The Circle banner. [volume], January 12, 1923, Image 7

About The Circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
BACK-TRAILING ON THE OLD FRONTIERS
One of the most remarkable
characters of the Overland staging
days of the 60's, and later a con
spicuous figure in the famous gold
camp of Virginia City, Montana,
was Joseph A. Slade, whose name
was known the length and breadth
of the land for reckless daring, as
well as for wild lawlessness, which
finally in 1863 brought him to his
death on the gallows at the hands
of the miners' Vigilance committee,
of which he was a member. The
hanging of Slade and the desper
ate ride of his wife through the
mountains in a vain effort to save
his life form one of the tragic chap
ters of the western frontiers.
The name of Slade became a by
word for cruelty through his kill
ing of Jules Reni, a border ruffian,
at Julesburg, Colorado, an incident
that Mark Twain dwelled on in his
Roughing It, and the fact that
thereafter, until his death, he car
ried the ears of Reni in his pocket
as a souvenir of the occasion. Many
pioneers of the gold camps who are
still living tell of having seen Slade
produce the ears of his victim when
in his cups, throwing them upon
the bar with money every time ne
bought a drink.
There is probably no character
in frontier history concerning
whom there has been more dispute
than Slade. His character and real
nature still forms a subject for
warm controversy, for despite his
countless acts of violence and utter
disregard for any laws, no man in
the west in his day had more
friends or more devoted followers.
He had a natural charm of manner
that won the heart of almost any
one with whom he came in contact,
and it is said that many of the men
who took part in his hanging shed
tears as they saw him die. Stern
necessity for the suppression of
lawlessness sealed his fate, how
ever.
Many men who knew Slade in
timately along the Overland before
he went to Montana gave him
credit for possessing many excel
lent qualities and denied that he
had ever performed an
act of violence, or one outside of
his duties in protecting the prop
erty of the Overlatid line, by which
he was employed in a most import
ant capacity. While he was still
with the Overland, however, his
reputation was that of a fiend in
carnate because of the many stories
of his deeds that were told.
Slade was born at Carlisle, Illi
nois, and as a youth he served with
credit in the war with Mexico. La
ter he went west, and in 1859 he
was entrusted with the operation
of one of the divisions of the Over
land. He organized, managed and
controlled the great Central divi
sion, which included 600 miles of
territory without permanent inha
bitants and without law, where the
coaches and stations were exposed
at all times to hostile Indians and
the trail was overrun with a wild,
reckless class of freebooters who
took toll of travelers, often killing
innocent people to amuse them
selves. No man without iron nerve
and great personal bravery could
have managed this division and un
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Killing of Jules Reni by Slade
Joseph A, Slade, Whom Desperadoes Along Overland Stage Line Feared,
Himself Turned Lawless and Was Hanged by Committee of Vigilantes
doubtedly Slade possessed both.
Stealing the stage company horses
was the commonest crime until a
number of the thieves had their
necks stretched following Slade's
declaration of war against their
fraternity. In the purchases he
made of ranchmen he sometimes
was victimized and he punished
the dishonest whose tricks he de
Once, it is told,
tected severely,
while buying a stack of hay, he
found that it was composed largely
of bushes.
He threatened the
ranchman with death and actually
began preparations for tying him
on the stack and burning him, but
finally compromised by letting the
man leave the country. This was
what Slade really desired.
Was Rigidly Honest
The testimony of those who
knew him best in the staging days
is that he was rigidly honest and
insisted on all of his employes be
ing so. In those days he drank
little and to his friends was gen
erous and considerate. But when
his temper was aroused he knew
little mercy.
One of the men with whom he
early had trouble was the French
Canadian, Jules Reni, who was
recognized as a leader in the dis
trict where he had squatted on a
ranch. Reni took exception to
Slade's display of authority and
collisions between the men were of
frequent occurrence. They were
usually over trivial matters and
Slade invariably forgot them as
soon as each incident passed. Not
so with Reni, who was of a venge
ful nature and a good hater. One
day Reni and Slade were seated on
a fence fronting the stage station
at Julesburg, engaged in a friendly
conversation when Reni suddenly
jumped to the ground and entered
one of the log buildings. Slade
started to walk away when, with
no warning, Reni opened fire on
him with a pistol, firing five bullets
into Slade's body. Reni then seiz
ed a shotgun and emptied its con
tents into the prostrate body of
Slade.
Slade was carried, apparently dy
ing, into the stage station and plac
ed on a bunk. Jules looked in at
the door and said brutally : "When
he is dead you can put him in one
of these drygoods boxes and bury
him.''
