Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-18

sAAA1sahS AoAfsuohc oSoiAos NoNCAA-
ment officers.
Receipt Acknowledged.
BERLIN, Feb. 17.-Five hundred eieh-
ty- eight thousand marks we're received
from the United States for the relief of
the flood sufferers.
WORK OF MONTANA vIGILANrRs.
A merchant in Butte received the let
ter following, which we take from the
Miner of that city:
WEEKsvILLB, N. T.. Jan. p, 1883.
DEAR SIR:-This camp, which is the
front of the western division of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, has, during
the past three months, become notorious
as the toughest on the line. 1t has been
no strange thing to hear each morning
of some one being robbed of his money
or any valuables which he might have
in his possession during the previous
night, and the robberies not unfre-
quently involved the horrible murder
of some poor victim. At one time the
rollers" as they were called, had
gained such ascendancy in the town
that no man dared to lift his hand or
voice in opposition to their deeds of
crime and pllla9s, and reign Of terror
was upon the town, but when the rail
road was completed to this point, the
respectable, law abiding Citizens deter
mined, as there seemed to be no law
for their protection, they would make a
law unto themselves. A committee of
safety was organized, embracing in
its membership the best citizens of the
place, and steps were resolved upon
which we're calculated to sffectually rid
the community of the worst set OF foot
pads that ever infested any place on
top of Gods green footstoOl. With the
organization OF the vigilantss the for
tunes of the ''rOllsrs" took sudden
turn, and the incidents of the past few
days have, We hope, taught robbers and
murderers that Weeksville is no longer
a place for them to ply their trade OF
blood with impunity. Several days ago
notices were posted in conspicuous
places about the town, notifying all per-
sons who possessed no visible means of
support to leave the town and never
again to be seen in these parts, upon
peril of suffering the penalty of the
3 7-77. The ''rollers" paid but little
heed to the warning and were inclined
to defy the COM nittee of safely. which
had been formed for the protection of
honest people, so last night the commit
tee assembled and securing a special
train, followed up and captured six of
the defiant scoundrels, four of whom
were hung at Thompson river; and at
Weeksville this morning the remaining
two were found hanging to trees OppO-
site the railroad camp. Another of the
Same class of numbering desperadOes
was shot dead in Weeksvillo this morn
ing; which i'll less than twelve hours has
rid the country of seven as desperate
characters ever cut throat or scuttled
a ship. 1t is stated that one of the two
men hung last night confessed that he
had killed men for money and had been
a roller, and that his mother always said
he would be hung. The other weakened
and wept while he plead for his life.
We hope now that we are rid of the
murderous gang, and hereafter citizens
can walk the streets without the fear of
death at the hands of an assassin, or
being stunned by Slung shot and ROE
bed of his valuables.
The following additional particulars,
with the names of some of those who
we're lynched, are gathered from the
Misssmlian of January 18th:
Meantime the vigilantss had been
showing strong hand, and ordered
some eight men to leave the country.
Among those we're Joe Davis, q man
known as Ohio Dan, "the barber"
BILLY the Kid" and others. No charges
we're brought against them; they were
simply told to go. Davis and Ohio Dan
were given three days in which to settle
up affairs, and then they moved down
to Sandy Point. News was sent up that
there was a hard gang collected there,
and a party of vigilantes went down,
took the barber aud Ohio Dan. and
brought them up to the camp inst below
Weeksville and hung Thorn to trcss near
there. It is said Dan declared that he
had done nothing worthy of death, and
asked his executioners to write his
mother, but the barber, ON the other
hand, stated that while he had done
nothing worthy Of death, he preferred
his friends should never know what had
become of him.
The particulars OF Billy the Kids
death were as follows: Billy was ordered
to leave camp Is, and after reaching
Wssksville, he sent defiant messages
OhCA W VIZ vikhohtNcs 0oosAAAk 1O WOuAeA
60 no further. in language more forcibls
THAI. p,'.,.e. One night while standing
in saloon a man approached him and
asked him to go outside. He refused;
another one approached, and repeated
the invitation. He consigned them both
to a warm region. Shortly after third
came in. The three men seized him
and took him off to whore group Of
several men with shotguns were stand
ing, and he was told to walk off fifteen
PAGES, and run for his life. He did 80,
and ran toward the river, falling twice
before getting there, and Rroaning heav-
lily. He was badly wounded, and fell in
the river. Another man, also known as
kid" a red-headed man, formerly Of
Butte, and about the same size as Billy,
was hung the same night. 1t is said be
was a very hard character, and with a
companion not long since robbed man
of a jack knife and plug Of tobacco in
broad daylight"