Amador ledger., 1903-08-21

slow progress. They had travelled
about fifteen miles in i've days; at least
that was about the headway they had
made from all accounts. 1t was there
fore judged that their progress through
the rough mountainous country they
were in would be correspondingly slow,
and that Norman and his men would
have no difficulty in heading them off.
8th-Reached Leek Spring mountain.
Horseback men reported they had
found tracks of cOnvicts quarter of a
mile from camp. These tracks we're
| followed to the basin below Silver lake,
where Kirkwood's stream and Silver
lake find an outlet. Norman there
upon Immediately called his men in,
tives started for Silver lake, arriving
there at 9 o'clock the same evening.
There being no feed for the horses at
| the lake they were compelled to drive
on to Kirkwood's, arriving there at
| O'Clock on the morning of the 9th. The
men were all tagged out, and slept for
three hours. At 4 o'clock in the morn
| ing the posse started on foot toward
Silver lake, two horseback scouts being
sent ahead to discover whether the
outlaws had passed around Silver lake.
About noon these scouts returned, and
reported that they thought the con-
victs had crossed ravine near head of
two streams, going in a nOrtherly
direction toward summit. Same night
Q0th) one of the Amador posse coming
down Silver lake hill reported to Nor
man that trailers and dogs, and mem
bers of Ell Dorado posse were at Silver
lake and wanted to see him. After
posting posse to guard the old emil
grant road. he took team and drove
to Silver lake to see BOsquit's men.
They wanted to know if he had any
news. They had nothing to impart.
1t was nice situation. The Ell Dorado
man-hunters, through whose territory
the convicts had been travelling all this
| time, actually sent word to Norman to
meet them eight miles in the rear of
his advance camp to find out what was
going on.
1t must be remem bered that the
sheriff of Ell Dorado, during all the
time that the Amador sheriff and posse
was securing the mountains of that
county in quest of the escapes, was To-
Gated in his Office in Placervile, valiant
ly directing the campaign from that
point of vantage. One of Norman's s
sentinels reported that he had discover
ed camp fire three miles north of
Carson spur. 1t was started about s
O'Clock the previous night, had been
replenished with fuel four times during
the night, and finally extinguished at
4 O'Clock in the morning. All the men
got into Norman's wagon, and proceed
ed to the Spur, and were shown where
the camp fire was found. They then
all proceeded to Kirkwoods. There
were four men outside of the Amador
posse, with deputy sheriff Cook of FL
Dorado at the head, including Spencer,
an official of the Folsom prison.
From Kirkwoods Norman sent out
horseback scout and trailer on horse
back. one to pick up and follow the
trail of the convicts, and the other to
report any information to headquarters.
The trailer Colvin-an Ell Dorado man,
who had volunt tarily identified himself
with the Amador posse, because of acts
committed by his own posse which he
would not stand for = followed the
track of two men to the top of the
mountain, and came back and reported.
A council was held, and arguments fol-
lowed, also divergent views expressed.
This was the first time mem bers of the
posses from the two counties met in
serious consultation, during the whole
man-hunting trip, and perhaps it was
as we'll that the Amador men had acted
upon their own Judgment. The result
demonstrated that little was to be ex-
pected from the other side of the coun-
ty line. Norman wanted to press the
pursuit, and proposed that the trailers
should follow the track, not for the
purpose of running on the men, but to
ascertain their route and location as
near as possible. The trailing business
was not deemed as hazardous as the
work of the armed posse. Trailers
were unarmed; it was not supposed
that convicts would shoot defenseless
men if they came within shot. The
course was through a rocky defle,
where the fugitives had ample oppor-
tunity to hide, and fight behind cover.
To invite battle in such territory
was out of the question. Norman
never dreamed OF such a thing. He
aimed to keep out of traps, to trap
the other fellows if possible, or at least
to give battle under conditions where
his posse would have an equal show
with the convicts.
Norman's trailer Colvin, said he
would go back and follow the trail 1t
was desirable that at least one man
should accompany him. Norman asked
Spencer of Folsom, to 60 with him.
Spencer refused, saying, Il don't want