Winters
himself got into the mud and water
up TO hi. neck and for and hour and
a half cropped for the missing bullion.
lip to 10 o'clock $4,000 worth had
b~cn recovered. This includes the
-four bars II nne gold. Winters had
put some OF the bars In bags. He said
that one OF the baxs had broken and
some small bars had dropped out. II
IL now only = question OF careful
search to md the rest Of the $3.50. 900.
Winters claims that he did the Job
ali alone. He says that he made ~
trips from the vault TO the wharf from
which he dropped the gold. The
xmeitcr ofBciais. however. are positive
that be received assistance from some |
ono. The detectives think that his
story that he did Il all himself Ia 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 bis !
mind 10 tell all he knew about the {
crime. was exceedingly willing to give
al the information that was neces-
Hary for the recovery OF the bullion.
He practically assumed charge Of the /
and led Captain Seymour
and superintendent Ropp to the dock.
He acted more like one Of the detec.
ives sTUVtoyeu tu~" - = "
soon ~ he arrived 1t the waters edge
he called the superintendent to his
slde and said: Nov watch where
am going to show. Be careful that
rou get the locations right"
Stooping. he picked up three stones
Ind pacing forward he tossed one OF
hem into the water. It fell to the
Iouth Of the spot At which the pris.
,ner stood, Another stone fell to the
.ast and the third was. thrown directly
n front Of Winters. "
That" raid the prisoner will
mark the water boundary Of the place
where your Gcld II hidden" II
Stepping to the left, Winters drew !