Glacier County chief., 1939-05-19
Helena's Citizens 'Riled" When Hangmans Tree
FeDed; 10 Men Swung From 1t During EARLY Days

Hangman'S tree-the age-Worn
pine in Dry gulch in Helena-fell
under a woodsman's AK in 1873,
and there was a resultant tumult
which had one man wondering if
he hadn't made a serious error in
Judgment. 1t happened this way:
The Rev. W. M. Shipper, Meth
odist minister, moved to Helena
and bought lot near the corner
of Blake and Hillsdale streets. On
it stood the old pine from which 10
Helena badmen had dangled at ropes
end. The Rev. Shipper, one day in
1875, hired a wandering woodcutter to
fell the pine. He said recent flood
in Dry gulch had undermined its roots
and he was afraid it would crash on
his barn. At any rate the woodcutter,
fortified with $3.50, began the job OF
running a million dollars worth OF
history.
The old tree tottered and fell. Soon
word got around town the new min
ister'' had cut down Hangman,s tree.
Helena was, to phrase it mildly, in
dignant. A crowd gathered at Ship
pens house and there were rumors
The Montana Post" puts it deIicately:
There was some talk of subjecting
counsel prevailed"
Took Souvenirs
The Rev. Shipper explained he was
afraid the tree would fall. He allowed
crowd members to take souvenirs from
its limbs and trunk He was sorry and
said he didn't know the people priced
the grueSome relic so much. The
crowd explained it wasn't priced as
relic but as an object lesson to certain
gentlemen who might find it difficult
to stay lin line"
Helena didn't agree with the Rev.
Shipper, apparently, and about four
years later he moved away.
The late David Hilger, former state
historical librarian, recorded the &C
tual site of the tree. State historical
library archives which carry the &C
count say the tree was near the cor
ner of Blake and Hillsdale streets" 1t
had been rumored as having stood at
the corner of Davis and Broadway, but
Hilger said this was not so.
An old account Of the growing gall
lows reads:
"a few rods south of Helena and
Just west of the present overland stage
road where 1t crossed Dry gulch, and
directly in Dry sulch, stands a ven
cradle pine whose massive branches
extend 20 feet or more from the moss
covered trunk
The limb from which the Vigilantes
conducted their business was rs feet
from the ground and Is feet long
an adequate limb of the law and one
which initiated, maintained and ad-
ministered justice.
Ten men dangled from Hangman's
tree-and Helena knew peace from
the road agents.
Vigilante justice, swift, implacable
and without Partially, whipped a
roughshod mining camp into line with
the only means capable of impreSSing
its outlaws-the moose.
Helena's first hanging, however, was
not group Justice There was a jury
trial The grim visit of justice in Sc
recy had not yet been found neces-
sary.
John Keene, an 'toutlander" who had
a sprawling record of crime from Cali
fornia to Tennessee, was the first to
find outlawry end on the gnarled
branches of the pine tree in Dry gulch.
Records show Keene came to Helena
in June of 1865. He had recently been
in Salt Lake. he told companions, but
was run out of town when Henry
Slater CKeene said showed derringer
in his mouth and told him Salt Lake
was unhealthy. keene was bitter about
it and while he later denied having
made threats, several said they had
heard him
Killed Henry Slater
At any rate. when Keene saw Slater
sitting in the doorway of Sam Greer'S
saloon on Bridge street in Helena he
didn't waste any time. There was a
flash of gunfire and Slater pitched
from his seat, shot through the head.
Keene was placed in jail and trial
scheduled.
The verdict was guilty. Hangman's