The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-11
FIERCE Battle
UNDER G1.OJO
Detection of 0re-thieveS in a
Colorado Mine.
THEY PUT up A FIGHT
Long, Dangerous Climb UP a
Shaft TO tScspe.

ence Kline at Victor, Gel. and Jay Miller.
one OF the mining engineers assisting IN
the capture of three desperadoes who
were stealing thousands OF dollars worth
or ore. has been in Chicago several weeks
and tells q dramatic story Of the en-
counter
Manager Shipman was aware that the
zine was being robbed on a gigantic
scaIe." he said. but every trap 10 catch
thieves failed and as last resort he de-
ternined TO establish a private watch
He chose Jack Bell and arranged 10 have
hi msecrete himself near No shaft.
where the depredations were being COM
mitted
Bell was thoroughly familiar with all
the ramifications of the big mine, which
is eleven hundred feet deep and twenty
miles long and was one Of the nerviest
men in the whole outfit l tell you il
requires the finest kind Of physical cour-
age 10 stand in the bowels of the earth
and know that any instant you may
grapple with desperate foe
I'm almost any other place your eyes
become accustomed 20 the darkness, but
there being no reflection N mine, you
are never able 10 distinguish an object.
And when you are on secret duty you
dare not light candle because OF the
certainty of being discovered and to sit
for hours In the oppressive silence and
the black inpenetratabIe darkness is
enough TO drive a coward crazy.
In the dreadful stiffness the dropping
of water sounds like the popping of pis-
tolls. and when chunk Of earth drops
# is as if an archangel had set off the
whole artillery Of heaven
The first night Bell went on watch
from one 10 six o'clock, and he was
cramped and stiff with cold when he sig
nailed me to hoist the dinky.' The next
evening he went down the shaft about
midnight and got OF at the 30o-foot level
He CROPPED his way through the bull pen
to the 'uarrows' on the 400-foot level.
This is a place about ten feet square,
ard is the juncture OF the Independence
End Emerson mines and commands an
uninterrupted view of No. . shaft. which
Is a crosscut connecting with the Strong
property, where there was an unused
shaft
The me nhad left and Bell was all
alone huddled behind the timbers Sud
denly there was a sound OF footsteps in
the direction of No. . Then he heard the
lew murmur of voices and saw three men
BY the fash OF an electric torch as it
vas turned on for an instant while the
men took their bearings for a single
nnistep would have plunged them down
hundreds Of feet on 10 the jagged rocks
of the levels below
The trio advanced slowly and cautious
II and finally reached the narrows.
where they paused to light their candle
preparatory TO going down into the Emer-
son slope. They were so near Bel that he
could have touched them had he put out
his hand, but il was three 10 one and
the risk was too great
As soon as they were out of sight
Bell slipped from the hiding place and
crept 10 the main drift 800 feet away.
pressed an electric button four and two
which was the agreed signal that we must
be ready FOR war whe nhe came on top
he whispered excitedly;
- 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
Shipnan. Fred Strickland. night watch
man: Alexander Mcdonald. shift boss:
Lee GIockner foreman: Bell and myself.
I'VE had our shooting irons. and on
reaching the 500 drift We stepped off and
were ready for Mr. Shipman's orders. Nc
Donald. Bell and Glockner were derailed
20 the 'narrows.' while Mr. shipman.
Strickland and myself went around the
Emerson slope.
We had not gone FAR when suddenly
We saw the pickering fame OF a candle
about forty feet below US. 1t was a pic
ture for painter. for around the huge
hears OF rich syIvanite were three men
rapidly shown the precious treasure
away into the skirts OF their hunting
coats.
=. Hi. there, What are you doing?
Manager Shipmans voice rang out
sharply. and in the mine. where every
sound reverberates il was like an inquiry
from a thousand threats. Instantly the
lights we're extinguished and all was dark
and still
" Surrender and you viii go unharm-
&c. cried Mr. Shipn1an. but when the
echo OF his voice died away the mine
was as silent as the grave.
e III count ten. and if you don't light
your candies. well shoot"
He began counting slowly and dts
tiactIy.
one. two three. four. FIVE. six. seven.
eight. nineteen
No answer snd Va fired voiey IN the
air Again Mr.. Siapuan counted ten and
still there was nc response. Then our
bullets began scattering around the men
below Us and for the first tire one OF
the robbers spoke in voice terrible IN
its concentrated rage:
. You'll never take Us cut % here IN
less We 90 feet first ard some Of you viii
SO on top in the same way. for well shoot
70 kill
Then We he1r6 them rushing TO No,
shaft. firing in cur direction to cover the
sound CT their retreat To cap the climax.
they set the loose rocks in molten aud
thuneereus panderronium prevailed.
There was the glcan of an electric
torch az the 'narrows' where the brave
trio kept their watch. and in trying 70
escape the desperate men made Bells
party their target They ran silently
and swiftly through the darkness and
tust q sthey reached the rarrovS' the
leader cried in a voice that Bell says he
win remember when all else is forgot
ten
Nov we've got you; you can't get
Away from u, -" and with the fright