Slade rose in his bunk and said
"I shall live long enough to wear
one of your ears on my watch
chain. You needn't trouble your
self about my burial."
Just then the Overland stage
pulled into the station, bringing the
superintendent on a tour of inspec
tion. Finding Slade writhing in
agony, the superintendent ordered
Reni to be seized, and with rope
around his neck he was led to the
crossbar of the corral gate. Three
times he was drawn up and strang
led till he was black in the face.
When he was let down the last
his promise to leave the country,
and he was released.
hold him prisoner. He, with a
friend, followed in the next coach,
What happened at the stage sta
Slade Recovers
For weeks Slade lingered at the
station, and finally went to St.
Louis for treatment. As soon as he
was strong enough he returned to
his division, eight of the bullets
and buckshot remaining in his
body. Reni, in the meantime, had
been trading cattle in some parts of
Colorado. He openly boasted he
intended to return to Slade's divi
sion and "get" him. Slade's friends
told him that he must be prepared
to kill Reni on sight and after con
sulting with the officers at Fort
Laramie, who gave him the same
advice, he determined to shoot him
on sight. Hearing that Reni was
at a nearby stage station, Slade sent
four men ahead to capture him and
tion has been told in a dozen dif
ferent ways, most stories being
widely divergent. One was to the
effect that Slade, finding Reni tied
to a corral post, began shooting at
him, wounding him each time in
spot that was not vital. This, ac
cording to the version that gained
the widest circulation, continued
over a space of several hours, Slade
taunting his victim meanwhile. He
is then said to have finally killed
Reni and cut off his ears.
The story more generally credit
ed with being true, however, is told
by N. P. Langford, in Vigilante
Days and Ways, as follows;
"Jumping from the box of the
coach upon its arrival at the stage
station, Slade walked hurriedly to
the door of the station, drawing a
pistol from the belt of a bystander
and remarking, T want this.' He
then came out, and at a rapid gait
walked to the corral in the rear of
the station, where Reni was a pris
oner. As soon as he came in sight
of him he hit
him between the eyes, but the bul
let went low and struck him in the
mouth, glancing off without doing
material injury. Reni sank down
and simulated mortal agony so well
that for a few moments the people
around the corral supposed the
wound was fatal. Slade discovered
the deception at a glance.
" T have not hurt you,' said he,
'and no deception is necessary. I
have determined to kill you, but
having failed in this shot, I will
now, if you wish it, give you time
to make your will.'
"Reni replied that he would like
to do so ; and a gentleman who was
awaiting the departure of the coach
volunteered to draw it up for him.
The inconvenience of walking back
and forth from the corral to the
station, through the single entrance
in front of the latter, made this a
protracted service. The will was
finally completed and read to Reni.
He expressed himself satisfied
with it, and the man who drew it
went to the station to get a pen and
ink, with which he could sign it.
When he returned a minute later,
Reni was dead. Slade had shot him
in the head during that temporary
absence."
Slade Goes to Montana
Slade was not even censured for
killing Reni and he retained his
position as division agent for a
couple of years. He was consider
ed the most efficient man on the
Overland system,
quent trouble with ranchmen and
saloon-keepers. At one time after
one of the latter had violated a
second request to sell no liquor to
his employes, Slade riddled the sa
loon and poured the liquor it con
tained in the street. On one occa
sion Slade and his men, without
He had fre
provocation, took possession of the
sutler's quarters at Fort Halleck.
He was followed to Denver and
arrested, and the army officers
would not release him until the
company assured them that he
should leave the division,
threw him out of employment, and
he began his career of lawlessness
that ended on the gallows.
After Alder Gulch was discover
ed, Slade went to Virginia City and
located a ranch on Meadow Creek,
12 miles from the camp. In a wild
gulch he built a stone house that
still stands. There he established
his wife, who was a remarkably
handsome woman and whom he
loved dearly.
Slade now began a series of acts
of violence that made him the ter
This
His friends
ror of the country,
warned him of the consequences,
but their advice went unheeded.
It was an invariable custom with
him when intoxicated to mount his
horse and ride through the main
street, entering each saloon as he
came to it, firing at the lamps,
breaking the glasses, throwing the
gold scales into the street or com
mitting other equally destructive
acts.
companied by attacks upon by
standers that were unprovoked as
they were wanton and cruel. Peo
ple soon tired of pecuniary repara
tion and gentlemanly apologies,
made when he was sober, for a
course of brutality which was re
volting. All the respect entertain
ed for Slade when sober vanished
when he was drinking.
The beginning of the end came
with Slade when he defied a tri
bunal known as the Peoples' Court;
which had been established to pun
ish offenders. One day, on being
summoned to appear before the
court to answer to a complaint filed
These were frequently ac
against him, Slade entered the
court room with his pistol in his
hand and defied the judge and sher
iff. One of his companions seized
the writ from the officer's hand
and tore it to pieces.
