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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1905)
Wednesday, February i, igo$ THh SUMPTER MINhR MIMMS IN NOW A MILLIONAIRE The following Btory, from the Portland Telegram, Is about a ruau formerly well knowu in Sumpter. At the time of his trouble, be bad a brohter living bere, a mining oper ator, who waa quite popular and aporty. Tbe Telegram says: From convict to millionaire, from a branded criminal to a man of affairs, from an Oregon exile to tbe leader of the rutib to Tonopab; tben baok to Oregon for a brief visit, bo brief in fact tbat tbe officers of tbe law did not learu defluitely of the prescribed man's presence until He bad gone this, in brief, is tbe record of tbe strauge transitions tbat have taken place in tbe life, pursuits aud interests of E. L. Minims, whoie home !b now In Nsw York City, aud who left Portland yesterday, returning to tbe Atlantic coast. Down at tbo bottom of tbe page of tbo PortUnd Hotol register bearing tbo date of January 21, is au ordin ary namo written in itu ordiury man ner, but which baa bad more than au ordinary hiatory. Tbo mau who wrote tht) iiiiino can now estimate his wealth at almost h million do I lure, whilo only a few short years ago ho whs par Jo tied from tho Oregon state peuiteutiary with tbo understanding tbat bo quit tbe stato of Oroguu and make hia pormanout resideuoo else where. This mau, E. L. Mimms, of Ken tucky, aud inheriting all tbe tradi tional righting blood of tbo Blue Grass couutry, has bad a career no more interesting tbau varied. Before tbo big rush to tho Alaska gold Hold he bad traveled over tbe groater portion of tbe mining district of tbat territory seeking tbe yellow metal, which be found in plenty, flu had recovered from tho Alaskau fever whou othors were baroly succumbing to its influence, but tho wild life bad fattened its hold upou him and the quiet civilization of tho little eastern Oregon town of Pendleton was too much for blm. lie was of the bor dormeu, aud oue night, iu a gambling-room brawl, he shot aud killed the proprietor of tbe place, J. Henry Miller. This happoued August 24, 1890, an he was' indicted on tbe charge of murder. Tbo trial which followed was one of tbe most sensational ever recorded iu eastern Oregon. Soveu days were consumed in taking tbe testimony and arguments. Tho jury wiib out for three days aud tbreo nights. Obarges of irregularity, uct ouly on tbe part of tbe attorneys, but iu tbe jury-room, were made, and great ex oitemeut prevailed in that town. Fiually, after staudiug nine for ao quital aud three for murder iu the first degree for 30 hours, the jury wavered uud 30 hours later brought in a verdict of man slaughter, and recommended tbe prisouor to tbe ex treme mercy of tbe court. Au appeal on many of these charg ed irregularities was takeu aud tbe case wai almost a year in reaching tbe supreme court, where the verdict was affirmed. Tbe peualty of Ave years imprisonmout aud a line of 11,000, together with tbe costs to tbe state of fOOO. was ordered carried out, aud after a futile effort to re opeon tbe case, Mimms w,aa sent to tbe penitentiary. The state of feel ing tbat existed in Umatilla county at that time can easily be understood from the fact that a number of jurors delibetating on the case, wheu called in to the court for further instruo tious, 9ked to be allowed to pay for tbeir owu meals, as the county had already beeu put tc too much ex pense, and some of them insieted up oo paying their owu expouseB. But there was evidence deduced at tbe trial tending to show tbat MJintus ibot in self defense, and many people believed blm innooent of even man slaughter. He bad influential friends and relative!. After the supreme court affirmed the decision of the lower court, his ouole, a judge of the circuit court of Keutucky, came to Oregon aud at once took up the work of securing a pardon. Powerful influences were brought to bear, but many of tbe Umatilla county people would not sign the petition, owing to tbe fact tbat Mimms' reputation as a citizen wan not of tbe best. To overcome this It was stipulated tbat Mimms leave Oregon. With this guaranteed, aud after serving less tbau a year in tbe peniteutiary, he was pardoned by Governor Geer and left the state with bis uncle from Kentucky. But Koutuoky was not liko tbe west, with whiah young Mimms had beoomo acquainted, and he soon re turned to California aud was the