Excerpted from the California Legislative record for 1858

Exhibit No. 7

Wm. H. WOODCOCK, of Marysville, being duly sworn before the Committee, deposes:

About the middle of last July, I arrested, in my capacity as Police officer, at Marysville, a man convict [sic] of grand larceny at Coloma, by the name of Edward PHELPS, alias Dick TURPIN, who I knew had escaped from Marin State Prison. I confined him in the station-house for about a week or ten days, and could have arrested him before had I thought it was necessary. On the day of his arrest I wrote to Gen. ESTELL, directing the letter to "Gen. ESTELL, Lessee State Prison, State of California," stating the fact of his arrest, description, &c. Not receiving any answer to same, I wrote to some of my acquaintances at San Francisco, who informed me that I would not be paid the expense of keeping and returning said prisoner, and I released him. Since that time I have seen several other escaped convicts, but I could not pay the expense of returning them from my own resources.

W. H. WOODCOCK

Sworn and subscribed before me, at Sacramento, Feb. 18th, 1857. Geo. H. ROGERS, Chairman