Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-11
SANDERS AVIGILANTE.
Montana's Senator Tells of the Days
When Lynch Law Reigned.
DEATH OF THE FAMOUS SLADE.
He Was Hanged on a Charge Of High
Treason to the Territory.
HIS WIFE WAS TOO LATE TO SAVE HIM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10-Senator San
ders, of Montana, is one of the most enter
tanning takers in the Senate. A group q
gentlemen were sitting in his commItte
room not long since listening to his tales O
the early history of Montana, when tn
mining fever was at its height. The tall
turned on the different doings of the Vigi
lantes of which Senator Sanders was
leader. "Yes," said the Senator, retro
spectively, 81 have assisted in good man,
send-offs when robber or murderer wa
launched into another world without tn
benefit of the clergy"
Were you present at the execution of tn
notorious Slade?" asked one of the gentle
men.
"Yes," replied the Montana Senator
''aud could tell you story about that ex
ecution. That was the one instance where
the gentleman whom we assisted in making
his exit was neither thief nor murderer-or,
at least, that was not the crime for which
he was hung"
"What was his crime?" again asked the
gentleman.
ave executed Mr. Slade for treason
high treason against the Territory of Mon
tana," replied Sanders, thoughtfully, "and
thereby hangs tale.
A Charge That Caused Trouble.
Gas you know, / was chief of the Vigi-
lance Committee, and we had successfully
engineered about 40 or 80 hangings, when we
became imbued with the idea that little
more lawful form of government would be
to the better interests of our camp, Vir-
ginia City, then having about 10000 popu-
lation. So, one 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 mem-
bers and say, You are a pretty
square sort of fellow, and we know you to
be as straight as a string, so you shall be
our Judge and to another, You are a
heavy-built chap and have plenty of grit,
and you shall be Marshal was District
Attorney because / had a smattering of law,
and it was upon my affidavits that all war
rants were issued. 1t seems strange in these
days to think of constituting a court in
such an ot-hand way and without the slight
est vestige of Federal authority; but we
did it, and our court was respected bv all
the citizens of Virginia City, Mon. That
is, most all of them. For a time all went
well, but after a while, when they found we
were not hanging so frequently as before,
the lawless element grew bolder and more
aggressive.
s'ade the Leader OF the Toughs.
'The leader of this tough part of our
population was Mr.. SIade. 1 had known
him for q long time and we were the best of
friends. He was warm-hearted and pow
erful friend to those he liked, but perfect
devil to those who had incurred his dis
pleasure. 1 have seen him come into a
saloon where perhaps so men were en-
gagged in playing billiards, cards, etc, and
insist that everything should stop at once
and that they all drink with him. He
would line them all up.to the bar and gen.
orally had me next to him. He would
raise his glass with the rest of them, but,
instead of drinking with them, would wait
until they had finished, when he would
bring his glass on level with his eyes, and
about foot from it, and stare, stare, stare
at it with terrible intentness for two or
three minutes. Then suddenly he would
raise the glass, dash it from him with ter
rife force at the mirror, the floor, the bar
Keeper or anytn1ng tnat seemed TO strike
his fancy, and draw his revolver and begin |
shooting indiscriminately. l would say to |
him, 'Slade, give me that pistol, and in a |
minute he would hand me his gun and quiet |
down. |
az suppose have done that same thing |
ten or dozen times 1 never could under |
stand him at such times He was not after |
anyone with deadly intent He simply |
seemed to be seized with mad passion |
which he could not control. He was the |
recognized leader of the toughs, and had /