..... V-Y" .-
22 Thersday, February 27, 1997 Pahrump Valley Gazette
.... Gazeu,; on the street
...... • • •
do you feel about the cloning of a sheep.
Pahrump
482-301 6 No to Abuse 751 -111 8
Tonopah 24 Hr. Crisis Line Pahrump
The administration of justice in many of Nevada's
early nining camps was often hampered by the lack of a
jail. Thus it was that those men who got themselves in
serious trouble sometimes ended up paying their dues
on the short end of a long rope.
Those who committed lesser of-
fenses were tarred and feathered,
had an ear cut off, were run out of
town, handcuffed to a hitching post
or chained to the nearest tree for a
couple of days.
The camp of Eureka was estab-
lished in September 1864, but did
not become of any considerable im-
portance until new smelting tech-
niques were developed in 1869.
The district nevertheless drew its
share of drifters and troublemakers.
Since the county commissioners in
Austin, seat of Lander County be-
fore Eureka's citizens took it upon
themselves to construct a rough log
structure which they felt would
serve their purposes.
For the ordinary troublemaker,
the new jail was entirely adequate,
but Newton Thacher was no ordi-
nary man. Following a prolonged
drinking spree and a near-riot in the
red-light district, Thacher and his
partner found themselves confined
to the aforesaid structure. They drifted offinto adrunken
repose and did not awaken until another confederate on
the outside aroused them by calling through the wails.
An ax was soon psed through a convenient crack and
Newton and his partner hacked down the door and walked
out men.
The pair appeared at the bar of the nearest saloon and
ordered drinks for all present. The barkeep expressed
some considerable surprise at the fact that they were at
liberty, but Thaeher explained to him what had happened.
Displaying the ax, he asked the saloonkeeper to inform
all those who inquired that "Newton Thacher, like George
then an f now
Eureka Jail History
by Phillip I. Earl
Nevada Historical Society
Washington, could not tell a lie, and that he had done it
with his little hatchet.'"
The local constable took Thacher at his word and he and
his partner were locked up again within the hour, minus
their ax, and were chained" to the floor for the night. Next
morning, they appeared before the justice of the peace, were
duly fined and set to repairing their previous night's handi-
work.
Other prisoners, found the log structure equally as easy
to crack, but the commissioners in Austin still refused to
spend good money on any such foolishness as a proper jail.
Eureka's leading citizens, feeling the justice had to be
served, finally met to compound a scheme to impress the
recalcitrant officials with the need for such an institution.
In early October 1868, Austin teamster, Leonard Jackson,
arrived in Eureka with his rig heavily laden with sacks of
barley. Since the hour was late, he pulled out his bed
roll, spread it beneath his wagon and retired for the night.
One of Eureka's citizens, John Dennis, saw his opportu-
nity. He contacted two local rounders and paid them to
steal four sacks of barley from
the Jackson's wagon. The deed
was done within the hour and
the barley was stored in a back
room at Dennis's residence.
When Jackson awoke next
morning and found his grain
gone, he was wild with rage.
"What kind of a town is Eu-
reka" he wailed," stealing my
grain when I'm asleep." "Well,
you see;' Dennis told him, "we
have something of a crime
problem here because we don't
have a jail. These thugs can run
loose even after they have been
convicted. We can't be haul-
ing them to Austin every day."
Jackson stormed off down
the street, sold the rest of his
barley before leaving town and
considered himself fortunate
that he still had his team and
wagon. While he was having
a last drink in a nearby saloon,
someone unhitched the team
and lead them away. Jackson,
in utter frustration, finally hired another team and
whipped them back to Austin.
Shorty after his return, he contacted the commission-
ers and related the manner in which he had been treated
in Eureka. At the next meeting, they voted funds for a
jail and dispatched a rider to tell Eureka officials that
they should immediately put out bids. Curiously enough,
Jackson's team and the missing sacks of barley were
"found" and returned to him several weeks later when
he again happened to he in Eureka on business.
PHOTO INSERT: Early-day Eureka, a town
without a jail for many years. NEVADA
HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTOGRAPH
