Vigilantes in Albany County

This condition of things gave rise to a general feeling of insecurity and steps were soon taken to organize a vigilance committee. The first organization of this kind was effected in August, but not more than twenty-five or thirty men were engaged in it. It was not numerous nor strong enough, nor composed of a sufficient number of resolute men to meet the emergency. The only fruits of this organization was the hanging, on the 27th of August, of a young man known as the ''Kid", who was hung in a partially completed building belonging to John Keane. The death of this insignificant individual merely sufficed to arouse the ire of the worst element among the roughs, and they at once organized a counter association, with the avowed purpose of avenging his death.

This organization was turbulent and defiant, and was headed by some of the worst desperadoes in the country, among whom were Con Wagon, Asa Moore, Big Ned, Sam Dugan, Tiger Bill, Morris Kohn and Dave Mullen. For a time it ruled the town and by its acts of outlawry struck terror into the hearts of all respectable citizens. Robberies were committed in the open streets and in broad daylight, and nobody dared to interfere. But this condition of things could not long exist. The law-abiding element of the community, in which were included the railroad employees, formed a defensive alliance and organized a vigilance committee numbering from 400 to 500 men. The organization was very thorough and perfect in its details, headed and controlled by resolute and cool-headed men. An attack was planned upon several of the dens of infamy, which was to take place on the night of October 18, 1868.

This committee of safety met on that night at the round house, arranged all the details, divided up into several squads, and silently proceeded to the localities where these desperadoes had their haunts. It was supposed that the arrangements and plans were perfect, and at a given signal the attack upon all these places was to have been made simultaneously, but for some reason the company detailed to capture a notorious dance house known as the "Belle of the West," after surrounding the place, gave the signal by the firing of a pistol, before the other companies were ready for the attack, and the scheme in a measure miscarried. But the company sent to the Belle of the West found that place filled with gamblers, pimps and prostitutes and made their attack as agreed upon and a regular pitched battle ensued, the inmates being all well-armed, and hundreds of shots were fired on both sides. The desperadoes fought like wild beasts, and above the din of arms was heard the curses of men and the shrieks of women. This battle lasted for about fifteen minutes, when the place was carried by storm.

Con Wagon, Asa Moore, and Big Ned were taken from the place and hurriedly conducted to the same building where the "Kid" was hung and summarily executed by being hung to the projecting beams of the building. In the fight three men were killed, one of them a member of the vigilance committee, one a musician of the hall and the third one of the desperadoes. Fifteen men were wounded, some quite severely. The next morning another one of the leaders of the gang known as "Big Steve" was captured and hung to the telegraph pole opposite the railroad house. This summary proceeding struck terror into the hearts of the desperadoes and many of them fled from the town. There was still however, a strong element of this class left, and for some time it was a question as to whether they or the law-abiding citizens were to control the destinies of Laramie. An effort was then again made to organize a provisional government and L. B. Chase was elected mayor, with a full corps of other city officers.

Another Failure

Thomas D. Sears was acting as deputy sheriff for Laramie County and in that capacity arrested a young man by the name of Moritz, and committed him to the city calaboose, which consisted of a little pen made of telegraph poles and ties driven into the ground and covered with cross ties and dirt. This young man was charged with being guilty of theft up in the Bitter Creek country, whether truly or not, is not known. The vigilance committee went and took him from this pen and hung him. The committee had by this time degenerated both in numbers and character, many of the desperadoes having joined it, partially to divert suspicion from themselves and partly to use it as a means to revenge themselves upon their personal enemies, and the hanging of this man Moritz can scarcely be justified even by the emergencies of the time. One Lee Griswold was at that time acting in the capacity of city marshal, and he was the one who led the attack which took Moritz from jail and hung him, and it is some satisfaction to know that he was afterwards shot and killed by an officer in Denver while attempting to escape from jail in that city, where he was confined on a charge of murder.

In December, 1868, the legislature of Dakota organized the county of Albany, and framed and passed a bill incorporating a city government for Laramie, and filling the various offices, temporarily appointing M. C. Page as mayor, N. K. Boswell, sheriff, L. T. Wilson and T. D. Abbott, county commissioners, and Dr. J. H. Finfrock probate judge and treasurer.

This is the first effort at anything approximating a legal government, and it was scarcely more successful or effective than its predecessors. Some idea of its character may be formed from the fact that the city police one time organized and conducted an attack upon their own jail in March, 1869, for the purpose of taking out of the jail and hanging one George Hays, who had been imprisoned that day for drunkenness. It is said that this act was undertaken for the purpose of gratifying the personal spite of two members of the police, Douglas and Rodapouche. A man by the name of Irwin and M. H. Murphy were in the jail as guards, and during the attack Irwin was killed and Murphy severely wounded. Hays made his escape in the melee. Hays was a tie cutter and only temporarily visiting the town, and threats were made by his friends, the tie cutters, and serious fears entertained that they would be carried into effect, to come in and burn the whole town in revenge for the indignity offered to their comrade.

This affair, headed and conducted by the ostensible guardians of the peace, under the city government, brought it into such disrepute that its usefulness was thereby practically ended.

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Source: Annals of Wyoming, Volume 15, April 1943, Wyoming Historical Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming.