The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-23
SENATOR'S LIFE CHARMED
MIR. DIETRICH. OF NEBRASKA. HAS
FACED DEATH MANY TIMES.
He Was the Ffrs. sheriff Of DeadwOod
and N Member OF the Vigil
lance Committee.

lincoln. Neb. Letter in St. Louis Post
Dispatch.
There are men with charmed lives all
over the West Nebraska's new senator.
G. III. Dietrich, is one OF them. He played
part in the early history OF the Black
Hills only second TO that played by his
old friend. Seth Butler. himself. the first
sheriff Of Deadwood Senator Dietrich has
looked in the face Of death many a time
at close range. and. as a member Of vigi-
lance committee. he has helped others look
in Il through the aid of Judge Lynch. The
whole United States Senate viii not be
able 10 intimidate C. H. Dietrich.
The new senator came West from Aurora.
Ill He began to make his own living when
he was eight years old. He chored for
farmers. snatchlng what schooling he could
get from the little log schooIhouse during
the winter months Then he became
blacksmith, and. saving S12O in 1875. he paid
his expenses to Cheyenne, Wyo. Here he
bought provisions and blankets and, mir
ing the provisions transported to Dead
wood. he tied the blankets on his back and
trudged along beside the wagon that con-
tanned his provisions The journey was
made u winter. and the who fought
his way from the farm 10 the Senate
walked 80 miles along a trail that led
through Red Canyon. in which. just be-
fore he went through. and just after. many
white Immigrants We're killed by Indians.
Early in 1876 Senator Dietrich helped to
build the first store Of Deadwood. 1.-The
Pioneer" After it was built Dietrich de-
hvered merchandise all over the Deadwood
country. travelling at night most of the
time, to avoid the Indians.
In 1876 Dietrich helped to lay out the town
OF Spearfish. Indians came down the gulch
and stampeded the ponies of the town
builders Chase was given and some of
the ponies were recovered and though
many shots were fired no one was killed
on either side.
In the winter of 1S76-77 Dietrich and his
two partners located the Aurora mine. 1t
became famous because of numerous at
tsmpts to dispossess the three men who To-
Gated II and the Stanch resistance made.
The owners Of the Hidden Treasure and
the Keats were the men whom Dietrich
blamed for the trouble made for him and
his partners.
IN those days all prospectors were tres
paSSerS and the man in possession was
the man who had the cinch on the situa-
ton The owners of the Aurora were we'll
entrenched- They publicly stated what
would happen were attempts made to drive
them out The opposition was afraid TO
make open assault.
The Aurora people had built sod house
and sunk a shaft. They kept one on
bic fall from the hillside above the cabin.
A man he saw and challenged. gave no an
swer and ran away. The man dropped
something. It was a giant powder bomb
1t was learned afterwards that it was the
mans intention to ignite the fuse drop
the bomb on top Of the Aurora cabin and
blow the Aurora outfit into kingdom come
There was a lull in the fight for while.
Then the Aurora people were offered $4,000
for their mine. They declined TO sell So
the conflict reOpened.
Tunnels were run and it was the opfnfon
OF the Aurora people that failure to blow
them uD from above was to have been fol-
lower by an attempt to blow them UP from
below So just their night shift went
into the Hidden Treasure to relieve the
day shift Dietrich and his partners and
1heir mel lined up at the mouth OF the
fynen lfe> sure tunnel and refused to let
the day shift out. This was after Cephus
futile had been shot and killed and Die
trich himself had been shot twice. one bull
let cutting his forehead. When the owners
o. the Hidden Treasure found the Aurora
people had laid powder mines above the
tunnel and could blow up the shift in the
mine If so disposed. there was capituIa-
ton.
Dietrich sold his interest i'm the Aurora to
Brown & Thur. bankers. and to Senators
Roscoe Conkiing and Thomas Platt of
New York. and ex-senator George A. Spen-
Ger, OF Alabama. Then Dietrich became a
member OF the vigilance committee. which
took the place of the conventional court of
the East.
The first case the vigilance committee
handled impressed Dietrich greatly with
the charm under which his life Is protected
d Thomas Smith was the culprit His wife
had been a moneyed widow of Denver
Smith went to the Black hills to swell her
roll He began TO drink and TO lead a dis
orderly life. In the fan of 1876 his wife
came on. She said he had deserted her and
their child. and had taken all her money
anc had nnaliy refused support when she
at last established communication with
him. The committee was called together
and the woman told her troubles Then
the acting marshal. Con StapIeton and
lCt.a cd hxr he
fnd Smith and bring him to trial
They found Smith at Belle Union. where
Wild Bin was killed. and. calling him out.
told him what was wanted. Smith said he
would not go So force had TO be applied.
In the struggle Smith drew knife and cut
Dietrich between the fingers and in the
abdomen. Smith tried by the commit
tee and the verdict was that all the prop
erty known TO belong to Smith-money he
a woman for whom he had fOndness-
had TO BE- turned over 10 Mrs. Smith After
that was done Smith was TO leave camp be
fore 10 a. m. the next day or suffer the
penalty. which was death
slept that night in cabin owned BY
Judge Lynch Forman, Senator DIETRICH
was telling not long ago. There was only
an old piece OF blanket at the door. / was
sitting in the cabin Just thinking about
turning In for the night, when the blanket
at the door was pulled aside suddenly and
Smith stepped in. He had a Winchester i'm
his hand and he threw il to his shoulder
II seerns that Smith had quick and
boN'i. "a man ~ ocetl WIN. LOT LleJrlcn
tore the Winchester from Smiths hands
and graphing with him. soon had him nm
der control. Then he took Smiths word of
honor that he would leave town at once
and let him so. Early the following morn
ing Smith met Con Stapleton. who was
talking TO another man. and biazed away
at Con The bullet missed Stapeton and
killed the man Stapleton was talking with.
professor from an Eastern college Smith
afterwards killed in California.
ITO show YOU how honorable Western
men are. Dietrich said, 81 must telI Won
that mere were many in the gIIches
who had borrowed money from Smith or
had property belonging TO hni who were
unknown to Mrs Smith to any one else
Smith. So soon they heard the
verdict of the committee they came into
camp and yielded UP the property or paid
the money they owed