Vigilante Days and Ways: The pioneers of the Rockies; the makers and making of Montana and IdahoLangford, Nathaniel Pitt
History
Vigilante Days and Ways: The pioneers of the Rockies; the makers and making of Montana and Idaho
Langford, Nathaniel Pitt
Frontier and pioneer life -- Northwestern States; Northwestern States -- History; Vigilance committees; West (U.S.) -- History
Early the next morning, the road leading through the gulch was filled
with people hastening from all the towns and mining settlements to
Nevada. Before ten o’clock, fifteen hundred or two thousand had
assembled and were standing in the partially congealed mud of the only
public thoroughfare of the town. The weather was pleasant for the
season, with no snow, but a little frostwork of ice bordered the
streams, and the sun shone with an October warmth and serenity. The
urchins of the neighborhood were dodging in and out among the crowd, in
merry pastime; and the great gathering, with all its appointments, wore
more of a commemorative than retributory aspect. And as this was the day
preceding “Forefathers’ Day,” one unacquainted with the sterner matters
in hand, might readily have mistaken it for an old-time New England
festival. The illusion, however, would have been instantly dispelled on
listening to the various opinions advanced by the miners, while
arranging the mode of trial. It was finally determined that the
investigation should be made in the presence of the entire
assemblage,—the miners reserving the final decision of all questions. To
avoid all injustice to people or prisoners, an advisory commission of
twelve men from each of the districts was appointed; and W. H. Patton of
Nevada, and W. Y. Pemberton of Virginia City, were selected to take
notes of the testimony.
Col. Wilbur F. Sanders and Hon. Charles S. Bagg, attorneys, appeared on
behalf of the prosecution, and Messrs. Alexander Davis and J. M.
Thurmond for the prisoners. Ives was the first prisoner put upon trial.
It was late in the afternoon of the nineteenth before the examination of
witnesses commenced. The prisoner, secured by chains, was seated beside
his counsel. The remainder of that day, and all the day following, had
been spent; and when the crowd assembled on the morning of the
twenty-first, the prospect for another day of unprofitable wrangling,
long speeches, captious objections, and personal altercations, was
promising; but the patience of the miners being exhausted, they informed
the court and people that the trial must close at three o’clock that
afternoon. This announcement was received with great satisfaction.
I am unable from any facts in my possession to recapitulate the
testimony. Long John was admitted to testify under the rule of law
regulating the reception of State’s evidence. Among other things it was
established that Ives had said in a boastful manner to his associates in
crime,
“When I told the Dutchman I was going to kill him, he asked me for time
to pray. I told him to kneel down then. He did so, and I shot him
through the head just as he commenced his prayer.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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