The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-07-30
WILD WESTERN WAYS.
THE FATE OLA CELEBnATED DES-
PERADO,

FFHADO,
How Captain Slads, tho Terror of
Montana, Was Strung up by the
Virginia City Vigllantss.
From the ST. Louis Globe. Democrat
No sooner had gold been dis
covered on Salmon River, at Dsar
Lodge and along Grasshopper
Creek, out in Montana, in the spring
of 1862, than these and other gold
bearing localities were at once
overrun with a crowd Of gold
hunters from California, Oregon
and other Western Territories, and
by parties from the e .stern States.
In due course of time the mines
west Of the mountains sent in their
quota OF mon, among whom were
IN my outlaws and desperadoes, in
Guiding such men as Henry Plum.
mer, chief of the road-agont band,
Charley Reeves, Moore and Skinner;
and no soon had these worthless got
the lay Of the country than they
commoneed operations. Around
the men just named gathered all
the desperate, dishonest and dis
loyal clement, and these, quickly
organizing themselves into q band,
with captain, lieutenants, secretary,
road agents and outriders, became
the terror of the country. Well
arlaed and we'll mounted, the road
agents stopped coaches carrying
passengers and valuable freight,
and throve on booty wrung from
passengers by persuasion Of arms.
In March, 1853, Moore and Reeves,
in q drunken spree, kille I a French
man, an Indian chief, lame boy
and q papoose, and wounded sew
eral other parties, by propiscuously
firing into tapee, which so arous-
ed the citizens of Blnpock that o
public meeting was held, and
Plummer, Moore and Reeves we're
tried before jury of citizens.
Plunmer was acquitted, bat Moore
and Reeves were banished, and the
leniepcy Of this verdict gave the
road agents and their associated
roughs an unaisputed suprem ICY
tor time. Plummer got elected
sheriff of Bannock and of Beaver
Head county, and used bis Office to
protect his gang. Robbery after
robbery and murder after murder
occurred in rapid, monotonous sue :
cession. Finally prominent and
estirnable citizen named Lloyd
Magrxder wus robbed and killed
while returning from Virginia City
to Lewiston, and this stirred up
the citizens Of Bannock, Virginia
and Nevada to form q vigilance
committee. In week or two the
ramifeations of the league of safety
and order extended all over the
Territory, and on the 14th of
January, 1864, the power of the
band was broken by the summary
execution of FIVE of the chief
villains at Virginia City. OF these
tho most notorious was James A.
Slade. The Judge Of the Peoples 8
Court in Virginia City at the time
of SHADES hanging was Alex. Davis,
sermerly partner in the law firm
of Davis, Thoroughman & Warren,
Of this city, and, understanding that
he was we'll posted in regard to
SHADES tragic end. q G1obe-D DEMO-
crat reporter asked him about his
acquaintance with Slade.
! "I heard of Slade," Judge Davis
said, "long before I went out to
Montana, in 1868. He WAS Super
intendent of Holidays Overland
Express, having supplanted one
Jules in that position, and between
Slade and Jules there was bitter
war. I got to Montana in 1863,
At that time Slade was off down
the Missouri River. He got in very
late that winter, some time in De,
i, cember, I think. The Vigilance
Committee had about organized by
the the time he got back, and he
joined it, and was one of tho lead
ing men, and very active in aiding
it's operations. But he soon com.
menced getting drunk, going into
saloons, slapping men in the face
and committing other insults and
eutrages. He had always band