Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-06-20
PIONEER CALLED
SADE HANGING
GREAT MISTAKE
EARLY DAY CASCADE NAN sAIT
STAGE DRIVERS EXECUTION
WAS vTGn.ANTE ERROR

A resident Of Montana before It haC
even a name, let alone an independent
political status, the late Jimmy AustiH
Of Cascade county came to Montana
in 1858 with Sidney Edgerton Of Akron
o., appointed by President Lincoln a.
governor OF Montana While admitting
that Governor Edgerton came not a.
q traiIblazer, but as holder Of po-
Iitical appointment, Austin was great
admirer Of Edgerton.
Sidney Edgerton was fine fellow.
Austin asserted. He also declared that
Jim Slade was umjustly hanged, DE
cause Slade didn't kin anybody around
here" as Jimmy put It,
"Of course Slade killed Jules Benz
that Frenchman that Julesbrg, Colo,
Is named after. but didn't they de-
clare war on each other and wasn't 1t
q fair killing? Course it was, and a
Denver jury said so. Course Slade cut
off Jules ears for souvenirs after
shootin' him, but that was Just what
you might call little pleasantly"
Jimmy Austin was working on
SHADES claim in Virginia City when the
former stage boss who shot and hanged
men right and left In the apparent
belief that he was himself the law,
was hanged by the vigiIantes. II often
wondered why they didn't hang me up
too" Jimmy said. 81 was pretty close
TO Slade, you know"
Hardly a Square Deal
Coming back to Sidney Edgerton,
Austin said: They didn't give him
exactly square deal. Lots Of the first
arrivals In Virginia City we're Con-
federates. With them came lot OF
scrubs, toughs from Texas, Georgia,
Missouri and other places, loud
mouthed, fighting shooters, who want
ed to fight the battle Of the south in
Alder glleh diggin's. They went about
hollerin' for Davis and Lee the two
best men America ever produced and
when F. George Heldt hoiSted the
American flag one Fourth Of July those
rapscallions tore it down. That's the
bunch that Edgerton, an Ohio man,
and Colonel Sanders went up against.
you know they named a county
Edgerton county, but when the other
bunch got in they changed the name
to Lewis and Clark.
But, what I wanted TO tell you was
this: Edgerton wasn't appointed gov
ernor Of Montana In the first place.
He was governor of the territory OF
Idaho. Idaho ran clear to the Missouri
river. He was figuring on making
Idaho, his capital. He
his mind. Edgerton had IL
families in his OK train. joined them
on the Sweetwater.
Costly T0wage
at came west in 1859 and went to
Denver. Say, Denver was put under
martial law in 1868 on account Of the
rebels. I remember that we had 70
pay So wagon for towage across
The rtver-and the cattle and mules
mad TO swim.
wen, anyway, after Edgerton gave
~ the idea Of going to Lewiston, he
Eoined us at Bannack. The mines were
The boys were taking out
yold by the pound. Edgerton got the
dea In his head about creating Mon
ana territory and he went back east,
alIing a gold shipment with him. He
nut it over, came back and was gov [
rnor Of the territory for some months. I
Austin left Denver with a train Of {
90 Mormons. When he met the Edger-
on party he changed his mind about
DING to Utah and decided on the 6
gold digg1ngS. |
The Ives Hanging
'Wilbur Sanders practically con- :
rolled Alder gulch," says Austin. II I
lind the time that George Ives was '
anged. The miners wanted to lynch
i'm. Sanders said: NO Give him Q
air and impartial trial. The way to y
o that is to have a committee hear 9
ne evidence. I don't know that crowd, I
ut III pick out rs of the boys who Z
re known to be square to try Ives. 9
re you satisfied They said they we're 9
I'D Sanders picked out the committee.
while Sanders was making that s.
Tx, there were dozen Of Ives friends q
anding around with guns strapped 4
! every one Of them" he said.
''They tried Ives, found him guilty q
ter two days and sentenced him to v
ang. Have you anything to say as Il
why sentence shouldn't be passed 81
0on your he was asked. v
3" Yes, said Ives. I didn't kill the -
utchman. Alex Carter killed him. q
tom Thurman jumped up. You are =.
angling an innocent man. he said. =,
hink of his poor mother. Think Of =
nding her word that lawleSs band - =.
men In the west hanged her SON W
" Get out Of camp or wen hang you, -,
o. shouted the angry miners. Tom Ss
mt and he never came back" - =,
couldn't Have Done It ~ ~
The execution Of Slade was a sore - !.
OF with Austin. They strung him -
on Widow Dugan's gatepost in Vir- -
ala City" he said. "Slade did lots =.
good. They should never have %
nged him" -
Austin mined two years in Last
ance gulch when the town was made
of IA cabins. II hauled IN the grub
/. John Cowan, the discoverer In NO
mber, 1884" he said. II also hauled
Fort Benton when they were run
lg the boundary line between Uncle
m and Canada. Billy Conrad used
buy my load 70 sen to the British"
1870 Austin took up q ranch II
les south Of Cascade.