The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-08-15
WINTERS C0NFESSES
Smelter Works Rcbber Reveals
Hiding Place Of Gold.
GETS IMMUNITY AND REWARD
A Laroe Amount Of the Stolen Bull.
lion Is Fished Up From Deep
Mud of the Bay-Detaiis
of the Robbery.

A San Francisco dispatch says:
Jack Winters who was arrested as q
suspect in connection with the Seloy
smelling works robbery, has confess
ed and so far $4,000 worth of bullion
has been recovered from the bay
where he had sunk it.
For three days the detectives tried
all sorts Of persuaslons to make Win
ters confess, but apparently without
effect. Finally Winters asked to see
Superintendent Ropp, Of the Selby
works who, he said, was the only
friend he had.
IN his conversation with Ropp, Win
ters indicated that he knew where the
gold had been hidden. Ropp told Win
ters that they had a strong case
against him and that be would be sent
to prison for thirty years.
Winters finally weakened and told
Ropp that he had taken the gold and
would take him to the spot where 1t
was hidden. Winters, in company
with Superintendent Ropp and force
OF detectives, left on g tug Friday
night for Crockett. They waited there
all night for low tide. Winters point
ed out the place at the end OF the
railroad behind 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.
Saturday morning Winters got IN
the mud and water up to his neck and
for an hour and a half groped for the
missing bullion. Up to 10 O'Clock
s130,O00 worth had been recovered.
This included the four bars Of fine
gold. The deep mud finally put stop
to operations and it was decided to
build a cofferdam before trying to re-
cover the rest of the treasure.
Winters had put some OF the bars
in bags. He said one Of the bags had
broken and some small bars had drop
ped out 1t is now only a question ot
careful search to find the rest OF the
s2S0,OOO. Winters claims he did the
lob all alone. He says he made four
teen trips from the vault to the wharf
from which he dropped the gold.
&o1I that
planned the robbery long ago with NIL
mute detail. He had been two or three
months working on his little tunnel.
It had taken two nights labor to cut
through the brick wall of the smelter.
Most of the boring in the bottom OF
the vault had ben done in the night
when the gold was taken.
He carried the plunder, which was
very heavy, from the vault to the wa
ter and deposited it. The distance
from the vault to the cache was about
q quarter of a mile and he made four
teen round trips. Winters on his last
trip had perceived that dawn was
breaking. Not daring to complete
the trip, he laid on the shore the two
bricks which were found Tuesday
morning at the point where the rob-
bers' boat was supposed to have land
ed. The trail Of red pepper ending at
that point had been a blind.
In view of the fact that promises OF
clemency were made to Winters In
consideration of his unearthing the
gold. it is thought that his punishment
will be light.
Detective Gibson Is quoted as say
ing that it was promised Winters by
President Ralston, of the Selby Smelt-
ing Works, that he should not only
not be prosecuted, but should receive
$4,000.
winters cannot be prosecuted -
said Detective Gibson, "for there is no
evidence against him. All that has
been drawn from him was secured By
detectives under promise that 1t
would not be used against him. Un.
der such circumstances it would be
extremely difficult to secure convic-
tion."