Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1875 — The Hangman’s Tree. [ARTICLE]

The Hangman’s Tree.

In Dry Gulch, just outside of Helena, Mont., stood, until a few days ago, a big pine tree, with great, sprangling branches, on which, in the early days of that Territory, no less than sixteen malefactors dangled, at various times, in expiation of their crimes. But last week it fell before the woodman’s ax, and w r as converted into ashes to its last friendly service to mankind. The act of cutting it down by the owner of the land on which it stood was denounced as a piece of vandalism, and considerable indignation was manifested by the old-timers. The tree has been dead for some time, and would ere long have naturally bowed before some strong-headed tempest; but it we could have had our way it should never have fallen by human hands. It was an historic landmark. Many of our citizens still remember the day and circumstances when Johnny Keene there paid the penalty for the" first 'murder committed in Helena/ Many more remember the last occasion, when the two wretches who robbed and thought they had murdered and killed the poor Dutchman in the valley, a little way from town, were com veyed to the same tree to settle the sentence that had been pronounced by the Grand Jury of all our citizens, with only Ope dissenting one. A few, perhaps, may be able to remember every otfe of the many other executions that have occurred on the same tree. Perhaps the tree had become an unwelcome object to those who lived so near as to be compelled to look upon' it daily. Perhaps there were some who could not overcome a superstitious dread at its appearance, and fancied they heard the wailings and shrieks of the doomed victims -when the wild winds mourned through its gnarled and withered branches. But to most of our people it stood as a symbol of swift vengeance, to warn those on the paths of crime that law’s delays and technicalities could not save a murderer from the doom that his crimes demanded. Poor Daniels, with an executive pardon in his pocket, found how weak a defense it was to shield him from the righteous wrath of an outraged people. The old pine tree stood as a silent witness to a power higher than all constituted authorities T-back of all the forms and ceremonies of courts and juries —of a power not even conscious to itself of its existence —a power born of an emergency, -when a whole people become awake in an instant to the presence of a common enemy, and the instinct of selfproteetion andiself-preseiwation ferrets out the foe and dispatches it as a venomous thing. There is something singular in the coincidence that this hangman’s tree should stand till after the courts of law have erected a gallows and at least one victipi had suffered thereon. The dawn of the new era had done away with the necessity of preserving -the emblems of an earlier aud ruder administration of justice. Should like need for its use return it will not be hard to supply its.place. So, peace to its ashes.— Helena (MontJ Herald.