The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-19
BILL GAYS FRIEND
Can't. Jack Crawford Pleads for His
0ld-Time Chum.
KNEW HIM TO BE GOOD MAN
He Hopes to See the Prisoner
Secure Money Enough to Carry
His Case to the highest
Court I'm the land

The famous author of western verse,
the poet scout, Captain Jack Crawford,
has written a letter to the Standard
from Omaha pleading for his old friend.
William Gay, whom he knew in better.
happier days. There is pathos and
sympathy in the lines, which make
powerful plea. The letter is as follows:
ITO the Editor of the Standard:
"win you kindly allow be a little
space in your valuable paper regarding
the case of Bill Gay, who. / learn, Is
sentenced to be executed soon. j have
always been a law-abiding citizen. l
have had much to do with criminals
and have been compelled to arrest
many tough characters, but l never
had to kill any and never tried to do
So Yet / have known of instances
where men were shot down who could
have been arrested by men who were
too cowardly to make the arrest and
because clothed with a little authority
were held justifiabe l consider that
class of men cowardly murderers and
from all accounts which / have read
the party who pursued Bill Gay and
his brother-in-law Sam Gross, were
even worse. If ii is true that they had
no warrant and no authority for arrest
ing the men.
''As most honest people look at II.
according to the evidence in the Gay
trial. Gay is convicted wholly on cir
cumstantial evidence. II he had killed
the entire outfit of braves % who ran
away when one of their number was
dropped, and allowed a badly wounded
man to escape, he would have been
justified in the eyes of the world and
in the eyes of justice.
IT knew this man Gay % years ago
as a pioneer in the Black Hills. as
n
that on several occasions he has taken
desperate chances to protect men, wo-
men and children from the marauding
hands of hostile Indians. / know that
his cabin in Gayvillc was retreat and
a haven of rest for many a weary and
footsore traveller and none were ever
refused the ever open and generous
hospitality. What Bill Gay was or did
since l know not. for. until saw him
in person in Helena last winter 1 had
not seen him i'm is years.
1T would be safe | think to assert
that not one of his prosecutors are
possessed of any of these traits of
che racter that belonged in those days
to Bin Gay. I have not taken as much
interest in his case as ! should have
done had l been near enough to have
thoroughly informed myself. But the
sheriff and several prominent people in
Helena informed me that public opin-
ion was with Gay: that he was being
prosecuted and that there was too
much Justice In the great state of Mon
tana to allow him to be executed for
the purpose of satisfying the spite and
revenge of a few people who had no
standing in the community where they
lived.
II write this hoping that some of the
genuine frontier people of Montana will
DO what they can in the way of petit
tons to the governor and such financial
aid as they can afford.
Here is part of a letter which have
Just received from Gay. Financially
am HELPLESS to aid him only slightly, or
] should be glad TO do so. He says:
Helena, Mont. May 8. Capt. Jack
dear old friend: IL does seem hard, af-
ter all I have done for the early pion-
GERS and Black Killers. that they would
sooner see me hang than put up dol
lar TO save me. I am sentenced to hang
the Goth of this month unless my
friends intercede. / have raised enough
money to have the transcript made. but
have no money TO send my attorney to
Washington or employ a lawyer there
not even money to pay for expense OF
circulating petition
1T don't seem right that a human
tiger like Holmes could get the best
counsel obtainable and yet this man.
convicted on circumstantial evidence
and believed not guilty. is deserted in
his hour of need I sincerely hope the
reeders of the Standard will send some
money, II ever so little. to Gay, care Of
the sheriff. and that a petition may be
circulated asking that the governor
win at least commute his sentence
Trusting that you will pardon my TAX
ing so much of your valuable space. I
am. sincerely yours for an old time
friend ]. w Crawford,
Captain Jack)
Omaha. Neb., May 8. 1885,