East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-08-26

the gateway to the ORC Ffno mines
of Idaho and the rich mines of
southern Idaho and Montana, ana
was the rendezvous of sports, high
wayn,en and some of the worst men
on the coast, who camped on the
trail of the incoming miners to get
their gold by any means possible.
Lycurgus Jackson and Jim Buck
ley, both of the sporting fraternity,
were the first to grace the office of
sheriff. Criminals and law-breakers
were handled with gloves, and what
ever the crime the offender received
no punishment. He was found not
guilty, or spirited away before the
trial.
At wayside tavern on the Coppei
at ball one night. an inoffensive
man named Cogshill was killed for
trivial offense, by noted bad char
acter. Bill Bunton by name. He was
tried and acquitted but soon after
changed his residence to Montana.
The swift retribution of justice placed
the moose Of the vigilantes rope
around his neck very soon after his
| arrival.
Far out on Second street is a cot
tonwood tree with an unusual bend.
The citizens of the town awoke one
morning to behold a ghastly spectacle
of a man hanging from this natural
scaffold
The victim was Slim Jim, colored
man, who was suspected of being i'm
plicated in transactions not meeting
| the approval of some citizens. There
is much diversion of opinion as to
who did the hanging. Some place the
responsibility on the sporting element
some on the vigilantes, and others on
set of law-and-order advocates not
included in the vigilantes.
The late Richard Boyle, with whom
the woung man made his home, be-
lieyed the victim to be an innocen
man.
One of the appalling tragedies o.
the time was the killing of England
er, married man with large fam
lily, one of the proprietors of the ORR
entail hotel, just completed on th'
corner of Third and Main streets
where the Kellough company's stor'
is at the present time.
A woman arrived from San Fran
cisco to meet her husband who wa
coming from the mines. She was tn
only woman at the hotel Georg
Porter, fastidious gambler with
: criminal record, paid annoying at
tention to her. She became alarme
at not being able to rid herself of hi
persistency and asked Mr.. Englande
to protect her. Porter was ordere
. to cease making calls at the Orienta
= hotel. He walked away but returne
: soon and fired through the door. In
flicting fatal wound on Mr.. Ems
:. lander.
:, Porter was arrested, placed in ia
n and granted a change Of venue
: Vancouver for trial, but his friend
helped him to flee to Salt Lake cit
~ avoiding a trial. But justice SOC
# overlook him there. He met the san
d lander.
is A stage robber from Boise city a
'e rived in this haven of safety to ref,
" gees from justice. The next morl
N ing his body was riddled with bulle
ID was found near the present site
e the Stahl brewery. A rope suitab
for hanging purposes lay beside Il
dead form, and a purse containil
800 in the pockets.
Of BY whose hand this man came
lie his death was as much puzzle to Il
h, officers as others. The presence
ct gold was an evidence that robbery W
ie not the object of the killing. T
lie rope suggested possibilities that we
r not enjoyed by the class of men
is which the victim was a memb'
te' while many conjectures were ma
he and much thinking done.
er The death knell of offenders W
IN rung when two men extensively e
gagged in cattle rustling were fou
ne one morning pierced with bulle
lis Two more followed in quick succ'
lis sion. Others of the fraternity we
h by the rope route, until a dozen
a more had Joined the great major
eo Of their class. The vigilantes had
p gun a war of determination to
g. thief, the highwayman and the mi
derer.
lr. Fred Patterson, desperate ga
lis bier, who had killed Captain Slap
m ton In Portland and another m
n more recently in Boise city, had col
e. here after being acquitted in Bo
Id city. AS he was being shaved in
n. barber shop of Richard Boyle
valentines day Watchman Donah
walked In and said Patterson, y