Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-11-18
DEATH OF A LEADER.
SlADEs DIED FOR TREASON AGAINST
MONTANA TERRITORY

oAASA VOC " I1AtOIy-A E1AuKs
ing That Was Summary and Must Have
Taught a Lesson to Lawless Men.
I vas chief of the vigilance commit
tee, and we had successfully engineered
about forty or fifty %hangings, when we be-
came imbued with the idea that a little
more lawful form of government would be
to the better interests of our camp, Vir-
ginia City t.4en having about 10000 popu-
lation. So une evening we gathered to-
gether on the outskirts of the town in an
informal mass meeting, and proceeded to
choose from among ourselves officers for
our local government. Our organization
was the simplest thing in the world. We
would turn to one of our members md say,
You are a pretty square sort of fellow,
and we know o to be as straight us IL
string, so you shall be our judge" and to
another, "You are Il heavy built chap and
have plenty of grit, and you shall be mar
shall" was district attorney because l
had a smattering of law, and it was Upon
my affidavits that all warrants were
issued.
Our court was respected by all the citi-
zens of Virginia City, Mon. That Is,
siost all of them. For a time all went
well, but after awhile, when they found
we were not hanging SO frequently as be-
fore, the lawless element grew holder and
more aggressive. The leader of this tough
part Of our population was Mr.. Slade. One
morning, after we had organized our court,
news came that Mr.. Slade and his chosen
friends had spent a night ut a disreputa-
bic house, and in the morning destroyed it.
We sent our marshal with instructions to
arrest Slade and bring him to court In
due time they both appeared, Slade peace
able enough and very gentlemanly. After
hearing the case the court imposed a fine
of twenty-five dollars, which was cheer
fully paid by the defendant, and he de-
parted, inviting us all to come and have a
drink. Not long after that Slade was
again before us charged with the same Of
Tense. This time the fine was doubled and
paid with the same degree of ~alacrity
which had marked the previous payment.
On one occasion, when the fine had
reached the sum of $500, Nj. Slade said he
had not that amount with him, but would
bring it in the next time he came to town.
He acknowledged our power and didn't
care for money, as he was a maj who made
it easily. Well, he came to town several
times after that, but did not offer to pay
the $500. 1t was not in his nature to long
remain quiet, and soon he was again in
trouble for q like ~offense. Our marshal
brought him to the courtroom, which was
Il portion Of the grocery store, with barrels
of flour and grain around the floor and
bacon and hams suspended from rafters.
We used soap boxes instead of chairs, and
were not a very imposing assemblage. Mr..
Slade came in peaceably enough and stood
quietly while the court directed the mar
shall to read the warrant.
AS the marshal pulled out the document
Slade, quick as a flash. sprang at him and
jerked it out of his hands, at the same time
leveling a revolver at the heart of his
honor. It was all lone in a second, and
the six or eight henchmen of the tough
had also drawn their pistols at the same
time. Now" said Mr.. Slade, II am about
tired of this business. I am not going to
be drained any more and I am not going to
recognize your authority, nor shall I pay
that $500. shall hold you personally re-
sponsible for my personal safety, and if
any of your committee attempts to touch
me / will blow your heart out"
While he was speaking l was thinking,
and before he had concluded quietly turned
and walked out, as if thinking of some.
thing else. l walked out on the street, and
the first man 1 met was a member of our
vigilance committee. I explained the sit
uation to him, and asked him to get on his
horse and ride to a camp about W miles
away and tell the boys we needed them.
He set off in post haste, and I turned back
toward the courtroom. Just as I turned
around l came face to face with Slade and
his followers, who had walked boldly out
of court soon after I came away. "Come
: ~ n~x1 hpvya -1,an{ls~r ~-lo- - MI
the irrepressible. l said to him, "Slade,
get on our horse and 60 home us fast as
you can"
what do you mean? Why do you tell
me that?" demanded Slade.
"Never mind what l mean," l replied:
get on your horse and go home"
He didn't get on his horse and 20 home,
but he got on his horse and rode all
through the town, bringing up at last at
the courtroom. He was inclined to he
very proud of his defiance of the orders of
the court, and was insulting to his honor,
who was still there. He was staggering
around the store when I happened to look
out of the window n saw that the house
was surrounded by armed men. The next
minute they were in the room and one of
them vas saying, "We want you, Mr..
Slade." He turned pale and weakened at
once. A crowd of his captors surrounded
him, and I left him safe in their keeping.
I went home, and was not there five min
utes when one of the vigilantes came up
and said, "Mr. Sanders, the boys have
about concluded that they won't be
bothered with Mr.. Slade any longer, and
rs there is no place to keep him safely
they are going to hang him whether the
court wills it or not" l hurried to the
courtroom and saw the judge and the
marshal and several others, and after a
conference We agreed that as Slade was
bound to hang whether by our wishes or
not, it vas better to have him executed by
order of the court, and thus preserve our
hold on the community.
We sentenced him to death for high
treason for melting others to rebellion and
for himself seeking to overthrow our form
of government. When Slade heard of this
he sent a messenger for me to come to him
at once and make a speech in his behalf.
I knew that it would be worse thar useless
for me to do so and refused to go on a FOOLS
errand. Then he sent me to our judge
with a similar request, but the judge
knowing that he was powerless to prevent
the execution declined to see him. So Mr..