The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-02-22
DEATH OF JUDGE DAVIS
he WAS THE FIRST JUDGE
IN THE STATE
virginia City-He Dealt With the
Bandits Fearlessly-The Career of a
Remarkable Man.

n following taken from the st.
Louis Globe Democrat of the 18th in
slant, will be of interest to all old
timers in Montana, and especially so
to those who were residents of Virginia
City during those thrilling times when
the Vigilantes were e~ndeavoring to
overcome the lawlessness, which then
reigned supreme: "Judge Alexander
Davis, a man with a remarkable his
tory, whose name figures in Mark
Twain's famous book, 'Roughing IT,
lies critically i'll at the Missouri Bap-
tist Sanitarium in st. Louis, and may
live but a few hours. He came to
Missouri forty-four years ago, and
during his early manhood held several
positions of honor and trust. but it was
during his six years residence in
Montana that he became celebrated as
the Peoples Judge and became a fac
tor in tanning the wild elements in that
wild western country.
"When the war broke out, Judge
Davis, who had just completed his
second term in the legislature, joined
the Confederate army and Governor
Claib jackson appointed him Colonel
in Brighten. Streen's division Of
Gen. Prices army. He served at the
battle of Pea Ridge, and nearly all the
battles in Missouri.
Sin 1868, he was captured by the
Federals, but after some DELAY was
paroled. This event proved the turn
ing point in his life. He found it diff
cult to prosper in Missouri, and decid-
ed to 60 west. Virginia City, Mont,
was his objective point. When he
arrived in Virginia City, lawlessness
reigned supreme. Not even the terri
torial government had then been
formed, and the road agent flourish
ed, and was amenable to nobody. MUIR
der was an everyday crime, and the
festive horseman, whose great special
ty vas riding into saloons and grocery
stores, and shooting everything and
everybody in sight full of holes, had
matters all his own way.
"The inevitable result came. Secret
bands Of Vigilantes were formed for
the restoration Of order and the pre-
s%ervation of peace. The leader of the
largest band invited Judge Davis to
Join the organization, and because he
refused to do so, he was suspected of
being a road agent himself, and there
was strong talk of hanging him before
he had time to prove upon what basis
he stood. Finding him to be a man of
such determined character. the lead
ing men in the community determined
to establish a Peoples court and make
him Judge. An election was accord
ingly held, and Alexander Davis
thereby became the first judge ever
elected in Montana. That was in 1864.
and it vas about two years before the
territorial government was organized
This is a mistake. The territorial
government of Montana was organized
under act Of Congress, approved May
26, 1s64.-Ed. MAD1soN1AN.] During
that time he had charge of the PEG
pies Court, which handled matters
both civil and criminal, and when tho
Federal court took charge of affairs
every decision that Judge Davis hat
rendered was ordered to stand. By
reason of the right vested in him b,
the voice of the rough people with
whom he had to deal, as well as by Iii,
W great strength of character, the
word OF Judge Davis became law, ant
if he sentenced a mar to death, there
was but one thing for the hanCman tt
do: and if he condemned a man to ban