Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-02-07
A Week d Horror!
che Vigilance Committee at Work.
Two Men Lynched
THE CHINESE ON THE WAR
PATH!
They Hang a ChinaSvOlnan!
Arrest Of the Murderers !.
They Were Sent to Fort Ellis for
Projections!
A CE4INAwoMAN SHOT,
Four Dead Bodies. the Victims o.
Violence, Awaiting Intcrment!


i For some time previous to the last term OF
the District Court Of this county. a man
generally known as Old M.n Tripp." aud
whose proper name is irlplett, has beer. con.
fined III o,u Jail, charged with tile nltlrder5ol
one Gemplcr. This man was indicted by
the Grand Jury oi1hat term OF Court Tor the
alleged crime, and committed TO trial, ex-
pected TO be lad at the next. lis day shave
been chiefly passed on the frontier, and
| an absence Of d vicious nature, was not al
ways exsusable in his conduct, iaasmuch as
hepfactieed many of the habits Of frontier
| life. lie WAS nolnadic In his life-lived by
fishing, trapping and hunting as we have
| been Informed, coming oc, asionally into
town and passing his time in less or more
| carousal while here. On one OF these occa.
sions the unfortunate man Ell tered the res
taurant of N 81 TX VI af on Main street,
where Mr.. Compiler was an employee. The
former was intoxicated, and. after The par
taking of lunch, entered into an angry, con-
versation with the latter as to the payment
of a lunch other than the one had by Trip
lett. Ths. however. seemed only an excuse
for the quarrel, as an old feud existed be-
tween both men, and it was ended only by
Mr.. Compiler being stabbed and killed by
rriplctt. la9 eoi1a tssa.i6 ati3
Whether excuse or Justification can be offer
ed for tile deed uiattels little now, lis both lie
III tile narrow grave. Triplett, with another
beer hung last Saturday night by, u body of
men who deemed ssexpedieut mot to trust
the administration of the law. The name Of
the other victim to vioencc w IS JehnsW. St.
Clair. and was g nerally known as '.Stesm-
boat BILL a hybrid Of some kin,l. In whom
negro blood predulninatcd. "A young man of
low instincts, without character, AMI whose
life, SO i;tr rs known. was passed in the
lmnnts of vice ard the pnrfietls If pr0fI,gacy.
living Oh the proceeds vi Chi csc depravlty.
and, as stated, Often eAactihg lie same
isy.fiinsiss l,..er Tie piesritacnf his fcvoI-
vcr. On OF these occasions. lie exhibited
l> weapon, @l,t. SO far It's We ca:, ascertain,
1T least we 50 understand u--tciliy on nti-
nlae and friendly relations Will, tile inmates
0f the house. 4 shot w;ls llrarI-a China
woman tall whose head is perforated with
lcidcn bullet. and osc brains aid blood
Spatlered Oh the ma, for whom she lived and
earned money. and from whose hand the ia
tai shot went forth. sTlis man. was also ar
rested. and would have had u preIiul-
mary examination o.ia Saturday, were
itslot for a continuance lad till tile following
Monday OH motion Of 4. lP.Vivion, ESQ,
the Deputy District Atterney for the county,
TIE was committed to jail ill Che examination
could be held, but. with Tr!plett, was taken
from the Jail and. executed. ssIsiplett had
passed6 3 years OH earth, II and, save tho case
'lanlcd, did lllrtlonly to himself. and leaves
many humane persons here who legrcthis
untimely end, while for the other, no mere
personal considerations can induce sigh for
Ills early taking of. Saturday night gathered
round Us without unusual sign or noticeable
movement, and the Inhabitants of the town
retired from the labor and stella of day with
the calm, of contentt d minds which brood no
evil. Scarcely had the hour of ton been
passed, when loud pounding on the Jail door,
and the cry OF murder within, put the people
in conmotion; efforts las elsewhere stately.
were made by the officers to reach that build
inc. but made in vain. The unfortunate men
were taken out and conducted a few hundred
yards off to the old laughter. house aud there
hanged Triplett's death must have been a
painless one. When we saw the corpses at
midnight his features were natural.s calm,
and, strange as it.may appear, bore the seni-
blance of smile, while the other, we think,
suffered much agony. The tanpue was swol-
len and reached through the lips, the features
distorted and the lett hand firmly ,grasping
the pantaloons, a hold broken with difficulty
when preparing the body for tho grave. An
inquest was held by Judge Langhornc, who
summoned jury, Investigated the matter,
and renderedsthc following
VERDICT:
TERRITORY or MosrASXfl assssf Afaf
County of Gattatta. "a
An inquisition holden ut Bozeman City. III
the county uf Ga!latirl. OH the 2d;dpy OF Feb
ruary. A. ~. 1873. before me, .. W. Lai.g-
iiorilc. Probate Judge, acting ,ts Il Coroner,
upon the bodies Of q. Trlplcit aud John w.
st. Clair. there hanging by the neck. By the
jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed,
The said jurors upon their ,naths do say:
That we found The bodies OF n. Tripfctt ard
John w. ST. Clair, hanging by the neck. III
the vicinity OF B0zeniail. Gallatin county;
that they were taken by force from the Jail
If said county. between the hours of ten
o'clock p. IN. and twelve o'clock nj. Of Sat
nrtlav, February !. 1873. and ltnlawftlly hung
by the neck until they were dead Ly some
party or parties to Hs unknown. .a.sA
In testimony Whereof. we the said jurors
have hrreuntO set our hands, this February
.7g, LOUIS w. JACKSON.
=. ETrI,INGER.
NATHANIEL. HOWARD,
Il. #. FltIDTEY x. ss sl
ssss ssfH WM.tH. TAYLOR.
i. CLARK.