The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-09
BATTLE UNDER GROUND.
Desperate Conflict With Mine Rob-
bers in Colorado.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The most extraordinary battle ever
fought under ground was on the 400
foot level of the great 81 100000 Inde-
pendence mine at Victor, Col, and Jay
Miller, one of the mining engineers as
sisting in the capture of three despera-
does who were stealing thousands of
dollars work of ore, is in Chicago, and
tells a dramatic story of the encoun-
ter
Manager Shipnan was aware that
the mine was being robbed on a, gil
gantic SCALE but every trap to catch
the thieves failed, and as a last re-
sort he determined to establish a pri-
waite watch. He chose lack Bell and
arranged to have him secrete himself
near No 2 shaft, where the depreda-
tons were being committed.
Bell was thoroughly familiar with all
the ramifications of the big mine,
which is LOO feet deep and twenty
miles long, and was one of the nerviest
men In the whole outfit l tell YOU
it requires the finest kind of physical
courage to stand guard in the bowels
of the earth and know that at any in
slant you may grapple with desper-
ate foe. In almost any other place
your eyes become accustomed to the
darkness, but there being no refiec-
ton in a mine you are meyer able to
distinguish an object. And when you
are on secret duty you dare not light
a candle because of the certainty of
being discovered, and to sit for hours
in the oppressive silence and the
black, impenetrable darkness is enough
TO drive a coward crazy. In the dread
full stiffness the dropping of water
sounds like the popping of pistols, and
when a chunk of earth drops it ia as
if an archangel had set off the whole
artillery of heaven.
The first night Bell went on watch
from / to o'clock, and he was cramp-
ed up and stiff with cold when he sig
. nailed me to hoist the "dinky." The
next evening he went down about mid
night and got off at the 300-foot' level.
He CROPPED his way through the "bull
pen" to the "narrows" on the 400-foot
level. This is a place about ten feet
square, and is the junction of the Inde-
pendence and Emerson mines and com
mands an uninterrupted view OF No.
shaft, which is a crosscut connecting
with the Strong property, where there
was an unused shaft.
The men had left and Bell was all
alone huddled behind the timbers. Sud-
denly there was a sound of footsteps
in the direction of No. 2. Then he
heard the low murmur of voices and
saw three men by the flash of an cleo
trio torch as it was turned on for an
instant while the men took their bear
ings, for single misstep would have
plunged them down hundreds of feet
on to the jagged rocks on the level be-
low.
The trio advanced slowly and eau
tiously and finally reached the mar
rows where they paused to light
their candle preparatory to going down
into the Emerson stope. They Were so
near Bell that he could have touched
them had he put out his hand, but it
was three to one and the risk was too
great.
AS soon as they We're out of sight Bell
slipped from his hiding place and crept
like cat TO the main drift, 400 feet
away, and pressed the electric button
-four and two" which was the agreed
signal that we must be ready for war.
When he came on top he whispered ex-
citedly:
well, Jay, they are down there at
work"
We telephoned Mr.. Shipman, and in
exactly eight minutes six fearless men
were on the cage going down Manager
Shipman, Fred Strickland, night watch
man; Alexander Mcdonald, shift boss;
Lee Glockner, foreman: Bell and my
sen. we naQ our SnOOL1nS IRONS, ana
on reaching the 400 drift we stepped
off and were ready for Mr.. Shipmans
orders. Mcdonald, Bell and Glockner
were detailed to the "narrows." while
Mr.. Shipman, Strickland and myself
went around the Emerson stope.
We had not gone far when suddenly
we saw the pickering flame Of a candle
about forty feet below us. 1t was a
picture for a painter, for around the
snt,
men rapidly slowing away the precious
treasure into the skirts of their hunt
ing coats.
Hi, there! What are you doing?"
Manager 9Shipman's voice rang out
sharply and in the mine, where every
sound reverberates. it was like an in
quiry from a thousand threats. In
stantly the lights were extinguished
and all was dark and still.
Surrender and you will go unharm-
ed!'' cried MFR. Shipman, but when the
echo of his voice died away the mine
was as silent as the grave.
I'm count ten and if you don't light
your candles We'll shoot"
He began counting slowly and dis
tinctly:
"One, 2, 8, 4, s, 6, z, s. s-10!"
No answer. and we fired a volley in
the air. Again Mr.. Shipman counted
Then our bullets began spattering
around the men below us and for the
first time one of the robbers spoke In
voice terrible in its concentrated
rage: As..
You'll never take us out of here
unless we go feet first and some of
you will go on top in the same way,
for we'll shoot to kill"
Then we heard them rushing at No.
shaft, firing in our direction to cover
the sound of their retreat. To cap the
climax, they set the loose rocket in
motion and a thunderous pandemon-
iurn reigned.
There was a CLEAN of an electric
torch at the "narrows." where the
brave trio kept their watch. and in
trying to escape the DESPERATE men
made Bells party their target. They
ran swiftly and silently through the
darkness, and just as they reached the.
"narrows' the leader cried I'm voice
that Bell says he wifi remember when
all else IL forgotten.
Now, we've got you-you can't get
away from Us. ---'" and with the