The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-02-11
THE EXECUTION OF PETER PELKEY
The Perpetrator or Horrid Crime Ex-
plates HIS offense on the Scaffoid.

The Pcrpetrntor OF 1orTio SfiSAS So
plates HIS offense on the Scaffoid.
In August and September, 1880, a man
named Peter Pelkey, alias John OBrien, WAS
employed as a ranch laborer by Charles
Valley, near Helena. A6out. September ID
Tackle mysteriously disappeare d, and his
brother advised Sheriff Jefferis of the fact
Search was instituted; the body ofTacke was
found in the manger OF one OF the stables,
covered with lime. which had rapidly decom-
posed it. Pelkey had disappeared with
valuable horse and Tackles money-chest was
found rified of its contents. Pursuit was
made by Under Sheriff Hathaway. Pelkey's
trail was stuck at Dearborn, where be traded
skiff and started down the river. Pelkey
stopped at Cow Island, bought horse and
struck across the country for the Yellowstone
river. Gov. Potts had offered o reward OF
81 900 for Pelkey's capture, and the wood
choppers of whom he had bought the horse
learning of it started In pursuit and few days
after captured Pelkey at sawmill in the Jul
dith Basin. He confessed guilt, saying ne
and Tackle were extracting black teeth from
hogs in the stable; that Tackle was on ms
knees; that he (Pelkey) accidentally stepped
on an axe and slipped; that he picked 1t up
to throw it out of doors and accidentally
struck Tackle; that the sight of the blood
made him crazy and he struck Tackle twice
on the head that he feared II he left him
there the hogs would eat the body, SO ne
threw it in the manager and put the lime on
1t that one of Tackles feet stuck out and ne
chopped it off with the axe that he took the
money from Tackles pocket and the chest,
saddled horse and fed. To this story ne
adhered, except when on trial ne Piead nov n
guilty.' At the December term of Court ne
was tried, found guilty and sentenced oy
Judge Conger to be hanged Friday, February
4, 1871.
He stated he was a Canadian, twenty-four
years of age, that Pelkey was ms proper
name, and that his parents were living, out
he declined to give their address. He came
to Montana a couple of years ago and had
been principally in the vicinity OF Tort shaw
He was five feet, eleven inches high, o. sym.
metrical proportions and immense physicai
the only thing he ever felt proud Of; that in
the last five or six years he had never met
man who could handle him, and that at Fort
| Shaw he had whipped their fighting man ca
silly. Throughout the trial he maintained
| bold Indifference and after conviction and
sentence repeatedly assured the officers he
would die game" 1t is said he expressed the
regret that, in exemplifying in Court with
| the axe how he had killed Tackle, he did not
drive the axe into Colonel johnson, the DIS,
| trict Attorney, and in the confusion jump
| through windew.
| The execution was designated to take place
| between IL a. m. and p. m. A strong scat
| fold had been erected in the Jail yard and
| complete preparations made for the execu
ton, which Sheriff Jefferis decided should
take place at II IN. The Jail yard is enclosed
| with a fence of fourteen feet boards set on
end, but along one side of its exterior the
sheds of the Overland Stable extend and al
one end small buildings overlook the yard
| As early ~ 10 a. IN. a crowd began to assem-
| BILE on these points of observation, and by
noon fully five hundred people We're perched
ON them to witness the scene. At least 70 O
| them were within fifteen feet Of the scatfold
| The Sheriff had no authority to remove them
| Fully az many more covered adjoining Of
| overlooking buildings, and the street above;
/ So a. far a. the law contemplates secluded
execution, there was nothing private abou
1t. Some twenty or thirty officers, physicians
| reporters and the lawful number of citizens
| were admitted within the enclosure.
A few minutes before twelve Sheriff JET
ferris and Deputy Sheriff Mcfarland entered
the cell, where Father Palladino had beer
praying with the condemned man and offer
| ing him spiritual consolation. He was LEI
into the corridor and the death warrant reas
| to him. He heard IL with composure, appar
| emily the least impressed Of any present
Thence he was conducted to the yard, the
Father accompanying and the officers pre-
ceding and following him, but he wake.
alone, firm upright and unftinchingly, mount
ing the dozen steps of the scaffold with 9
brisk, elastic step. He was clad In medium
length new alpaca coat, new leather slipper
and a pair of worn, light-colored pants. Hi
head was bare and his black hair was care
fully done i'm curk. Stepping to the centre o
the scaffold he turned TO the priest, knelt
clasped his hands and repeated prayers for
few minutes. He kept his eyes riveted upol
Father Pallaiino, and the only emotion h.
manifested during the ordeal was when, mid
way in the prayers, he swallowed two o
three times a. If to steady his voice. As tn
| PRAYERS were finished, the priest nodded +
him. He rose quickly, stepped lightly to tn
trap, directly under the rope, andsprnng on
to assure himself of its security. His cour
tenance showed no pallor and his form NJ
nervousness. He stood erect, with his fee
close, his shoulders thrown back
his arms extended naturally, an
his face turned toward the broad valley I
. which the deed was committed Tor wnleh m .
, was about to pay the supreme penalty. In
officers then adjusted straps binding his Knee
together, another above the ankles, ana al
other about the chest with smaller straps I
this binding the arms. During the adJus
ment of these the efncers consulted ms wisi
es and he conversed with them and directe
the degree of tightness. He then shook hano
> with the priest and officers, thanked then
babe them goodbye, and remarked to Unde
Sheriff Jetferis he would meet him in be
ter place" The last strap was then passe
around his hips, the lesser ones clasping n
wrists. The moose was handed down anu NJ
ed about his neck, and ~ the black cap wa
r passed over his head he was heard In praye
, | The Father kneeled on one corner OF th
platform, Sheriff Jefferis stood by the lew
= with one hand on it and the other pressing
handkerchief to his eyes. Under-sheriff Je
, ferris stepped to the farther corner OF Il
, platform with his face from the prisoner, an
AZ the Cathedral bell boomedsaniyo on the 4,
t extended his arm and let II fall to his SID
3 1t was the signal for death The sharp, m
chanical noise Of the lever broke the oppre
sive stiffness, the trap fell, the body OF tf
doomed man shot through distance OF 81
feet, the rope tautened with pecuhar au
sound and the execution was accompsishs
The body hung almost immoyabie for tf