The man failed to purchase the cattle and returned. Kelly, who had parted from him, came in some time during the next day, bringing with him a horse, saddle and bridle. The emigrants had this horse to drive loose stock, and as is usual with animals so trained, he followed the wagons, picking up his own living. One day he lagged behind, and they went back for him. It is supposed Kelly watched them from behind the crest of a hill, and catching the horse rode off with him.
A party of ten men, with a captain, were sent to scout on the Portneuf Creek, and were mounted on the best animals. They went to Junction Station, Fort Hall, where the Overland boys shod the horses for them. From that place they rode to Portneuf. The squad made a night march, and camped at 11 P. M., without feed for man or beast, during a hurricane of wind. Oliver’s coach went by, and when the driver spied the horses, he thought of robbers, and the passengers looked mightily scared. They drove by on a keen run, much to the amusement of the boys, who saddled up at two o’clock A. M. The men had no bedding and no “grub.” The culinary furniture was a tin cup in each man’s belt, and a good set of teeth. They started at two o’clock A. M., because the stock was so hungry and restless. They kept a bright lookout for Kelly.
At day-break they saw a camp-fire. They rode up thinking of good times, but found only a lot of Shoshone Indians, who had little but choke-cherries to eat. The chief shortly after came up to the captain, and offered him a broiled trout, which he ate and then fell asleep, while the others were regaling themselves on choke-cherries, supplied by little naked pappooses. An old squaw seeing the leader asleep, when the sun rose, built a willow wigwam over him, and when he woke, he seemed considerably exercised at the sight of his house, which seemed like Jonah’s gourd. This was too much for both the boys and the Indians, and they laughed heartily.
The detachment saddled up and went on to Portneuf, where they ordered breakfast at 11 P. M., at Oliver’s station. Here they learned that a party of California prospectors, ten in number, all dressed in buckskin, had caught Kelly, in a haystack. He had another horse by this time, (he had sold one at the Ferry.) The party went back for two and a half miles, on Sunday morning. The captain was ahead, scouting, with one of the boys, and found the dead body of a man floating in the creek. There was a shot wound through the back of the head. The corpse was wrapped in a grey blanket, with a four strand lariet round the neck and shoulders, as though the body had been dragged and sunk. There were two camp fires near, which seemed to be ten or fifteen days old. They were situated in a thicket of willows. There was a large boulder at the bottom of the eddy, where there was no current, and the men thought that the body had been tied to it, but that it had broken loose and floated.
The Vigilantes went back, got a pick and shovel, and buried him. The body was dreadfully decomposed, and it was both difficult and disgusting to raise it; however, they consulted, and slipping willows under it, they reached over, and joining the tops, lifted out altogether, and laid the putrefied remains in their willow grave. Willows were placed below and around them, and having covered them with earth and stone, they, getting a tail-board from a pilgrim’s wagon, wrote an inscription, stating his finding by the Vigilantes, and the date of his burial. The men then jumped into the saddle, and rode until after night, coming up with a freight train for Virginia, camped on the road. The captain told his story, whereupon the wagon-boss ordered them a good warm drink and a hearty supper, sending his herder to look after the stock. The command slept soundly till daylight, and then rode twenty-five miles to the Ferry, to breakfast. They found the main body still camped there, and they were glad to see the California buckskin-rangers, and Jem Kelly in custody.
A trial was called, and the evidence being heard, Kelly was unanimously condemned to death. While pinioned, he asked for his pipe; and got a smoke, which he seemed to enjoy very much. A knot was tied and greased, and when all was working right, the party marched down to a Balm of Gillead tree, and in presence of the prisoner rigged a scaffold by cutting a notch into the tree, and putting one end of a plank from a pilgrim-wagon, into the notch, and supporting the other on a forked stick. The captain asked Kelly if he had anything to say. He answered that if he had never drank any whiskey he would have been a better man. He said it was hard to hang him, after whipping him. While he was on the trap, a couple of Shoshone warriors came up, and looked on with evident amazement. When the plank was knocked from under him, the Indians gave a loud “Ugh!” and started at full speed for their camp. After he had hung some fifteen minutes, the buckskin party came up, and having made some inquiries, they helped to bury him, in a willow coffin. The Vigilantes then returned home without any further incident of travel worth recording.
CHAPTER XXVI.
ARREST AND EXECUTION OF JOHN DOLAN, ALIAS JOHN COYLE, ALIAS “HARD HAT,” FOR ROBBING JAMES BRADY OF $700 IN GOLD.
As the stout fox, on thieving errand caught,
Silent he dies, nor hopes nor cares for aught.—Anonymous.
Late in the month of August, 1864, a man named James Brady, of Nevada, was robbed of $700 in gold by John Dolan, alias John Coyle, alias “Hard Hat,” who had been living with him, and took the money from his trousers’ pocket. For some time, the real thief remained unsuspected. He cunningly offered to assist in the search, and treated Brady out of the money; but suspicion being aroused by his sudden disappearance, pursuit was made in the direction of Utah. John McGrath followed him to Salt Lake City, and there found that he had changed his name to John Coyle, and that he had gone on to Springville, whither his pursuer followed and arrested him. Dolan stipulated that he should be preserved from the Vigilantes, on the road home, which was agreed to, and McGrath and his prisoner arrived at Nevada on the 16th of September. In the meantime, letters had been received from parties ignorant of this transaction, informing the Committee that Dolan was a pal of Jem Kelly, who was hanged at Snake river; and evidence of his complicity with the Road Agents was also satisfactorily adduced. He was the spy who “planted” the robbery of Hughes in the Salt Lake coach. It is nearly certain that the reason he fled to Utah was that he might receive his share of the plunder.
After a patient and lengthened trial, his guilt being perfectly clear, he was condemned to be executed by a unanimous vote of the Committee. Three hundred dollars of the lost money was recovered, and, though Dolan at first denied his guilt, yet the production of peculiar nuggets being irresistible evidence, he at last confessed the crime and offered to make up the balance, if he should be let go. This could not be acceded to, and, therefore, the Committee made good the amount lost by their refusal, to Brady.