The semi-weekly miner., 1883-11-07

y. NOV VEMBER Z
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.
Description Of a Fight With Des.
! peradoes Fifteen Years Ago.
Oct Is, 1868, will be remembered by
all the old Pioneers of Laramie ss 8
most monentOus one in her history.
Fifteen years ago the moral element
offhe then little frontier town as
serted itself, and four hundred hu-
man lives were offered up on the al
tar OF law and order, with most graf
flying results. At that time there
was no such thing as law-at least no
such thing as what We now tern, law
In Laramie. Men settled their
difficulties by resorting to the revol-
yer or knife, and in those pers ,nal
hand to hand encounters the victors
were usually the heroes of the hour
the victims were hurried under the
ground and no questions asked. Rob-
beEy and garrOting were of daily Oc-
cuffence, and murder not unfreuuent
There gradually arose in the minds
| OF the better portions of the people a
! feeling of uneasiness and fear for their
safety. Steps were soon taken to Or
ganlZe a Vigilance Committee, aud
the first organization of this kind
was perfected in. August, and at this
time numbered Only twenty members.
In thu new city directory, which will
| make its APPEARANCE next week, we
find, Hnder the head of "Ear'y His
tory" q well written decriplion of
the work OF this and subsequently,
organized committee, together with a
| graphic pen picture OF the fight with
! the desperadoes and subsequent
| lynching OF four of their members,
Oct. IL, 8,1s6S-ffteen years ago to day.
From the advance sheets of this forth
conling work, kindly furnished US
Ivy the compilers, Messrs. Garrett &
Morgan, we make the following ex-
tracts:
There we1'ea few worthy end very
resolute men in this first vigilance
organization, but its only substantial
fruit was the hanging of young man
named kid during the last days
in August, in building occupied as
residence for some years afterward
by our worthy townsman, John
Keene. But the hanging of this mis-
cradle, insignificant creature created
anst Scitement among the roughs, and
they at once orgs nized thoroughly
not only for resistance, but for ag-
gressive movement. They boasted
OF their strength. and threatened all
who dared to complain of their mis-
deeds with vengeance dire. Among
the leaders of the roughs may be
mentioned Con Wagner, Asa Moore.
Big Ned. Sam Dugan, Tiger Bill,
Morris kohn, and Dave Mullen.
Their organization and the daily
crimes finally united all the better
elements Of our society, and in a
short time new vigilance commit
tee was formed numbering three
to five hundred men. They were
thoroughly organized and differed
by resoiute, cool-headed men. These
men were thoroughly armed, and on
the night Of the 18th of October 1868 |
"A day to be remembered by the |
o'.s c-5!der:ts of Laranlie-tllis COM
nittee met at an appointed place on |
the west side Of the railroad track. in !
this city, and divided into squads,
and proceeded to different parts of
the town. 1t was the intention to
make a decent at precisely the same
moment on all the more prominent |
gambling bells in the town. and take
out without any great disturbance
some Of the most noted murderers,
and Quietly hang them before their
companions could rally sufficient
force to rescue them. But Fate had
ordained otherwise. The squad of
men assigned to The dance house
known as the "Bell of the West"
gathered around the doors of the
brilliantly lighted hall filled
with dancers. Gaudily dressed wo-
men, gamblers and desperadoes We're
wiiirling through the intricate mazos
Of tho dance, their nimhle feet keep.
ing time to sweet music, which float
Ell in ravishing strains upon the
evening air, and ever and anon a
burst of nerrimeGt would fill the
room, in which We're mingled the sill
very dulcet tones of WOmen's voice,
fair, though frail, yet woman still"
The saturnalian festival was at its
height when pistol shot, loud and
clear, rang aut upon the night air.
This shot was signal for stimuli.
taneous attack at several points in
the town, but owing to some undue
excitement with this part of the COM
the signal was premature,
and the attack was madea this point
onlv. But at the signal. shout, a
rush, and sil was confusion. The
roughs, being we'll armed, resisted
he attack of the vigilantes with aes-
and fought like tigers driven
% bay.
What scene was there, where but
4 few moments before all was gayety
The sweet strains Of melody were
lushed, and in their stead came
lar h, discnrdant sounds, tumultous,
Wild and prophetic doom to the des-
oerado. For fifteen minutes the
sharp crack of the revolvers made
music to the weeping and wailing of
he women, and the shouts and NUT
erred curses Of the men. The smoke
rom The pistols gathered in a cloud,
md hung like pail over the heads
If the doomed, as if to shut out from
he sight of the angles the dark scene s
below. The roughs wete overpow- {
red, aud the results were three men
a member of the commit
ee, one a member Of the band of
music, and one a noted desperado-
md about some fifteen men Woudded
ONE seriously, and three of the !
eading roughs, Con Wagner, Asa
Moore and Big Ned were taken from .
he Place and hung in the same place
\ here the KID was hung in Au- Z
,ust. About sunrise the next morn s
ng. Big ST. We, another noted rob,'er
md murderer, was captured and .
'ung 10 te!e graph role near where
south 3 street crosses the railroad
rack. I
The lesson tlus TAUGHT the hard
who infested the city was ,
needed. Within few days the lar
,er portion of the roughs left for
'tairer fields aid pastures new"
vb;1o ctbora iO;naH thp viui lantea .