The Detroit times., 1915-01-12
GOLD SLIPPERS
WORN BY BANDIT
LOST q YEARS
rankin Estes Returns to Colo
RADIO Town After Finding
Rich Mine
also WORE GIRDLE
OF BEATEN METAL
Carried Sack Containing Mug
gets Valued by Bankers
at $4,000

DURANGO, Colo, Jan. divisions
OF wealth eclipsing the recent famous
strike in the Cresson mine, from
which one carload OF ore was valued
at S1,000,000, are being INDUCED In
by citizens here, with the appearance
OF Franklin Estes, who for 23 years
has been lost TO the knowledge OF
his fellow men.
Estes came walking into town in
slippers OF pure beaten gold. He wore
a girdle eight inches wide, OF solid
beaten gold. With him he carried a
roughly woven sack containing gold
en- nuggets estimated by local bank
ers TO be worth at least $4,000.
The story OF Estes and his expert
ence for the past % years reads like
page from the Arabian Nights. In
1881, when he. with three companions,
robbed the Telluride bank and es-
capped with nearly 100000, Estes,
alone, OF the robbers, was unappre-
hended He managed TO make his
escape successfully from the pursuing
posses.
How he did this he now tells for the
first time. Scissors" Bill Smith. at
that time marshal OF Telluride, with
Robert Birkner, deputy, and four
other members of hastily formed
posse. trailed Estes from Telluride to
Navajo Springs. From there they
gained rapidly upon the fleeing des.
perado, until they came within sight
of him west OF Gallup, n. NJ, on the
rim rock Of the Grand Canyon OF the
Colorado.
AS the tireless pursuers seemingly
had Estes cornered on the rim rock,
with but one narrow trail between
him and the officers. Estes, using a
few sticks of giant powder left from
that with which he and his fellow
bandits had blown up the Telluride
bank, blasted the trail behind him
and forever closed the path to his
pursuers. They turned back, unable
to follow. and Estes was seen no more
until his present visit.
According TO his story, after he
blow up the narrow canyon trail and
made his il!gh. successful, he found
himself in deep pocket In the can
yon inaccessible from any side. Not
only had pursuit been eliminated, but
he had shu. himself into living
tomb For years Estes tried TO make
his way 70 the top OF the rim rock,
but without success.
/ But IN his efforts Estes came upon
cavern Of almost pure gold, hidden
away in the receSsos OF the canyons
walls. With gold beyond computation
on every side. Estes faced for ,me
starvation Finally ne found small
spot where sufficient dirt had accum-
uiated TO grow lew shrubs. Here
ne planted nuts gathered from drift
In the Colorado and subsisted on fish
and birds, killed with stones, for al
most five years.
The means OF living once disposed
OF. Estes garnered his gold. He spent
years IN beating the golden nugget
into shoes, girdles and caps. But dur
ing all this time he harbored an over
whelming desire TO get back once
more TO civilization.
He knew that his temperance
would be the signal f>r his immedi.
ate arrest. Futilely he tried TO get
messages TO the outside world, offer
ing, In return for a pardon from the
governor, TO disclose the bidder
wealth of gold he had discovered.
Not, however, until he had carved
almost with his bare hands, fligh
OF steps in the solid granite to the to-
OF the grim rock was he aUle to es
cape from his golden prison. Now h,
is in this city. hidden away by a
cousin. William Shaffer, local hote
keeper a pardon is his only hearti
desire. For II he says he will give
pure gold sufficient to pay the ma.
tional debt. III