The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-05-03
(By George Weatherhead.)

NY OOOA 8O W C0OACA AC00sJ
Among the relics, remindful of an
epoch in early-day history of Mon
tana, now on display in the rooms OF
the state historical library in the
capitol building, is the skull Of John
Keene, alias Bob Black, hanged by
the Vigilantes in Helena on June 7,
1866. The skull was presented to
the State Historical society by DR..
B. G.. Brooke of Helena, and was
placed in a glass case, in plain view
to visitors, by the late Secretary
James U. Sanders, only just prior to
his recent accidental death.
Keene was the first to be hanged
on what was termed "Hangman's
Tree" which was in Dry gulch, in
the early gold mining days, a spot
which now is the intersection of
Broadway and Davis street in Helena,
and only a few blocks from the main
business section. The tree stood at
the southeast corner of the inter
section. Following the hanging of
Keene the tree died, but despite that
fact IL others were later hanged by
Vigilantes from the same tree.
Ii 4QIAO1 "a LII olOOhO Wd6 la
Helena at the time of the hanging
of Keene, and when Keene's skull
was found he identified it from the
broken nose which Keene had sus-
tanned during life. He obtained pos
session of it and later gave it to his
son.. The skull is we'll preserved.
Keene vas hanged for the murder
of Harry Slater. Both had been
bartenders, gamblers, murderers, and
for a long time had been considered
"roughs." They had trouble at Salt
Lake City, and in Virginia City. At
Salt Lake City Slater would have
shot the late Colonel W. F. Sanders
in the back had he not been re-
strained. He committed man. out
RACES. Slater took sudden flight
from Virginia City to escape sum-
mary execution, the night before he
left for Helena where he was killed
by Keene, formerly a bartender for
Samuel Schwab of the Montana Bill
lizard saloon in Virginia City, and
originally from the River" where,
Bob Black" he figured as a muir
derer and robber, before he came to
the mining regions. Quarrelling with
Slater at Salt Lake City reused again
his evil passions, the indulgence of
which finally brought him to the
tree in Dry gulch, now Helena.
Slater was the first to arrive in
Helena. He did not know that
Keene was in town, and was sitting
in the doorway of Sam Greer's sa-
loon, with his head down, and his
eyes shaded by his hat. Keene a
walking along the street talking to
a friend, but when he spied Slater
he whipped out his pistol and fired
two bullets into Slater's head, death
resulting instantly, so the story goes,
as was written by Professor Thomas
J. Dimsdale in his history of the Vigi-
The murderer put up his
pistol and turned quickly into an al
ley, near the scene of the murder.
He was arrested by G. j.. D. Curtis
and turned over to Sheriff Wood,
who put him, for want of a better
place, in his own home, and kept
lim well guarded. Sheriff Wood re-
fused to deliver his prisoner to a
but he and his guards
we're overpowered by superior num-
oers, and the prisoner taken from
hem.
Keene insisted upon having a fair
rial, which was granted, and which
for two days in a lumber
,ard, an improvised prison. Stephen
Reynolds was the judge. In his de-
Keene made a statement of
he whole affair. He asserted he had !
lcted in self-defense, as Slater was J
the act Of rising with his hand !
n his pistol, and had threatened to :
axe his life. On a former OCCASION,
n Great Salt Sake City, Keene said
slater had put a derringer in his
mouth. Sam Greer testified to being
n eyewitness to the shooting. He {
aid he heard the first shot, but did /
lot think anyone was hit. He said Y
% told Keene to "hold on" when {
q saw Slater fall over; he did not t
ear either of the men speak, and
aid he did not know whether the t
risoner was the man who shot Sla- '
er, but Keene replied by saying, II :
m the gentleman" :
At the conclusion of the trial the
ricouor caid. III