A large number of the Vigilance
assembled, and
committee
while they were engaged in coun
cil a leading member sought out
Slade and urged him to get his
horse and go home. Slade, himself
a member of the Vigilantes, was
startled iftto momentary sobriety
by this warning and went after
his horse, but before he left the
main street he met some of his
friends of the lawless element, and
after another drink or two he be
came boisterous again and accosted
the judge of the Peoples' Court on
the street in an insulting manner.
The latter urged him to go home
at once.
he said, "you may yet escape."
now
If you get out of town,"
pistol and threatened to hold the
judge as a hostage for his safety.
In the meantime, the Vigilantes
had sent to the nearby camp
Nevada City for some members
the committee there to ask their ad
Six hundred armed miners
vice.
obeyed the summons, sending their
leaders in advance to inform the
executive committee that, in their
judgment, Slade should be execut
ed. The committee, unwilling to
recommend this measure, finally
agreed that, if it were unanimously
adopted, it should be enforced.
Hanging of Slade
Alarmed by this time at the se
rious look of things, Slade sought
the presence of the judge of the
tribunal and apologized to him for
his conduct. He was now sobered
and fearful.
The column of Vigilantes from
Nevada City soon appeared and
halted in front of the store where
Slade was seated. The executive
officer stepped forward to arrest
him.
"The committee," he said to
Slade, "has decided upon your exe
cution. If you have any business
to settle, you must attend to it im
mediately."
"Hang me ! My God ! Gentle
men, you will not do that. The
committee cannot have decreed
this."
Slade was briefly warned to
make the best use of the little time
left to him. He seemed to lose all
courage, and falling on his knees,
begged for his life. He also beg
ged the Vigilantes to send for his
wife in her mountain home.
The judge of the People's Tri
bunal was the only man who plead
ed to save his life, but the miners
were adamant. Slade's life among
them had been violent, lawless, des
perate, and no road agent was more ,
dreaded. There were among them,
however, a few men who would
have given all they possessed to
save his life and wept as the march
toward the scaffold started. Upon
reaching it, the execution imme
diately followed, Slade dying with
the fall of the drop. His body was
removed to a hotel.
A few moments later his wife,
mounted on a fast horse, galloped
up to the hotel and rushed to the
bed on which the body of her hus
band lay. She gave way to the
wildest paroxysm of grief. The
body was placed in a tin coffin
filled with alcohol and conveyed to
the ranch, where it remained till
the following spring, when it was
taken to Salt Lake City and buried
in the cemetery. A plain slab of
marble with his name and age
thereon still marks his burial place.
(Copyrighted by Cbeely-Baban Syndicate.)
DYNAMITE USED
IN BUTTE FIGHT
BRAVE JAMES SHEA SAVES THE
LIVES OF LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE
An attempt was made to dyna
mite Hibernian Hall in Centerville,
a suburb of Butte, one night re
cently, when the place was filled
with members of the Robert Em
mett Literary society and their la
dies, the occasion being the annual
hall of that organization.
The Robert Emmett Literary as
sociation, among whose membership
is Judge Jerry J. Lynch, John Grib
ben and many of the old-time Irish
Americans of Butte, is Butte's branch
of the Clan na' Gael. The clan op
posed De Valera's policies and have
been in sympathy with the Free State
in the hope that only through the
Free State Could Ireland gain ulti
mate independence.
A near panic resulted. Women
screamed and rushed for the exits
when the windows in the hall were
shattered by thé force of the explo
sion, which occurred in the alley a
short distance from the hall.
Only the supreme nerve exhibited
by James Shea prevented injury to
many and probable loss of life. Shea
took five sticks of dynamite to which
a lighted fuse was attached from the
window sill of the hall and hurled
them into the alley, where the force
of the fall caused the explosion.
No clue has been found as to the
identity of the perpetrators of the
outrage.
Mike Cronnelly and Harold Flem
ing were standing by a window when
they detected the odor of burning
powder. Peering through the screen
they discovered the dynamite lying
on the sill. Fleming kicked the
screen off, knocking the sticks of dy
namite to the ground. Accompanied
by Shea the men rushed out a rear
entrance. Shea picked up the dyna
mite and started toward the rear of
the building. Cronnelly noticed the
sparks nearing the dynamite and call
ed to Shea, "Throw it; throw it."
The warning was none too soon,,
for scarcely had Shea hurled the dy
namite over the fence when there
was an explosion that shattered every
window in the hall and in nearby
buildings.
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