The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1889-12-28
EsaRGi1ss.



'o1iand was settled in 1869. II did
n"l have Judicial hanging until 1874
p: Judge Lynch opened a court on
A'4tr GlicA within fifteen months after
tic nrst settlement. At the first term OF
th's popular tribunal there were twenty
seven hangings in fifty days. Viglantes
Inflicted the death penalty whenever it
vas iarmed necessary for more than ten
years.
The first execution according to legal
process occurred at Helena in 1874. Ii
was such an innovation thst the people
celebrated it in remarkable manner.
The cay following this execution pro-
cesS.on was formed and the committee
led the way over the hill to the spot
which had usually been chosen Tor lynch.
log. With appropriate ceremonies, the
tree that had done duty for gallows so
many years was chopped down, cut up
for relics and carried away.
The place where the tree stood has be-
come known as "Hangman's Gulch."
The name H elena has been irving to get
rid of every since, but without marked
success. The idea at the time of the de-
straetion OF the tree was that lynchlng
days were past, 1t was impossible, how.
ever, to change the character of the peo-
pie so easily and so suddenly.
Legal executions have gradually taken
the place OF mass meeting executions, but
| there have been some briet periods when
1t was deemed best to return to the more
expeditions and popular methods of
primitive days in the territory.
The year 1884 is known as one Of the
changing years" of Montana 1t was the
time when stock thievIng had become
unendurable upon the ranges of Eastern
Montana. VIgilantes organized for that
| raid without any concealment. Members
of the band which carried out the orders
were recruited openly from the COWBOYS,
| who were willing t. do that kind of work
for 500 month. When tho round up
ended sixty-threc thieves had been shot
or hanged.
The man who engineered this exter
mination of the stock thieves is one of
the best known ard most respected citi-
zen of Montana. He makes his home in
Helena. Public sentiment regrets the
necessity for such extreme measures, but
fully sustains the penalty inflicted.
The first session of the peoples court
at Helena was held to try Bob Black for
killing Harry Slater. Helena was then a
mining camp and was known as Last
Chance Gulch. Parallel with, and only a
few feet from what Is Low the principal
street of the thrifty city the gulch ran.
The prospectors who found pay dirt in
the gulch were certain there could be
none found further east of that and so
| they named it Last Chance. The miners
settled down TO work the gulch for what
there was in 1t, ani tie camp drew more
.htp IA" n-ual complement of gam blers
.s tI,.- raats.
- mary work of the vigilantes
g.. i:-e. .ruich, further south, had the #.
feet "f swelling the lawless element at
Last Chance with refugees. One of these
refugees was Slater. He had escaped the
vigllantes at Virginia City by an acci-
dent. The nighl tie order was issued
there for his execution it was discovered
that he had taken his departure. Slater
tried to shoot William T. Sanders, the
prosecutor of the Plummer gang of road
agents, only short time previously. The
vlgiIantes h long score against him
and there was some disappointment when
it was found that he had disappeared.
| Tom Keene, or Bob Black, rs he had
been known in Tennessee, also left Vlr-
giniu City in haste. He had been keep.
Ing bar at The Montana saloon spd hal q
quarrel with another barkeeper. After
trying to mangle his enemy by hurling a
boulder through the window at midnight,
Keene fled and went 10 Helena or Last
Chance. Arriving at the gulch and walk
ing up the street Kecne came suddenly
upon Slater, sitting in doorway, with
his hat over bis eyes. Without saying a
word, or in any way attracting his vic
Tins attention, Keene drew his pistol and
fired. The bail entered the eye and
passed through the brain. Slater fell
backward dead, without knowing who
shot him.
And tight here is to be noted curious
illustration of the impartiallty with which
the peoples court dispensed justice. It
made no difference that Keene had re.
moved bad man, nnder condemnation
by the vigilantes of q neighboring camp.
Had Slater been hanged at Virginia City,
Last Chance, to a man, would have en-
dorsed the wisdom and justice of the act.
But, Slater having escaped to Last
Chance, it was as much murder tor Keene
to kill him as if the victim had been the
most honest man IN camp.
This was the way in which Last Chance
viewed the crime. 1t was DO sympathy
for Slater which prompted the immedi
ate organization of the peoples court OF
Last Chance to try Keene.