The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-08-05
AMBUSHED PURSUERS
CALIFORNIA CONVICTS LAID
IN WAIT AND SHOT MILL
TIA MEN DOWN.
Three of the Pursuers Killed and
Two Others Wounded-There
Were Five of the Convicts
and None Were Hurt.

Were Five of the Convicts
and None Were Hurt.
PlaeervilIe, CAL, Aug. IA des.
perate fight between a band of five
of The escaped Folsom conyicts and
party of six militiamen, who were
following fresh trail of the con-
victs, tonk place this evening just
Fat dusk on a hillside near the Grand
Victor mine, and as result of the
conflict, two of the militiamen,
named Rutherford and Jones, were
killed and a third member of the
posse, man named Dill, wilEprob-
ably die Of his wounds, as be was
shot through the lungs. I
/ The convicts were hidden in the
thick brush which covers the hill,
and the manhunters happened up
on them most unexpectedly. The
conyicts, who are well armed with
rifles, fred yoIley into the posse,
with the result above stated.
II was on my way back TO Fol-
som this smorning, ,',said G. A., Beggs,
''but at Georgetown / heard that
the trail. bad been found in Squaw
Creek.s.I got three men and turn
ed back to join in the chase. Imet
| the military at Grand Victory mine
and we took up the tracks. Those
! fellows had stopped and cooked the
eggs not over 400 yards from the
house where they bought them.
The members of Company H. had
Ealreadv circ1cd the hill when I ar
rived, and finding no tracks of
where the fugitives had passed Oh,
came to the conclusion that they
were up on the small hill. We then
began to beat through the mesquite
along the hill, going out in scouting
parties of three.
| .On one trip Imust have pass :
led within. 80 feet of where the con-
victs were concealed. Twice de-.
|.tachments of three from the militia
lsry posse had trayersed the brush
where the shooting took place. It
shows how successfully the men
can hide in the dense brush. All
the pursuers, 12 in number. ren-
Edezvous at the foot Of the hill. We
arrived at the decision that the con-
vict band was in one of the two ra-
vines which led down the elore of
/ the hill to Squaw Creek. Myself,
Lloyd Hill, of Eldorado, and a
third man took up, our position at
the foot. of one rayine; Lieutenant
Smith ard two men were stationed
at the outlet of the other. Then six
of the militiamen were to go up to
the summitsand the others down
the ravines. In this way we hoped
to corner our prey, but the party of
six soldiers had not reached the top,
of the hill when the firing began.
I'VE could not shoot, because2the
militiamen were between Us and the
convicts. About so shots were fir
ed altogether, and the brave guards
men gave as freely with their guns
as they took. The bullets whistled
down over US. The battle was Short
but fierce, and when the shooting
ceased one of the soldiers came
down the hill side a short distance
and cried, Two of the boys are
hurt; get doctors and reinforce
ments.'
"Walters and Iran mile to get
a wagon to drive to Placerville. The
battle occurred within 400 yards Of
Gipe's house, where the convicts
appeared at noon."
When Henry Walters had coll
lected himself, he was able to tell
his story:
I'VE had been at the foot of the
ravine only a few minutes" he said,
,'and our boys had almost reached
the summit when the shooting
com menced, and the bullets came
past. We could not see the fight
because Of the brush. Il was try.
ing situation for US at the foot of
the hill. The bullets were hum
ming around US, but we could do
no shooting. We might have hit
the soldiers instead of the convicts,
Then one of the men in
khaki uniform emerged from the
brush up the hill and called TO us
to rush for doctors and reinforce
forcements.
Placerville, Cal, Aug. THE
news of a fight with the convicts
was brought to Placerville by two
of the pursuers, J. A. Beggs, of Fol-
som prison, and Henry Walters, q
militiaman, who arrived between 6
and Z O'Clock. They came dashing