Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-02-01
Seachriest's Hanging Was One
OF Last Acts of the Vigilantes

One OF the final, but not the least
dramatic, accomplishments OF the
V1gilantes IN Montana, to whom TIE
inhabitants Of this territory IN khm
sunrise years owed their safety, was
the capture and execution Of Jake
Silvie, alias Jacob Seachriest. None
Of the desperadoes who had preceded
him was more worthy Of death than
this blood-stained miscreant.
In the face Of impending death
! Seachriest confessed to having been
a road agent, robber and murderer
| for IL years. He was a native Of Penn
sylvania. 1t was his boast that his
gun bore notch for every year he
had been Gin the business"
One of the crimes confessed to bv
SeachrSeSt before his execution was
the killing Of a man. the body OF
whom was later found by the Vigi-l
lantes and buried IN a willow coffin. I
Seachriest told how he and a fellow
criminal, while walking along a road
in southwestern Montana, noticed a
man sitting near a stream, as If bur-
led in thought. He and his comrade
cast lots, he said, TO determine who
would kin the man and take what
ever Of value he had on his person.
The task fell to Seachriest. with his
pistol cooked he stole upon his vic
tim and shot him through the head.
killing him instantly. A stone was
fastened to the body and was sunk in
a hole formed by an eddy in the
stream.
After months of the direst deurez
dations Seachriest was arrested at
Diamond City, and the Vigilante COM
mittee apprized Of the capture. Dia-
mond City was a flourishing new
mining camp in Confederate gulcn, I
one of the largest and richest placer
in Montana. 1t is located
about 40 miles east Of Helena, not far
from the Missouri river
Gave VigiIantes Information
The charges against Seachriest were
those of robbery, and obtaining goods
under false pretenses. The committee
made it known that they had Suffi-
Gent evidence that Seachriest was
BAD character to warrant holding him
or further investigation.
Seachriest pleaded that he was an
honest, hard working miner; that he
lad come to the country by way of
Salt Lake City, and that, under the IL
Of liquor he had fallen in Il
With a band of robbers at Virginia /
City. He gave the names of about ii
dozen members of the gang and b
old their signs Of recognition, pass "
7ords and signals. II
On receipt of this intelligence, q ca
aptain of the Vigilantes with a squad NJ
four men were detailed to bring fe
ne desperate from Diamond City to
Ielena. A party rode out and met the liz
uard in charge of the prisoner and 10
scorted him back to Helena. Sea- Dc
nriest was placed in heavily guard in
cabin while the committee inVeS- tn
gated the evidence and the record Fs
their prisoner as far as available. by
hey concluded the facts known were ar
ardly sufficient to warrant an inn
lediate conviction and decided to he
1ntinue the case until further IN of
,rmation could be got from Sea- laI
lriest's own lips. The prisoner was di!
,moved to a cabin more remote tai
here various members OF the com RIG
ittee could have access to him from of
me to time with view of eliciting chi
lore details of his past. or,
Seachriest stuck with adamantine
termination to his first story, but ais
ter, thinking there was not much me
fear from the Vigilantes, denied fee
saying that every word Of his Hs
was false, and that he fell Su
with no such band of thugs at FIR
lrginia City. On examination Me-
: again returned to his first con- lin
ssion, but qualified it by saying that tie
; had come to Virginia City along Ing
southern route well known to the Oh
gilantes. This statement was fatal
Seachriest for the inquisitors del
liked the piece of information up roo
tn the details Of the murder related
'ove in this story. an
At a subsequent meeting Of the
mmittee it was decided that the COZ
isoner was a road agent of the thl
epest dye and should meet the fate We
his kind The verdict was execu- .
m by hanging from the Murderer's sw,
ee in Dry gUlch at an hour after arr
Idnight. q
When informed of his sentence, jud
achriest appeared not to believe IT, see
it regarded it as a rIse by which
obtain a confession from him. Still, rur
received a minister, feigned much ing
oentance and accepted the spiritual he
lace. try
was led by one member so,
the committee to the place Of exc
ton. The remaining members were I
It in sight, but later gathered at mo