The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-01-12

whom they believed deserving of
death, but they were unable to procure
irref evidence Of guilt. The
Vigilantes we're not satisfied with prov
ing a man guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt; they required what amounted to
absolute certainty. They, therefore,
decreed Punishment for many of the
roughs whom they felt deserved the ex-
IRENE penalty; and in doing & they
sometimes erred, for those who were
banished continued their practices Of
robbery and murder.
Another modification respecting pun
ishment was made when the committee
found it necessary to check the COM
mission of lesser crimes, and whipping
the malefactor was resorted to.
After the execution of Slade, it look
ed for a period as if the V~igilantes'
work was done. They soon discovered
their error. In the summer of 1864
they were called upon to prove to the
"Roughs" still in the gulch that the Or
g%anization had not d;sbanded. Two
men, James Brady and Jem Kelly, at
Nevada, attempted to assassinate an
other by shooting through the window
into the in which the victim "a
The man was hurt, seriously but not
fatally. Williams heard the shots just
as he was going to bed, but noise Of that
sort was common; he paid no special
attention to it. He was summoned by
a friend, who told him a man had been
shot. Kelly was arrested Immediately,
Brady after some difficulty, as he had
fled. Brady was identified by his VIC
tim, and as the death of the wounded
man was hourly expected, was placed
upon trial as for murder, during which
I4 10NF~r.1S &I1k In 1N4l Fsr~l 49, ch~k
The committee pronounced the death
sentence. There was not sufficient
evidence against Kelly to warrant the
infliction of the death penalty, but the
committee determined to punish him
severely, and he was sentenced to re-
ceive SO laSheS on his bare back.
At 400 o'clock in the afternoon,
Brady was taken from his place of ON
finement to the gallows, under the es-
cort Of 200 armed men. Standing be-
meath the gallows, Brady addressed the
crowd, attempting to excuse himself
for his act by saying that he was in
toxicated and insane, but he hoped his
execution would be a warning to others.
After the execution, the sentence up
on Kelly was duly carried out, and he
was ordered to leave the country. It
was a mistake to let this Kelly go. It
appeared later that in the month Of
July, 1864, he had been involved in the
robbery of a coach going from Virginia
City to Salt Lake. After investigation,
Williams with 81 veteran Vigilantes
left Nevada on August 18th, camping
at the Williams ranch for the night,
and after a hard ride extending over q
number of days reached Meek and Glib
bons' ferry on Snake river; there it was
learned that Kelly had been continuing
his career of outlawry after leaving
Alder Gulch. Informed that Kelly In
the course of his thieving had gone to-
ward Portneuf canyon, the captain with
a posse, ten in all, rode thither, making
a night march, camping at II o'clock
without feed for man or beast during q
hurricane of wind" At two O'Clock in
the morning they were in the saddle
again, travelling until daybreak when
they saw a camp fire. They were hun
CRY, and went directly thereto, having
visions of breakfast, but found it was q
Shoshone Indian camp, and the Indians
had little but chokecherries to eat.
The Indian chief, however, offered
Captain Williams a broiled trout, which
he ate and then fell asleep, while the
others ate choke cherries supplied by
the papooses. Seeing the captain
asleep when the Jul arose, ar old SQuaW
considerably built a low willow wig
wan over him, and when he aWoke
he was visibly astonished and bewilder-
ed at what he deemed his prison house,
to the amusement of the Indians and
the members of his command, who
laughed heartily over his seeming pre-
dicament.
(To Be Continued