flrst mau to open tbe Tonopah, Nevada, gold mines last yoar. He is now said to bo worth nearly a million, aud with bis wifo, whom he has bIuoo married, is ou his way to New York aud Loudou. He passod through Oregou aud stopped in Portland merely long euough to transact some absolutely necessary biiriiness, aud was gono again. He is of aristooartio Kentucky Dareutage and was supposed to be wealthy before going through the Alaska excitement, but when pardoned from the peuitontiary a few years ago, he was penniless, haviug spent all bis money in au effort to free himself. His midden and unex pected appearanco in Portland was a distinct surprise ti many people who knew blm. TO BRIDGE THE SNAKE RIVER AT ONTARIO .Senator Band, of Baker, wauta an appropriation of 136,000 from tbe atate to build au Inter-state bridge across tbe Buake river at Ontario, oonueoting with Idaho. Senator Rand states that he has been giveu to understand tbe legislature of Idaho will appproprlate 135,000 for tbe work, if Oregou shows any desire to do the same, and that with tbe funds thus raised a good bridge cau be put up. There is no town in Idaho directly across from Ontario, although tbe proposed bridge is to be located not more than four mlles'from Pay ette, Idaho. The Oregon state sena tor declares tbat suob a hrldge would open up a great amouut of Idaho trade that is diverted into other cbanuels, because tbre Is no way to reach Outario, aud that be believes tbe state would be recompensed for whatever money was spout. Of suob importance ia tbe consti tutional couveotiou bill, as proposed by Seuator George O. Browned, tbat there is every expectation the senate and house of representatives will bold a joint session next Wednesday afternoon for tbe purpose of discuss iug it. Tbat, at least, is the inten tion of a senate concurrent resolu tion as introduced yesterday after noon by Senator Band, aud immedi ately adopted. It whs passed to tbe houso for aotton and referred to the committeo on reBolutlous, but thero is every reason to believe it will be favorably acted upon. Following is the resolution as adopted by tbe senate: "Whereas senate bill No. 2 pro viding for a constitutional conven tion is of great importance to the people of the stato aud should re ceive the most careful consideration; therefore be It "Resolved, tbe house concurring, that the senate aud the house of rep r sentativea meet in jolut assembly in the houso of representatives of the gerneral purposo of considering said bill on Wednesday, February 1, 100r, at 2 o'clock." GRINDS OUT THE BULLION Reporta from Snporiutendont (3d. O. Allot), of the Black Butto mlno, Iu Fox Valley, Grant county, to General Manager O. C. Wright iu Sumpter, aro to tho elfect that high grado mil ling ore from tho tlrst and second lovols iu the Black Butte shaft is be ing run through the new Men ill mill, aud that tho cleanup for Janu ary will bo a record-breaker. Nine ty por ceut of tho valucH In this ore is free milling, aud owing to Its uu usual toftuesi a heavy tonuago is being baud led. A recent measure meut nf Black Butte ore bodies show ed walls 108 foot apart. The eutire vein cau, with the presout milling plant, bo profitably haudled. Gen eral Manager Wright says that tho mine could furnish 2fi0 tuus of ore a day for two yeara without opeuiug new nro reserves. Slulclug at tho Black Butte placers will begin oarly in tbe spring. Tho present limited wator supply permits of the oporatlou of giants but three mouths iu a season This will bo remedied next summer by the con struction of about teu miles of flume and ditch, bringing water from the hills iu sufficient quantity to permit of sluicing from frost to frost. STANDARD OIL WANTS ROCK CREEK PLANT It la reported that a deul is now peudiug for the sale of the Rock Greek Power aud Transmission com pany's plaut ou Rook ore ik, together with tho electric light aud power lines, to representatives of tbe Stan dard Oil company. It is said tbat the latter compauy has depoaited iu oue of the Baker City bauks a bond for tbe purchase of tbo prop erty before March 1, 100ft, and tbat tbe transfer will undoubtedly be made by tbat time Halues Record. Something May Happen Next Spring. Fred E. Cabell, one of tbe owners of tbe famous La Bellvue mine, passed through Sumpter today, en route to Baker City, aud perhaps to California for tbe winter. He Is an aompauied by bis wife. 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