The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-07-12
GREAT FALLS PIONEER WHO
GAME WEST WITH BR0DGER

these men were executed is still
standing as it was. 1t was unfinish
ed and a nail was never driven afte
that to further it's construction, b
relates.
The last execution that Sipe know
of and the only one thai 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 thu
theft of $3.50. The man had stoleI
the money from his employer anC
had tried to skip the country. HI
was overtaken by the vigilance
committee at Salt Lake City, brought
back to Nevada City, near Virginia
City, given a brief trial, found guilty
and was Immediately hanged. The
execution took place in the ole
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
a drygoods box with a rope tied
around his neck and fastened to the
top 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 a shoot
ing fracas. AS soon as a 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
BeidIer. The ways of the Vigilantes
often appeared cruel but it was only
through them that the rights of the
citizens we're 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 a hand
In affairs but only in extreme cases.
Sort of Jack-of-A11-Trades
Mr.. Sipe, then being only a boy,
at various trades and
He herded stock, worked
On farms, was butcher boy, grocer
BOY and even Turnkey in the board
.ng house. During the first winter
spent in this state it was so cold
hat all placer digging was suspend
ID during the winter and the scarcity
work caused lots of hardship
among the miners. With these other
lardships the price of flour advanced
O enormous figures. In those days
he nearest whistle of a railroad en-
was at ST. Paul or Omaha and
he flour was brought up the Mis-
ouri river to Fort Benton by boat
nd freighted acros to Virginia City
II was procured from the flour mills
t Salt Lake and hauled in wagons
lp to Alder Gulch.
In the fall the merchants had put
n a large supply of flour but were
boarding 1t, causing the price to in
:rease from $50 per hundredweight
O 1925. An ordinary loaf of bread
ost the miners about $1.25. The
miners rebelled when flour reached
lips per pound and organized a
ompany and travelled down the
ulch nine miles to the junction, ga
recruits as they went, and
7hen they returned to Virginia City
hey had a company of $50 men.
hey instituted a search for flour
nd found sacks hidden in haystaeks
nd in prospect holes. The sacks
yere seized and distributed evenly
mong the miners. If a man had
lore than two sacks of flour, all
yer that amount was taken but if
g had only two sacks he was not
,olested. This ended the high price
( flour. 1t never reached such a high
lark in the years that followed but
usually from $40 to $65 per hun
redweight. Many of the miners
we'd on meat straight, which luckily
plentiful and vegetables were
lso quite easily obtained. 1t was
uring this flour famine that Mr..
ipe was working in a boarding
ouse. The loaf of bread that cost
o cents was about the size of the
rdinary 15-cent loaf. The bread
ras served then something as butter
as served in the hotels and res
aurants until recently, two slices
ere laid at each mans place and
nat was all he could have. Many
miner who for some cas- was a
tile late to his meal would be minus
is bread, for as soon as they found
lat he wasn't there Ito represent
is claim it was declared jumpable
nd away would go the bread.
Charity Their Religion
Perhaps there is no more charit-
BILE people than the miners and
srly settlers. If there was anyone
need a purse would be made up
IT that person that would greatly
the civilized people of the
lst. Hundreds of dollars would be
TAKE NO CHANCES--DEMAND