Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-10-26
WOMAN
RECALLS HANGING
AGED MATRON MAKES DOUBTNG
TOURISTS BELIEVE STORY OF
VTGmANTE EXECUTION

Elmer e. Bichford, owner Of the
Virginia City water works, was IN
Butte recently. while browsing
through some eariy-day pictures at
Owen Smithers' photograph shop he
got TO talking about Vigilante days.
MIR. BickfOrd is only 50 years old
about 20 years too young to have
Witnessed any Of the necltie parties
at Alder guIch, but he has q keen
memory Of events told him by his
father, Stephen e. BickfOrd, who
landed at Alder guIch April 20, 1853,
and who became one Of the first
freighters between there and COrlnne,
Utah.
His failure to get through With a
wagon train Of flour in the winter Of
1884 caused a near famine at Mon
tana's first mining camp. He was at
tackled by Indians who confiscated his
load.
While son came on the scene many
years later, he tells an incident that Is
highly interesting. 1t happened in his
office two years ago. He explained that
the building he now occupies is the
one where five men were hanged the
Of Jan. IA, 1864. They were
Parish, Helm, Lyon, Gallaher and "Club
Foot" George. They were lined up on
individual grocery boxes and the boxes
kicked out from under them. The ropes
were attached to the roof beam The
building was only partly completed.
Two years ago" said MIR. Bickford,
"a party of tourists came into my Of
flee. They had been told that five
men had been hanged there. I told
them the story but 1 noticed the skep-
ticism on their faces. could see that
they were not swallowing everything.
Just as they were about to leave an
old lady came in, using two canes. She
said she had lived in Alder gulch in |
early days and had returned with a
party of friends who wanted to see the |
place. She said her name was Mrs. |
Morrison and that she lived in East
Helena valley.
'She noticed the other tourists look
ng up at the beam. should explain |
lere that only part of the beam can
)e seen. have trapdoor in the cell |
ng that let down on occasions, but it |
lffords view of only part of the beam
o which the five ropes we're attached |
ct wish could see more of that |
,eam,' said Mrs. Morrison, directing /
Ter gaze to the front end of the build
ng. And here is what she told us:
I came up town the morning of /
Ian. Is, 1864, or rather, tried to come
ID town. I was very small girl then.
The snow was so deep I couldn't get /
through. When was about to turn
'ack young man came towards me
md carried me through, breaking a
rail through the snow. He took me in
o a store and got me warm and then
fought me some candy. I thanked him
md went home.
The next morning I thought I
would come up town again, hoping, I
-ueSs that might run into that nice
nan that bought me the candy. AS I
vent by the building we are now in /
happened to look in. The walls were
lot on yet and you could see between
he uprights. And right there in front
I me was the man who had bought
ne the candy. I spoke to him but he
idn't answer So stepped inside to
peak to him again.
You can imagine my shock when I
ell you that he was hanging from a
ope and frozen stiff. -Four others were
angling from the beam. MY father
old me afterwards that they had been
ounded up and hanged just few min
ties after my friend bought me the
andy the day before. Gallaher was
be one who had befriended me. He
7as hanging at the end of the beam
eareSt the street. His eyes laid out
n his cheeks and his cap had fallen
II. I remember picking it up and put
ing it back on his head and pulling it
own over his face to cover those aw-
u eyes. Then ran for home. I still
1udder when think of It,"
Mrs. Morrison said, according to Mr..
ickford, that she thought Gallaher
as little more than youth and prob
bly, hadn't committed any serious
lime, but paid the supreme price as
suit Of his bad associations.
But you should have seen the
hanged look on the faces Of th0ae