Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-08-08
in Wyoming and Colorado. from 500 to 1000
miles directly south.

n wyoming anu OOlOrhuUs IroiA oVV W AsoVo
miles directly south.
THE vIaILANTEs DAYS.
A very interesting portion of the article Is
that in relation to the Vigilance committee,
and the long and oft times doubtful struggle
between the committee and the banditti.
Continuing the article proceeds: "On the
14th of March, 1865, just month to day
before the assassination of President Lin-
coin, I received from him my commission as
one of the three United States judges for
Montana. It took us forty days to reach
Benton and fifty-three to reach Helena. On
the route bands of hostile Indians were liable
to be encountered at any moment. The pilot
house of the steamboat was sheathed in boil
er iron, and other precautions against attack
were taken. Many were the attacks by In
dams In those days on coaches on the over
land route, and thrilling and bloody were the
encounters.
GRAND MOVING SPECTACLE.
On our way up the river we encountered
vast herds of buffalo, moving from southern
too northern feeding grounds. The plains
on either side of the river were literally COW
cred with them as far as the eye could reach.
They came to the river-bank and plunged
into the sweeping foods regardless of fear,
and swan for the opposite shore like veterans
In their native element. Such sight will
never again be witnessed by mortal eyes.
The river was full of them; so full that we
were Obliged to stop the steamer to avoid
being swamped by them. One stalwart fell
low became entangled in the wheel of the
steamer, and in his efforts for release ripped
out one of the buckets of the wheel, necessi-
tating repairs. We lassoed some of the fat
heifers and calves and killed them on the
| nkrr1 fr111
of buffalo, elk deer, antelope and other game,
and many was the lucky shot that supplied
our larder with game on our way up.
HOW THE REIGN OF LAW SUCCEEDED THE REIGN
OF TERROR.
Helena was reached on Sunday, July 8,
1866. All was activity, noise and excite
ment. Two Thousand people were there;
streets were blocked with men and merchan-
disc, and miners were busy sluicine for wash
ing out gold which was found almost every
where in the valley soil. Auctioneers were
CRYING their wares, saloons were crowded
and hurdy-gurdy dance houses in full blast.
Mexicans were breaking young mustangs on
the streets amid the jeers and bantering of
the crowds. There was also suspended from
tree limb a man hung by the vigilance COM
mittee the night before, who was the eighth
boots that tree had born in as many months.
Judge Munson in a conference little later,
with other judges insisted that law and order
must take the place of anarchy, but attempts
were made to dissuade him from such inter-
ference, as rash and dangerous proceeding
which might cost him his life. Nothing
daunted, Judge Munssn proclaimed the SOW
ereignity of the law. This was done at the
opening of his first court in August, 1866.
Nv forp nnl in
A murder had just been committed. Through
the vigilance of the court officers the MUIR
derer was arrested and held for trial in the
court. A rescue and summary punishment
of the prisoner was threatened. The officers
of the court (the jail not being very secure)
guarded the prisoner to prevent escape or
rescue. At night the prisoner was taken
from the jail to the court room, where it was
warm and comfortable for the officers on
duty; one leg of the prisoner was shackled
and secured to a staple in the floor. The Of
ficers, we'll armed, remained on duty through
the night in the room, while a trusty sentinel
patrolled outside to prevent surprise. This
was more agreeable to the prisoner, who was
afraid of rescue and summary punishment,
than pleasant to his keepers. No drawer
officers ever lived than the marshal and
his deputies, Neil HOWE, John Feather.
stone, and J. x. Biedler, and it gives me
personal pleasure to accord to them the
merit of having contributed largely to the
establishment of order and good government
over the disoordant elements in the terri
tory.
The grand jury was in attendance. and 1
charged them upon the work before them,
and upon such other matters as might be the
subject of inquiry If occasion should arise
during the term. They found a true bill
against the prisoner and excused their fur
ther attendance upon the court for q week,
at which time they were again to appear in
court without further summons or notice.
The prisoner was put upon trial for the off
fence charged in the indictment. The Off
GERS guarded him day and night. The court
room was packed during the whole
trial. 10 the ,. Xigilantes were said M,
verdict of the jury was murder In the
second degree, which was satisfactory to the
court and the community; no appeal was
taken. Sentence was passed, and in less
than thirty days from the commission of the
homicide the prisoner was serving out the
penalty in the territorial prison at Virginia
City.
Thomas F. Meagher, secretary and acting
governor of the territory at the time, while
under the influence of an unfortunate habit,
pardoned and set the prisoner at liberty. On
being released from prison the man went
back to Helena, swearing revenge upon the
witnesses who had testified against him. Ar
irving at Helena about Q o'clock in the
evening" he was Immediately surrounded by
the vigilantes and was hanged at 10 O'Clock,
with the pardon in his pocket. This was the
ninth specimen of kindred fruit that
famous hangman's tree had borne in one
year. They all went up with their boots on;
and as death found them, so the grave COW
cred them.
This trial in the courts for murder was the
| first ever held in the territory, and 1t marked
new era In its jurisprudence. No further
threats of rescue were heard during all the
| after years of my judicial administration
there. After left Montana, learned that
four other persons were hung upon that ia.
| nous tree by the vigilantes, thirteen in all,
| when clergyman, ostensibly to reform the
| morals of the community, cut the tree down
and when 1t became safely housed, peddled
it out for canes, and that tree became as fa-
nous for the number of canes 1t produced,
as 1t had been for the number of persons
that had cast their last look up Its branches
before testing the strength of its fbres at the
end of a rope. From "a to 80 hours of good
| hanging was generally considered long
| enough to warrant certificate that life was
Al IL