The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-07-13
GREAT FALLS PIONEER WHO
GAME WEST WITH Bird GER

these men were executed is still
standing as it was. 1t was unfinish
ed and nail was never driven aftel
that to further its construction, hs
relates.
The last execution that Sipe knows
of and the only one that happened
during his three and one-half years
residence in Alder gulch occurred IL
the fall of 1854 when the vigilance
committee hanged a man for the
theft of $3.50. The man had stoler
the money from his employer and
had tried to skip the country. He
was oyertaken by the vigilance
committee at Salt Lake City, brought
back to Nevada City, near Virginia
City, given brief trial, found guilty
and was Immediately hanged. The
execution took place in the old
slaughter yard, on the rigging
that had been fixed up with two
poles and a cross bar on which to
draw the slaughtered cattle for
dressing. The convict was stood on
drygoods box with a rope tied
around his neck and fastened to the
ton of the pole and at the proper
time the box was kicked out from
under him.
Stealing was the worst crime and
a man was more often hung for this
than for killing someone in shoot
ing fracas. AS soon as man was
found guilty and the committee de-
cided what to do with him it was
Immediately done. The captain of
the committee at that time was Bill
Williams and the execution occurred
during the administration of Sheriff
Beidler. The ways of the Vigilantes
often appeared cruel but it was only
through them that the rights of the
citizens were protected until the laws
governing this state could be made.
The work of the vigilance committee
practically ceased in the spring of
'65. Occasionally they took hand
in affairs but only in extreme cases.
Sort of Observation-Disclosures
Mr.. Sipe, then being only boy,
worked at various trades and occu-
pations. He herded stock, worked
on farms, was butcher boy, grocer
boy and even Turnkey in the board
ing house. During the first winter
he spent in this state it was so cold
that all placer digging was suspend
ed during the winter and the scarcity
of work caused lots of hardship
among the miners. With these other
hardships the price of flour advanced
to enormous figures. In those days
the nearest whistle of railroad en-
CINE was at st. Paul or Omaha and
the flour was brought UP the Mis-
souri, river to Fort Benton by boat
and freighted across to Virginia City
or was procured from the flour mills
at Salt Lake and hauled in wagons
up to Alder Gulch.
In the fall the merchants had put
in a large supply of flour but were
boarding it, causing the price to in
crease from $50 per hundredweight
to s125. An ordinary loaf of bread
cost the miners about SIPS. The
rebelled when flour reached
s1.25 per pound and organized a
company and travelled down the
gulch nine miles to the junction, ga
thering recruits as they went, and
when they returned to Virginia City
they had a company of ESQ men.
They instituted a search for flour
and found sacks hidden in haystacks
and in prospect holes. The sacks
were seized and distributed evenly
among the miners. II a man had
more than two sacks of flour, all
over that amount was taken but II
be had only two sacks he was not
molested. This ended the high price
of flour. 1t never reached such high
mark in the years that followed but
ran usually from $40 to sos per hum
dredweight. Many of the miners
lived on meat straight, which luckily
was plentiful and vegetables were
also quite easily obtained. 1t was
during this flour famine that Mr..
Sipe was working in boarding
house. The loaf of bread that cost
so cents was about the size OF the
ordinary 15-cent loaf. The bread |
was served then something as butter
was served lin the hotels and res
until recently, two slices
we're laid at each mans place and
that was all he could have. Many |
a miner who for some reason was a
little late to his meal would be minus |
his bread, for as soon as they found
that he wasn't there ito represent
his claim" it was declared jumpable |
and away would go the bread.
Charity Their Religion
Perhaps there is no more charit-
able people than the miners and
early settlers. If there was anyone
in need a purse would be made up
for that person that would greatly |
surprise the civilized people of the
east. Hundreds of dollars would be