The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-06-29
A MONTANA LYNCHING.
A Totally Unexpected and Highly
Dramatic Denouement.
The Part an Old Mans Rifle Played in the
Execution of a Desperate - He
Wasn't Interfered With.

''Indirectly and unconsciously
made the moose with which the first
official-or what the law of Judge
Lynch called official-hanging was
done in Helena, Mont, said member
of the pioneer corps that made the pre-.
liminary survey for the proposed route
of the Northern Pacific railway
through the Rocky. mountains and foot
hills.
1T was in 1869 and Immediately
preceding our advent in Helena the
,rustlers and bad men, gamblers,
miners, tr%ppers. and generally dis
reputable cusses to be found in all
Western towns, held full sway there,
with only q muttered thunder of pos
sible resentment from those who saw
the necessity of insisting upon law
and order. Fights and disorders of all
kinds were of constant occurrence in
the gambling hell, hurdy-gurdies, and
other similar establishments through
the town, until at last the regulators
had issued orders to these disturbing
elements of society to leave at once or
be summarily cleaned out. The climax
of the law abiding citizens patience
was reached about that time through
the holding up Of the Fort Benton
stage coach by a band of road agents.
The band was pursued by the Helena
regulators and engaged in a bloody
fight, which continued over distance
of eight or ten miles. One of the
regulators was killed during the fight,
and several prominent citizens of
Helena and Gallatin were seriously
wounded. Exactly how disastrous the
engagement had been to the road
agents was never known, but one of
them, and a notorious one, was can
tured. This was big Jim Daily, one
OF the most desperate characters in the
region, former employe on the ia
nous Kusselrs ranch, known as ter
ror from South Havitos to Boseman,
and responsible for much of the law
lessness that prevailed in the COM
munity. He was shot through both
thighs, and, being unable to sit on his
horse, fell into the hands of the regu-
lators, although wounded, as he was,
he fought like fiend to the last re-
quiring the united strength of several
men to bind him with a lariat.
1'The captured desperate was
brought back to the town, where he
was cinched with his back to a flag
pole in front of the International Hotel,
the leading hotel at Helena at that
time. Many of his sympathizers and
friends stood around with ugly and
threatening looks and fingers itching
to pull their guns, but the fear in
.spired by the regulators and uncer-
sanity as to how many they might
really number in their ranks kept them
from taking any overt steps toward re-
lease. The regulators were led by
well-known judge, q man who had
stood high in the East, acollege gradu-
ate and very wealthy, even for that
country and time. He was a man of
stalwart presence, and of grim, de-
termined disposition that was not to be
trihed with.
at was at this moment that our party
of engineers rode up. We were soon
made acquainted with the situation.
ALI of the party except myself were
satisfied without detailed explanation,
and. after taking look at the notori-
Gus captive, attended to their horses
and went into the hotel about their
their business. l was the youngest of
the party, being but little more than a
boy, and was full of youthful curiosity.
/ had habit when talking to any one
of knotting my lariat into various COM
plicated knots, the trick of tying which
had learned from sailors of the navy,
in whose company was much thrown
during the war. While l piled the
Judge with questions about Jim Daily
and his doings kept manipulating my
1ariat in this way, and, as the judge
seemed to be much interested in the
modifying, probably tied them with
more than my usu;tl skill and facility.
At last fastened knot that particu-
1arly interested the judge.
what do you call that?" said he,
,interrupting question l was asking
him.
That's the hangman's moose re-
piled.
.'The Judge seemed more interested
than ever and nothing would do but
that l should teach him how to make
the knot right there and then. lnevel
for moment thought that the judge
had any particular reason for wanting
ito become proficient in tying the hang
mans nGoaa. and set to work to teach
him. Alter several lessons and trial'