Old Montana Courts Faced Sparse Resources and Harsh Punishments
In Yellowstone county’s early days, lax law enforcement gave way to serious trials as territory organized courts. Cases from 1880s show assault with intent to murder fines of ten dollars, prizefight indictments dropped, and a murder case dismissed on a technicality. The first Yellowstone county courthouse was a rough frame building, hosting county offices and trials with crude furnishings. The 1883 murder trial of George A. McArthur for James D. Russell’s killing occurred just as Yellowstone county formed, heard in Billings before territorial Supreme Court Chief Justice Decius C. Wade.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Montana
Yellowstone County
Billings
Albert Lee
Thomas Newcomb
Territorial Supreme Court
George A. McArthur
James D. Russell
McArthur
Russell
MacArthur
Miles City
Decius C. Wade
Wade
Benjamin F. Wade
United States Senate
Johnson
Territorial
H. A. Johnson
J. W. Strevel
Col
Wilbur F. Sanders
Warren Toole
Helena
Pioneer Montana Attorneys in Territorial Courts and Trials
The piece recounts early Montana legal life highlighting officials like Col. Wilbur F. Sanders Warren Toole and Judge O F Goddard with Billings roots. It covers a 1885 Musselshell murder trial defense by these attorneys, the juror room in a saloon, and a four day deadlock under Judge Coburn.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Col
Wilbur F. Sanders
Route Through Glacier Pass Revealed by Stevens Expedition
Survey expeditions endured many failed attempts before the route through Glacier National Park's Maria's pass was found by Isaac Stevens. The pass opened western rail corridors, guiding James J. Hill's Great Northern Railroad and later the Theodore Roosevelt highway, with Stevens's courage noted in a bronze statue at the pass. The book High Trails of Glacier National Park profiles the exploration and naming of the pass and its romantic history.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Grace Stone Coates
Glacier National Park
Marea Ret Eeson
Maria
Lewis
Gay
Great Northern
Marias Pass
Blackfeet
Robert Greenshaw
Thompson
Isaac I. Stevens
Washington Territory
Northern Railway
Mississippi River
Pacific Ocean
Northern Territory
St. Paul
Northern Pacific
Stevens
Fort Benton
Little Chief
A. W. Tinkham
Nyack Creek
Nyack
Glacier Park
Aunt Stimson
Cut Bank
Tinkham
Alabaster Sea Highlighted on Conoco Radio Broadcast
Carveth Wells tours New Mexico sights including alabaster formations and Carlsbad Caverns on an upcoming Continental Oil radio program. He will discuss Isleta superstitions and Roswell as a garden spot, with Air times across Denver Billings and other cities. A separate account recalls a Lavina hotel gambling case and historic district court figures in Montana.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Mexico
Carveth Wells
America
Conoco
United States
Wells
Carlsbad Caverns
KOA
Denver
KGHL
Billings
KGIR
Butte
KFBB
Great Falls
WCCO
Twin Cities
KSL
Salt Lake
Water Advisory Council Names State Conservation Members
The new water conservation advisory council includes O. B. Warden Great Falls James H. Rowe Butte C W Grantley Terry John Lovelace Bozeman Ben Hollenbeck Buffalo J Fred Tomen Bowers T P Danielson Poplar George Mungas Philipsburg Arthur Cook Great Falls Walter Pope Missoula John T. Kelly Castagne and Orville Harris White Sulphur Springs. They met with the governor and the water board last week.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
State Water Conservation Board
O. 8
Warden
Great Falls
James H. Rowe
Butte
C. W. Grantley
Terry
John Lovelace
Bozeman
Ben Hollenbeck
Buffalo
J. Fred Tomen
Bowers
T. P. Danielson
Poplar
George Mungas
Philipsburg
Arthur Cook
Walter Pope
Missoula
John T. Kelly
Castagne
Orville Harris
White Sulphur Springs
Water Board
Billings Named in Juror Claim Over Loot and Fat Jack Case
The passage notes Billings claiming he won all the money jurors had. He recalled a Lewistown trip to prosecute eight men for a Fat Jack Wassem incident at Maiden where a rope was used to hoist him from a tree and released, with orders to leave camp. The judge was involved in the account.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Coburn
Parmelee Billings
Frederick Billings
Lavina
Lewistown
Judge Goddard
Billings
Jack
Wassem
Maiden
Also Mentioned on This Page
Strevel
Custer County
Yellowstone
Sanders, Toole and Goddard
James Carpenter
Carpenter
Reed
Musselshell
Pomp Dennis
James Coburn
Sam H. Wilde
Wilde
Sanders
Bishop
Colonel Sanders
E. W. Toole
Judge O. F. Goddard, Billings
Rrom
Fat Jack
Dudley Dubois
Alaska
Rex Beach
District Court
George R. Milburn
Montana Supreme Court
Decius C. Wad
Water Advisory Council
Dungeon
EL Diablo
Frank Hawks
Wis
Jerry
Janet
Crarter
THE
AIR Hawks Club
Hawks
President Ortez
Gomez
Emin
Diablo
George
Senor
Capt
Frank
Iworld
AIR Hawks
Post
Capt. Frank
General Foods
Capt. Hawks
Dwight Glipp
Charlotte Metzger
Grand Rapids
Mich
Hardy Matphy Ensley
Alice Nell J. Wayne
Atta
Hartford City
Ind
Walter Rockway
Tacoma
Evelyn Rosen
Dorchester
Mass
Robert Strong Lynn Cali
Bert Taylor
Pontiac
Seth Ward
Mt. Lebanon
Mary Jean Weingates
Jusky
Ohio
Geneva
Jo Wellstinel
Donald Yeoman
Norfolk, Nebr
Revolker
Frank Nawtes
Bottle Creek
Sereet
Seaten
Oper Podony Musa
ARMEE
San Ramos
Fran
Captain Frank
Jerry-You
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!