Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-12
GOOD OLD TINES In MONTANA
Early Days Recalled BY the Death Of
Pioneer Lawyer
FIRST TRIAL AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Harry Haskell Tells OF some Chses
in which the Late Senator
Sanders was Personally
Interested in the COS.
RsT TRIAL AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Inc utdAu OF FORMER EenhLOT WilDuT f.
Sanders at Helena, Mont. last week
awakens recoIlections Of early life in Mon
tana in the minds Of several old Omahans
who we're personally concerned in many OF
the stirring border incidents of the sos.
Among the old-time friends OF Sanders is
Count John A. Creighton Another is Harry
A. Haskell for many years superintendent
of The Bees mechanical department. Mr..
Haskell has an extremely vivid recollection
Of Sanders whose aggressiveness and cour-
age, combined with his profession, that OF
the law, forced him TO the front in the
settlement Of questions involving the rights
Of mon and punishment for misdeeds. Mr.
Haskell witnessed the conviction, before a
jury drawn by the vigilance committee OF
Virginia City, OF a man named George
Ives, who had killed another man. The
lawyer appearing for the prosecution was
Sanders. Ives swung at shutdown.
Sanders mother was a lineal descendant
OF Aaron Burr. He was born In New York
in 1884, went 70 Ohio. was there admitted to
the bar but before he got an opportunity
TO practice much, the civil war broke out.
He organized a company and took 1t into
the union army where he remained until
forced to leave by sickness. The young
officer went 90 Montana, where his uncle.
Sidney Edgerton, was governor Of the ter
IllOIys IN n bHOII LlTlt bhnOeTH DeGaUe
the foremost lawyer of Virginia City. He
took leading part in the doings Of the
vigilance committee and was credited with
having presided at the hanging of sixty
two men before the establishment of rou-
tine law and order made the disarmament
Of the vgilantes a safe thing.
First Trial In Montana.
Mr.. Haskell has the honor of having
printed the first paper got out in Montana,
the Virginia City Post, in 1885, 1t was
about this time that the trial and hanging
OF Ives took place at Nevada City, about
two miles from Virginia City.
''As nearly as 1 can Wmember, Ives
killed a Dutchman because the latter re-
sisted the dispossession of a pair Of mules"
says Mr.. Haskell. II know that there was
a mighty lively time over the way in
which the prisoner should be tried Some
wanted him tried by miners court but
others desired a trial by jury The sides
divided into two groups on the street and
after much hot argument IL was decided to
select twelve men to try Ives. The men
were chosen and were seated in a wagon
in the street. A brilliant young Kentucky
lawyer named Thurman was appointed to
defend Ives. Sanders represented the
prosecution. Both lawyers had revolvers
protruding from their pockets. The case
was well fought. Ives was hanged that
evening. The following winter Ave bad
men were hanged within twenty feet of an
unfinished drug store where 1 lived. l think
Sanders participated in all of these deal
ings out of justice.
II remember very distinctly when Slade
was hanged. 1 printed some milk tickets
for him few days before the event. He
was a prosperous man and lived on a ranch
some distance away. A perfect gentleman
when sober, he was a species of devil when
drunk. / have seen him ride up to a bar
Der shop and make the barber mount his
chair in SHADES wagon and shave him
there; or walk into saloon and shoot all
the glasses and bottles or the bar.
sIade Reached the Limit.
Finally SHADES lawlessness got too bad
to stand and he was sentenced to death
for melting others to rebellion so the
story goes. He refused to pay a $500 fine,
believe. Sanders was friend Of SHADES,
but l suppose he took the same fearless
part in this affair as in the others. About
the time the moment arrived for the kick
ing of a barrel out from under the feet
of the convicted man a horsewoman was
seen wildly riding towards the vigilantes.
As soon as It was known that she was
Shades wife the deal was finished and
when she arrived the man was dead. She
was terribly wrought up II they had
waited until she arrived 1 am confident
there would have been no hanging. A
woman was power In Virginia City In
those days Forty men who assisted in
i the lynchlng tried to hold her horse and
: comfort her. They took her into hotel
where her husbands body lay.
III my memory is correct Count Creigh-
ton. then engaged in Virginia City in mer-
chandising, had started Slade home just
before the vigilance committee made up
its mind that the acts OF the ranchmen
were getting too strong.
Sanders was a fine man, an exceptionally
good and clear type OF the pioneers who
insisted upon good order and fair dealing
before government followed along and got
planted, No one ever doubted his courage.
1t took lots Of nerve to serve as he did
for the vigilantes, for many OF the Grim
inals who swung had friends in plenty.
Doubtless some were often ready and
anxious to avenge the execution of SEN
tences."
Sanders in Politics.
Sanders was appointed United States dis
trict attorney for Montana by President
Grant in 1871. but declined the place. He
served eight years in the territorial assem-
bly, and was a delegate to four national
republican conventions. He was elected to