They
did not wait for anything, but as soon as they were ready they
kicked the box from under him, thus ending the life of another of
the worst men that ever lived.
The awful life of this man is another story that would be too long
to give here.
It seemed as though as soon as the arrest was made some of Slade's
friends had started to inform his wife, from the fact that just as
they were carrying the body from the gallows to the hotel she was
seen coming across the hill as fast as her horse could carry her.
I was told afterward that had she only got there before the
hanging took place he never would have hanged, for parties that
knew her said that before she would have seen him hanged she would
have shot him herself. I was standing in the hotel where the body
lay when she came in. She stood silently looking at the corpse for
a few minutes, and then turning to the crowd that was standing
around, said: "Will some one tell me who did this?" No one
answering her, she repeated the question, and finally the third
time she repeated the question at the top of her voice. At this I
turned and walked out, and that was the last time I ever saw her.
This was the last hanging we had that winter and spring.
In the latter days of April Messrs. Boone and Bivian employed me
to cross the mountains and take letters to the wagon-master, and
also to assist him in crossing the Rockies, so taking one pair of
blankets, ten days provisions and a pair of snow shoes on my back
I started afoot and alone across the mountains.
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