This is a story about miners and mining, guns and blasting powder, Seth Bullock and ways of the old west. The irony is that miners’ attitudes aren’t much different today. Gun play isn’t quite so prevalent but we still hear stories…
I wanted to give you the whole story, as reported, but there was a tremendous amount of newspaper coverage of this event. It is lengthy but very interesting reading. I will shorten the story, but do my best to preserve the original. Mostly I want to present the story without bias and only the facts as reported in early Deadwood history.
I also want you to experience the era, how the reporters wrote, how the legal process worked, how some things are different but most things don’t change!
Thanks to the generosity of the Black Hills Pioneer newspaper, I have received permission to quote copyrighted material, giving you a view that otherwise would have cost you hours (days!) of research!
© Black Hills Pioneer (1887)
Black Hills Times
Shooting of Mr. J.D. Tuttle About noon today, news was received here that a man had been shot in the Hidden Treasure gulch in consequence of the difficulties arising from the dispute to the title of the Keets mine. Immediately our reporter jumped one of Travis Bros.’ best horses and started for the scene of the affray, arriving there, he discovered that Mr. J.C. Tuttle was lying at the point of death, having been wounded by a bullet which passed through his body, entering the lower portion of the back. The trouble, as nearly as we can ascertain, arose from the fact that last night about forty armed men in the interest of the Keets Company, took possession of the tunnel in the Aurora mine, which connects with the Keets, and filled up a shaft on the Aurora ground.
This morning Mr. Tuttle, who owns a one third interest in the Aurora, warned the Keets’ men that he was going to blow out the shaft, and inserted giant powder for that purpose in this shaft, which is on Aurora ground… After blowing it out he proceeded to a wheel-barrow also on Aurora ground, and in direct range with a port hole in the rear of the cabin occupied by the Keets’ men. We are also informed that while Mr. Tuttle was at the shaft two men stepped out the the Keets’ cabin and fired a number of shots, apparently at random, some of which, however, were returned from the Aurora cabin by an employee of that company.
With regard to the shooting of Tuttle, we give his dying declaration as follows: “I was greasing a wheel-barrow on Aurora mining ground when shot. I don’t know where the shot came from that hit me. I was not resisting anyone. I had a revolver in my pocket but did not show any firearms. I don’t know how many shots were fired. I told one of the Keets’ men that if he was badly off for shooting to get a pistol and come out and I would atisfy him alone. This as all that passed between me and the Keets men. It was about fifteen minutes from the time of my telling the man to get a pistol before the shooting commenced.”
One of the attorneys for the Aurora company arriving soon after the shot was fired at Tuttle, posted a posse of men to guard the cabin and mine occupied by the Keets’ men, until the Sheriff arrived at which time the inmates surrendered, and were conducted to jail.
The shot which struck Tuttle was fired, as we are reliably informed, from the port-hole in the rear of the Keets’ cabin, without any previous warning having been given the victim.
© Black Hills Pioneer (1887)
And so the story begins… a continuation will appear on our website in the near future. I know that’s kindof awnry… a word I remember my mom using… hmmm! Joel from Minnesota might even call it paybacks! This is just the beginning of the story and its gets better or worse depending on your point of view!
I will take you through the news reports, then on to the ensuing trial…
Meanwhile… back to the present and wishing you “Merry Christmas” from our house to yours!
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