CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1905-08-03


they reached the camp of the redskins.
They crossed the river and followed
the trail for about half day, which
brought them into the midst Of the Co.
manches, who were found to be more
than thousand strong, one third of
whom were warriors. The men had
streaked themselves with vermlion
and we're about as hideous locking
set of robbers and cut-throats as could
be found anywhere on the plains.
The party was soon surrounded by
Indians who demanded the surrender
of their horses and provisions as ran
som for their lives. Realizing that
they would starve to death if they ac-
ceded to the terms proposed by the
Indians, they requested conference
with the chief, and finally succeeded
in effecting compromise by which
they were allowed to proceed to their
destination on giving up half of the
food supplies, The chief was given to
understand that the party would fight
rather than surrender all of its provis-
ions, and. on being convinced that they
me ant business, agreed to a compro-
mise and gave them a safe conduct
through the country.
The peculiar method of administer
ing justice in the mining camps of Col
orado a generation ago was matter
that seemed very strange to Mr.. Good
ing at first, but as he became accustom-
ed to it he grew to admire its efficacy
as a means of preventing crime, and
the penalties which the miners code
prescribed for murder, theft and other
offenses, did not appear to him unduly
harsh when the circumstances were
taken into consideration. To rob a
man of his horse or his provisions, in
those days, meant more than it does
now, and there could be no punishment
too severe for those who were guilty of
such crimes.
Mr.. Gooding says it grated upon his
sensibilities at first to see man hung
for horse stealing, without due process
of law, but all sentimentality wore
away in the course OF n few years,
and the time came when he felt no
compunction in helping string up a
criminal OF that character without CIV
ing him the benefit of clergy. 1t was
the only means at hand for the protec-
tion of individual rights and it was
wonderfully efficacious; without 1t the
weak would have been the prey OF the
strong Miners law was based upon
the Mosaic code and demanded AN
eye for an eye and tooth for tooth. "
1t is to the credit of these self-con-
stituted administrators of the law that
few innocent men were hung or that
few guilty ones escaped punishment.
Before the death penalty was inflicted
the accused was given trial, and un-
less the evidence against him was con-
vincing he was acquitted Of the charge
upon which he was brought to the bar
of justice.
Mr. Gooding recalls the hanging OF
man in Denver, by a vigilance commit
tee, in 1859 for horse stealing, and the
sullen, dogged look of the accused and
the determined, resolute appearance
of the vigilantes made an impression
on his mind that he will never forget.
In the early days of the mining ex-
cilement man was hung at Mountain
City for the robbery and murder OF
one of his fellows who had started back
to his home in Indiana with a sack OF
gold dust which he had been years in
accumulating, and never was summary
punishment better merited.
The "miners' law" of the old terrific
rial days had a wonderfully restraining
effect on the lawless element of the
camps and theft was less common than
in the older and more perfectly organ
lied communities of the East. Miners
used to leave their provisions in their
cabins without protection OF any kind
and felt no uneasiness about their se-
curity, although they usually buried
their gold dust, as to leave it lying
about was temptation which human
nature could hardly be expected to
resist.
The experiences of the pioneers OF
Colorado were full of dramatic and ex-
citing episodes and must always be re-
garde1 as one of the most interesting |
chapters in the history OF the state.
They were brave, hardy race and Mr..
thinks they ought to be PEN
stoned as public benefactors.
"