The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-09-19
a COMMUNICATION,
Have We Il Pirate Captain and Il Pirate
Grew on Dark2

Have We Il Pirate Captain and Il Pirate
Crew on Deck?
PACToLA, S. D., Sept. 15.-[To the
Editor OF THE UNION. II hope you will
feel interested enough in this commune
cation to allow it space in your worthy
paper.
| have had five mares stolen from me,
two years ago, and after much loss of
time and money, I succeeded in finding
the guilty parties. I submitted my case
to u last grand jury and after d care
ful investigation they returned a true
bill. During the time OF the investigation
the culprit stepped into the state OF
Wyoming, where he was arrested and
lodged in Jail to await the action OF our
officers. Our governor, Mr.. Mellette, was
acquainted OF the fact by our districts at
torney and a requisition asked to bring
the culprit to justice. The governor
made the following reply:
Mr.. c. W. BROWN, Dear Sir;-Your communi-
cation relative to application for extradition
warrant is received. The legislature made no
provisions for the payment OF the expense OF
seAA' wan Vic
people and their will. / do not feel like incur
ring a debt against the provisions of the con-
stitution and the will of the legislature, conse-
quentiy if you desire a requisition, your county
commissioners must pay the expense of it. lii
case OF murder or similar crime, l would issue a
warrant to become a future charge against the
state, us l could not pay it myself. AS matters
now are, Article XII ofthe constitution prevents
such payment in positive terms.
On receipt OF the governors commune
cation, our county commissioners pro-
posed to furnish the necessary security,
but u district attorney, with more
law, says: Gentlemen, you must not
interfere in this matter. I have found a.
provision Of the constitution that says
you can be punished if you do" It is
good law. 1t must have been good law,
for the culprit was set at liberty through
and by Mellette and Browns good law.
While this is strictly true and while we
expect no redress Of our grievances, still
such outrages whichinvolve special hard
ships to the innocent and long suffering,
under the influence OF high and sudden
wrath, may be righted irregularly and
illegally by the "wild justice OF Revenge"
The history Of Pennington county has
been made darkly tragic by the deeds of
lynching parties and vigilance committees
These stern men tried, sentanced and
executed criminals under the heat of a
just indignation that could not await
the slow and uncertain motions of the
regular legal tribunals. They were west
ern men and knew full we'll that western
courts would not do to tie to. They
had read, and some Of them personally
knew that the legal authorities were
themselves part and parcel of an organ
ICED band OF outlaws.
A very emphatic case Of this kind ap-
pears in the early history OF Montana.
It vas in 1868, in Helena, and the war
II the rebellion, then raging at its height,
ent a back-wash of all sorts OF despera-
Ices to the far rear of that newly-dis-
overed gold country, in the depth Of
he northern Rocky Mountains. There
'as then gathered Observation-Disclosures
hief city about as choice and select an
OF murderers, thieves, gam
lers and all-around Williams as ever be-
IRE lived in any one spot outside OF hell
here was a lot Of crafty and brainy