Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-04
SWIFT RETRIBUTIoN.
How They Tried and Hanged Cowboy
at Copper River.

Seattle, Wash, Feb. By the Pacific
Steam Whaling company's Alliance,
Capt. Hardwick, which arrived from the
Copper river district yesterday, news of
an atrocious double murder done at
Valdes, Prince William sound, on Jan.
2, and the subsequent hanging of the
assassin, is received The men, whose
lives were taken for little or no provoca-
ton, were N. A. Call of Worthington,
Mimi, and William A. Lee of Lowell,
Mass. Milton Fillmore Tanner, Mon
tana cowboy, was their slayer. He was
hanged the following morning. Forty
four men said he should die, and 80 of
the number voted for the rope route"
as the best means of disposing of the
murderer.
During the fall rush to the Copper
river section there came to Seattle a
Massachusetts, expedition. Here the
members of this party found Tanner,
who, though penniless, sought to get
into Alaska. These men QUILTED Tan
ner and made him one Of their party.
Arriving at Valdes, the expedition went
into winter quarters Tanner, Lee, Call,
Haines and Pearce occupied the same
tent. 1t came to a question of providing
better shelter Tanner, it appears,
quarreled with his terminates about the
work, making himself so disagreeable
that the other four occupants held a
consultation in the tent, deciding that
the cowboy should be given his share
Of the outfit and told to search for quar-
ters elsewhere.
While this conference was going on
Tanner stood outside eavesdropping. He
heard nothing good Of himself The
words that came to his ears set him in
a rage Going to a neighboring tent he
secured his revolver. He returned, and,
pulling back the tenting, which hung
over the entrance, he informed the
quartet that he had heard what they
had said about him. Call spoke UP, say
ing: Look here Tanner, If you can't
act as a man, you'll have to get out"
'You can't make a fool of me-" re-
piled the cowboy. With this he drew
his revolver; and fired. killing Call i'm
stantly. A second shot dropped Lee to
the earth and third put out the lights.
Lee expired Within 10 minutes. Tanner
remained at the threshold of the tent,
waiting, as he subsequently declared,
for Haines and Pearce to come out, that
ne might kill them also. They re-
manned inside, and meanwhile a man
named Scott came upon the murder
Gus Montana cowboy, who coolly an
nounced that he had killed two of the
occupants of the tent and was waiting
to put the others out Of the way
Scout gave the alarm ana q young
man named Miller of Buffalo, n. Y,
walked UP to the bloodthirsty cowboy
and demanded his revolver. Tanner
surrendered it willingly. That night Al
residents of the camp accorded him a
trial. King, a San Francisco attorney
presided as judge. The trial lasted
from 10 p. m. until o'clock the next
morning; and the accused man was
found guilty. He was defended by one
of the Massachusetts, men. A question
arose as to the method of the procedure
after conviction. A vote was taken,
and 80 favored hanging, two or three
shooting and one or two wanted the
murderer sent to Stka for trial. The
rope men, being largely in the majority,
had their way.
Tanner was hanged from a tree limb
at 10 o'clock on the morning of Jan g.
Just before being strung up he asked:
Boys, are you aware that you are
hanging the best shot in Alaskan"
His last words were: Boys, are you
going to jerk me up and down or pull
me up straight?'
When informed that it would be a
long and straight pull. he added: "All
right, boys; let her CO.
With ''let her go he was strung into
eternity.