Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-02-24
Judge Lynch.

Judge bynch.
St. Paul, Mimi. Feb. 4--The Butte
on. IT, Inter Mountain. just received
here, gives on the authority Of j. Nj.
Hart, of Missoula, the following story Of
Il lynching of which no previous news
has been received though il must be
more than week old. II occurred at
Weeksvile. point in the extreme west
crn Montana The Inter. Mountain
reads
Less than ten days ago, it will be re-
membered, "Billy the Kid we'll known
in Butte, was captured, shot all in pieces
and thrown into the river, but last even
ing was the bloodiest red letter day ever
known at the terminus. For many
weeks past a spirit Of lawleasness, rob-
berry and murder has reigned supreme
ut that point. GOOD citizens were ter
rorized and the rule of the robbers was
40 potent that ii was unsafe for any man
with a dollar in his pocket to appear on
the street even in broad daylight; while
under cover of the darkness a carnival
of crime Was conducted By the thugs
and cut throats, who so greatly outnum-
bered the Z 'od citizens, that any attempt
10 arrest and punish the criminals was
attended with almost certain death to
those who might otherwise have been
willing 10 aid in the enforcement of law
and in visiting upon the heads Of the
guilty the proper penalties for its infrac-
ton. Dire alarm took possession of the
business community, and ii finally be-
came evident that unless all good men
were willing to sacrifice their property
some immediate and determined effort
Was necessary to terminate the existing
reign of terror
The conrts were paraizcd, and their
eiictS were dcfed. Urged to dcspcra-
ton by The eXtrcmitics of the situation
a vigilance committee was organized
with great secrecy, and the accessions
were soon sufficiently numerous to rem
der It's members bold enough to an
nouncc their purpose of suppressing the
high-handed outrages almost hourly
| coming to light. Once organized no time
WAS lost in carrying out the object Of the
association. On last Sunday night three
des.eradoes, known as ohio Dam
"Blondy," I'd Enriyht and another man
were arrested The three first mention
cd were hanged without ceremony, and
! the fourth was converted into lead de.
pository.
AT the "Y," another camp two miles
west of Weeksvile, similar scene was
enacted, three men, names uaknown
being hanged on the same tree. and al
at the same time. When the coach lef
Weeksvilie, 50 q lady passenger stated tC
Mr.. Hart, the bodies of two men were
Still dangling in the air from the limb o
Il tree, giving The early morning scene q
ghastly aspect 1t WAS also reported to
her at the >mc time that the three vie
tins ut the ~" were similarly suspend
ed, having been thus left by the aveng
ing vigilantcS 50 that there should be
no possibility Of a return to life
The hanging Of these seven men has
in all likelihood cxerted a salutary effect
in improving the morals Of the town
and if the protective society executed
only those who deserve the death pen.
atty, the fact that the courts were in.
operative will largely justify their con
duct.
On another authority Il is learned tina,
last Monday witnessed the hanging OF
three more men whose high crimes had
become known, and who were consider.
ei too wicked to be allowed to afilict
the earth any longer with their presence
The truth Of this statement we canno,
vouch for, but Mr.. IIarts report is per
fectly reliable.