Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-12
BOASTS Of his CRIME
Winters Takes Pride in Having
Committed the Great Gold
Bullion Robbery.
Says II Was Greatest Theft Of
the c entury..How He
Did II.
Ridicules the Detectives and
Says They We're Follow.
Ing False Clews.


er small robberies are false. When
plan a job plan a big one.
ION Monday evening, when took the |
bullion out of the vault at the smelter,
did the hardest work of my life. 1t |
took me a whole night to finish drilling
thru the bottom of the safe and to car
ry away the gold. If there had been
more time would have taken the $780,
900 left behind. Daylight came too
soon. When saw would have to quit
dropped two bars on the beach. pre-
ferred to lose them rather than to risk
losing a quarter of a million.
1T took me six weeks to dig the tun-
mel under the vsult, and two nights to
get thru the brick foundation. did a
large part of the drilling the last right,
and forced my may thru the bottom of
the vault. Then l climbed up into the
vault and threw down about half the
gold. i carried the gold to the outer
end of the tunnel and went back and
threw down the rest. Then 1 began to
carry off the gold.
l made fourteen trips from my tunnel
to the wharf, where I lowered the bull
lion into the bay. l made a mark on the
1 could readily find it wnen was ready.
II planned the robbery we'll, but spoil
ed it all by leaving my pistol and that
package of tacks in my cabin. 1t is too
bad, but it can't be helped now. The
shovel used 1 threw in the bay. didn't
use that electric light they found. If the
fools had looked they would have seen
that it was burned out and would not
make light. / used little patent BIZ
cycle gas lamp to light the tunnel.
THE fact that burned my clothes did
not appeal to me as strange, because 1
had been for years in the habit of burn
ing my old clothes. The shovel they
found in my cabin had been there for
several years and did not use it in dig
ging the tunnel The marks which they
said We're made by my spade We're made
by another implement, which l threw
into the water.
u planned how I would get rid of the
bullion without bringing suspicion on
myself long before committed the rob-
berry. planned to remove the gold from
the bay a bar at a time. had intended
to melt the gold, to mix it with alloy
and to dispose of it In quantities that
would bring me about $4,000. 1t would
have been an easy matter at intervals of
several months to sell the gold at differ
ent places. i intended to take several
years in disposing Of the bullion.
If my plan had been successful to the
end and if / had gained the wealth I
stole would not have spent it in rich
display, but would have yved simply
and frugally, as do now. 1 would have
| travelled in foreign countries. had no
| fixed idea in my mind when I stole the
| gold as to what would do with all my
money, but l wanted to quit work. Be-
sides 1 wanted the money with which to
build an airship. 1 have model in my
cabin partly completed. 1t may take
time, but l will complete my invention
and 1t will fly. I shall begin work on 1t
as soon as 1 get back to Crockett
| 1t Is certain that Winters will be re-
warded for returning the stolen gold.
While the story that he would be given
$4,000 is denied absolutely. ex-Chief of
Police Lee did admit certain concessions
We're made to him.
I'VE kept the law in view and nothing
1 was done that has not been done be-
| FORE" said Lee.
4 1t Is generally believed that Winters
will plead guilty and escape with a light
punishment. It is thought that the off,
GERS have been well paid for the work,
and are not disposed to push the case.
The Selby people are satisfied with the
recovery of the gold. Detective Seymour
speaks in sighting terms of Winters
kenness He said:
up to the time he secured the gold
he acted with wonderful clearness and
nerve. The moment he found his hands
on the bullion he acted like an idiot.
There is something radically wrong with
that man. He has confessed and claims
to have done the entire job unaided. /
believe that s true. He has told us how
he did it. but can not say anything
about his confession. We can not make
use of it in court
4 Winters. when he had made up his
mind to tell what he knew about the
crime. was exceedingly willing to give
all the information necessary toward
the recovery of the bullion. He practi-
cally assumed charge of the operations
and led Capt. Seymour and Superintend-
ent Won Der Ropp, OF the smelter COM
pany to the dock. He acted more like
one of the detectives employed on the
case than a prisoner. AS soon as he ar
rived at the water edge he called the su-
perintendent to his side and said:
Now watch what I am going to show
you. Be careful that you get the loca-
ton right"
STOPPING, he picked up three stones
and pacing forward he tossed one OF
them into the water It fell to the south
of the spot at which the prisoner stood
Another stone fell to :he east and the
third was thrown directly 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 q
nail from his pocket and asked for q
hammer He then paced off a few yards
to the right and drove another nail ir
the timber
The gold" he continued, will be be.
: tween those two nails somewhere in line
: with the spot marked by the stones
: just threw into the water"
!. small boat was secured and into \
. Sheriff Vale, Detectove Kimball and twt
laborers were loaded. Winters assisted