Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-12-25

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men" who ksrrorized Virginia
City and other mining camps In
0the palmy days Of Alder gulch
was George Slade. And strange
20 say, he was one Of the last Of them
TO be hanged by the Vigtlantes. But
hanged he was, eventually, begging fol
his life like an arrant coward when
the showdown came. nc was . note
worthy fact that although Slade, when
on sprees, was wont 70 ride his horse
into stores and saloons, destroying prop
erty. driving out customers and firing
his six shooters into the floor, ceiling
and furniture, there was one mercantile
establishment in the camp OF Nevada
which he sedulously avoided and LET'S
strictly alone whether he was drunk
or sober. 1t was the store of Lott
brothers. who had let it be known that
any attempt by Slade TO create q dis
turbance in their place would result
I'm his instant death.
Though he often went TO Nevada and
threatened many times to go to Lofts
and raise old Ned with the proprietors.
he never attempted to carry his threat
into execution.
Slade, before coming to Montana, had
been connected with the Overland
Stage company at points in Colorado
and Wyoming He originally came west
as a fugitive from justice after having
killed a man in Illinois.
Before he had been in Colorado long,
he had a quarrel with a man named
Jules, after whom the town of Jules
burg, Colo, was named and who was
at that time keeper of the stage station
at that point. jules himself was a hard
character. Far from being intimidated
by Slade, he shot him with a shotgun,
peppering him with buckshot, some OF
which Slade carried in his body until |
his death.
Threatened SHADES Life
After having trouble with Slade, (
Jules left the Julesburg station and I
wherever he went said that he intended /
to kill Slade on sight. Slade was making /
similar promises after he recovered /
from his wounds and was informed as
to where Jules might be found. Two
different stories are told Of subsequent
events.
one is to the effect that Slade in
some manner captured Jules, took him
to the stage stations horse corral and
tied him to a snubbing post in the
center of the enclosure. He then shot
him to death and cut his ears off.
Those appendages he carried in his
vest pocket for many months, exhibiting
them upon occasion and boasting OF
his action.
The other story dealing with Jules
death Is to the effect that Slade had
offered a reward for his capture and
delivery to him, and that two men who
cornered Jules in an effort to win the
reward, killed him in the attempt.
Thinking to collect the reward anyhow,
they took Jules body to the stage sta
make it resemble a live man and then
to Slade that they had re-
turned Jules and asked for the reward.
Slade. upon viewing the slumping
figure Of Jules, refused to pay on the
ground that Jules was already dead.
The others insisted that he. was still
alive, and Slade, to prove that Jules
was dead, cut his ears off. Which one
Of these stories is true has never been
proved. Either of them, however, Is
sufficient to indicate the sort OF a
fellow that Slade was
Montana history records that many
who knew Slade testified that when
sober he was a courteous gentleman
but that when intoxicated he became
on a foot" many shopkeepers closed
and locked their stores and put out
the lights in order to keep him from
calling upon them when in a destruc-
tive mood. After SOLDERING up from his
sprees he was always willing to pay
for whatever damage he had done If
he had any money.
Inc pIONLolOlldl CDuuk III NAA6AAAd SAbJ
had frequently caused the arrest OF
Slade and he had paid it proper re-
spect by paying several fines that had
been imposed upon him and by prom
lsing to pay others as soon as he got
the money. When he did have money he
was a free spender. He was always
heavily in debt.
one night when drunk, Slade went to
a theatrical performance being given
Ia Virginia City by company headed
by Miss Kate Harpe. Shows OF any
kind were infrequent in the camp and
we're always greeted by capacity audi
ences.
crowded to the doors with miners, ]
merchants and their wives
and daughters and sweetheartS. AS
Miss Harpe came upon the stage to
render a ballet dance, at one point $
during the performance, Slade arose !
and in a loud voice ordered her to !
remove her costume The place was. IN ]
an uproar in a second and confusion {
reigned. Men and women began TO
leave, Miss Harpe retired from the l
stage and the show ended right there.