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

IIIIIllIIIllIIIIIIIIIl NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
"Slade, get your horse at once and go
home or there will be Hell to pay"
Slade, startled, inquired:
What do you mean?"
"You have NJ right to ask me what I
mean" the Vigilante quietly responded.
Get your horse at once and remember
what I tell you"
Alexander Toponce relates in his
"Reminiscences" that about March 9th
Captain Williams, head of the Vigi-
lantes," said to him:
"Alex, you 60 on up to the corner
saloon and get hold of Slade and see
if you can't persuade him to leave town.
He may listen to you"
Toponce then tells how after getting
SHADES horse from the livery barn, he
went to the saloon, where, after an ex-
citing encounter, shooting being pre-
vented only by the fact that Slade rec
ognized him as a friend, he warned
Slade Ito get over the hill as quick as
he could" to which Slade rejoined that
he would go as oon as he had one
more drink; but latter he had one
more drink he got meaner and more de-
fiant," and said he was not afraid Of
the "Stranglers."
Slade temporized. Never did man
tempt Fate more recklessly. Again he
began to ride the streets. The store
keepers again closed their places of
business. Seeing three well-known Vigi-
lantes, Slade said to them, II guess the
Vigilantes are played out" to which
one of them, K. Beidler, replied, you
will find out whether or not they are
played out within three hours"
Beidler says he begged Slade to go
home.
The executive committee in Virginia
City decided it vas time to act, and
on March 10 sent a messenger to Cap
tain Williams at Nevada. Williams
called to his aid the ever reliable John
Lott, giving orders to assemble the min
ers of Nevada; 200 marched to Virginia
City in charge OF A. B. Davis. Williams
and Lott preceded them on horseback.
Hearing that Williams had been sent
for and remembering that memorable
occasion when he first met the re-
doubtable man who had become the
executive officer Of the Vigilantes,
Slade went to the store of Pfouts &
dent of the Vigilantes. AS he was talk
LII WALL xo0uo, Nv4&3o4AAo - ~ -
tered. Williams said:
"Slade, I want you"
what do you want with me2"
"Come along and ask no questions"
(This is in accordance with Will
liams' conversation with me. Beidler
says Islanders History, vol. l, p. 228)
Williams arrested Slade while he was
holding up Pfouts, j. M. Fox, and Alex
ander Davis with q derringer in each
hand; K. must have repeated an ex-
aggerated story Of the time. Pfouts'
narrative is consistent with Williams
statement.)
PaIid with dread, Slade went
quietly with his captors. The executive
committee went into session and con-
sidered the question before It with great
care. It was decided that a crisis had
arrived which must be met with
promptness and vigor. With reluctance
it was decided, but unanimously, that
the exigency could not be passed with
out the execution of Slade. Friends of
Slade, noting that the executive COM
mittee after the arrest of the malefactor
had gone into session, sent a man on a
swift horse across the mountain to the
Slade residence in the canyon to warn
Mrs. Slade of what was impending. Al
most distracted with love and fear, she
saddled her famous thoroughbred Billy
Bay and set out to rescue the extra
ordinary man to whom she was pas
sionately devoted. Her thrilling ride is
graphically described by Mark Twain in
"Roughing It."
The Vigilantes acted with their &C
customed directneSs and speed. After
the decision to execute Slade was ar
rived at, he was taken to the Elephant
corral, situated in Daylight gulch, in
the very center OF the city, where at
the eastern gate there were posts strong
and high, with q heavy beam running
from to the other. A rope with a
hangman's knot wa suspended from
the beam, and underneath a dry goods
box was placed. (Beidler says Slade
was hanged from a beef scaffold; such
are the contrary stories with which the
historian must reckon.)
Sobered by the decision of the Vigil
lantes, and suddenly confronted with
the awful fate that awaited him, Slade
completely lost his nerve. His first
thoughts were of his wife, and he ex-
claimed again and again, 20, my dear
wife!"
No tenser situation had ever con-
fronted the Vigilantes. SHADES friends
wept bitterly. One threw off his coat.
declaring that Slade could be executed
only over his dead body. But when he
looked into the muzzles Of many guns
he attempted to flee, but was brought
back, resumed his coat, and promised to
behave himself. Leading men Of the
community, appealed to by Slade, an
swered regretfully that they could do
nothing.
It was whispered about that Mrs.
Slade was coming. She was a popular
woman, much admired, and liked by
almost everyone. The committee knew
that she would attempt a rescue by
force, and there is reason to believe