The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-05-18
The First Black Hills Hanging.

The First Black Hills Hanging.
There we're four of us seated together
around a cheerful pitch-pine fire upon
the side of a grassy knoll among the foot
hills, about forty miles from Custer.
One OF the party was mountaineer, the
rest were members of large, well-armed
train OF Black Hille1s, then toiling and
working its way through wilderness Of
sage brush, endeavoring to reach the
trail our party had discovered a few
hours before. We had selected spot
for rest, where the wind or the sun, or
perhaps both, had cleared away the snow
from about huge pine knot almost pet
rified by age. The grass, too, was quite
luxuriant, and offered an inducement for
us to halt and rest until the train came up.
The fire lighted, and the knot in a blaze,
we brought forth our pipes to smoke and
watch the misty curtain rise. Twas a
glorious scene on that crisp, frosty morn
ing, and the man who died there that day
should have felt proud of his magnificent
death chamber. Nature seems to have
lavished unlimited wealth of beauty upon
the Black Hills, and fate seems to have
led Dick Burnett to the most beautiful
spot in the Hills in which to die. While
we were calmly smoking around the fire,
watching the misty canopy rise like
feathery veil from the valley beneath
u.s. while we silently admired the mag
nificent background of glittering snow
and bright green pines, which in the
morning sun appeared more beautiful
than ever before; while We were thus
quietly admiring the beautiful, blood
red, iron -tinctured valley below us, now
plainly visible beneath the slowly rising
curtain of mist, admiring the winding
creek in its center, which, with its broad
fringe of orange-colorcd Kinnekennic
willow, appeared like huge yellow
snake in basin of blood, man rode
suddenly upon us.
Each sprang to his feet, rifle in hand.
The stranger turned his horse away in
alarm and rode quickly away. He was "a
white man, and we could not, and had no
reason to halt him. He rode out to the
side of the road and dismounted Then
he proceeded to arrange and write upon
some paper, which he placed in his bo-
som, and after some hesitation led his
horse toward our surprised party and
halted about thirty PAGES distant, rifle
and pistol in hand.
"Hallo there!"
Halo yourself!"
Is this the Custer road?"
Don't know. I've been lost all night.
Who are your"
"Pilgrims from Cheyenne. Been lost
on Jenney's trail two days"
Then the lonely stranger rode up and
stood restlessiy awaiting interrogation.
He said he had left Custer two days be-
fore, that he was drunk when he left,
and did not know what he had done or
how he had got lost. He received lot of
letters from our party, and soon afterward
babe US adieu. He said he was going to
the States, and We babe him look out for
his scalp, and said good-by. Poor fell
life. 1t was late in the afternoon when
we met him again. We were in dry
camp, camp in which snow must be
melted for water for mar and beast The
boys were busy at work shoveling snow
into camp kettles and melting it for the
| horses. Supper was over and the guards
were out. A shot awoke the reverberat-
ing echoes of tine hills, and minute
afterward every man of the fifty-fv "pil-
grims" was prepared for duty. A party
of vtgilontes rode into camp; they had
come upon the guards suddenly, and had
been fired upon. They were rough
looking men, but all quite civil. They
inquired for a lawyer. We had one and
he came forward. They asked for
Judge; we had none, so they elected one.
They asked for a preacher, but found
none. A clerk was found in the reporter.
They had brought back the strange man
OF the morning He was prisoner and
seemed to realize his position. He called
( the reporter and handed him back his
| nd To
a few short letters for him. This was
done and he signed them while court was
being held-the judge seated on pile of
harness, the jury on a wagon-tongue.
"Dick Burnett!' shouted one OF those
strange, cruel men. Dick turned to the
reporter and, handing him his papers and
two or three pictures, said in trembling,
choking voice: It's all over with me,
reckon. They all know me and it's no
use squealing'
He walked over to the wagon, while two
of the party started to an old barkless cot
tonwood tree, where Mriat was thrown
over projecting limb.
"Dick Burnett" said old Col. Lyon,
"you've been caught in the act of steal
ing horses from the people of these hills.
You have also been found guilty of shoot
ing and wounding, with intent to kill,
Peter 5. Lambert, and with stealing his
horse. This ere party of true and good
men have settled this fact and say you
must hang. What have you to say against
it,"
| Dick, while old man Lyon was speak
ing, manifested little or no feeling. He
looked in the faces of all and seemed to
expect some interference from the men,
bcrs of our train. He paused for mo-
ment, when he said:
81 know shot Pete Lambert, but he
wanted to get the drop on me. I took his
horse, and may have taken few others,
Ii I've got to swing, I'll do it like man,
only give me time to fix up matters afore
I CO."
Then the poor fellow sat down, and
with tears in his eyes, wrote letter to
his father in Steubenville, Ohio, and one
to his brother in st. Louis, and still an
other to lady in Coshockton, Ohio. Then
he ar use, and dashing the tears from his
bloodshot eyes, said he was ready He
gave his rifle and his horse to Col Lyon
to be sent back to the owner, Pete LAM
bert, and folding his arms walked to the
tree. For moment he hesitated. Life
was sweet to him (he was not thirty. But
he was seized from behind and pushed
forward to the tree, and mounted the
horse without hesitation. Then the tears
came gushing from his eyes, while his
arms were belted down to his side. The
rope was passed over his neck and drawn
taut. Another minute and the horse re.
ceived a blow which sent it galloping
down the valley, and Dick Burnett was
struggling between heaven and earth. 1t
was soon over, the :ope was united, and
he fell to the earth, and was left to the
pilgrims to bury. We rolled him up in
his saddle blanket and Inferred him in