John Chinnick

'''John Chinnick''' (1850-1883) born Chatham Canada (family bible). (Hoopes says b. 1845 England)

...; John Chinnick, who squatted on a tract which later was to become a great portion of the new town of Miles City and who also was a trouble maker and one of the rougher element in the early days;

The lands surrounding the ferry boat landing on the north, east and south were claimed under squatters' rights by different citizens of the community, the principal claim being made by John Chinnick, who, together with one or two other claimants, formed a company known as the "Miles City Townsite Company" and platted the land claimed by them into lots and blocks. Under the title derived from the townsite company, there were business houses erected along the present Main Street for several blocks and also along the entire length of Fifth Street from Main Street to the Northern Pacific right-of-way, all facing this ferry boat landing. Fifth Street at that time was called Park Street. The Northern Pacific Railroad Company upset the claim of the Miles City Townsite Company when it filed its plat to this land on August 27, 1881, claiming title under the act of Congress approved July 2, 1864 whereby it was granted every other section of land on each side of the railroad line, these being the odd numbered sections in the township. Inasmuch as that portion of Miles City was in Section 33, Township 8 North, Range 47 East, it was claimed by the Northern Pacific and platted by it. In the certificate of survey on the plat filed by the Northern Pacific, the land platted was described as "all the surveyed portion in said Section 33". Referring to the plat of the survey of Section 33, one learns that there was a certain portion of it which was not surveyed, and that is what is referred to above as the "ferry boat landing".  

Fanning the Embers: One identity worth mentioning among the occupants of. this section, is [[John Chinnick]], whose saloon -- and also his ranch home, located in the neighborhood of the baseball park -- were acknowledged "hangouts" for all the desperadoes who happened this way. John himself was never misjudged by his fellow citizens. They knew him for just what he was, but in his daily contact with the world he was in many respects a decent sort and always ready and willing to join in public movements. And in those days inquiry into one's antecedents or private business was discouraged.

C.N. Strevell: Another real tough, but who didn't advertise it, was John Chinnick. It had been rumored that Chinnick and his gang (robbed Cahn, which is widely claimed to have been done by Big Nose George Parrott). Not long after the robbery, a "posse" called at Chinnick's house in the evening and knock brought John to the door. The sheriff said, "Better come with us John." He replied, "Wait till I get my hat." A pistol shot was heard and it was found that John had shot himself, preferring death in this manner to the western custom of lynching.

[[8 Oct 1881]] Fort Benton River Press: (Yellowstone Journal) There seems to be a boom in horse stealing again. At regular intervals for the past year, some of our residents have missed their stock. Some of it has been found and the fhieves prosecuted but the majority os still at liberty. Whether it is an organized gang or is done by individuals who use toe stock to skip the country with deponent sayeth not. Six fine mules b elonging to John McCormick were taken on Tuesday night, two belonging to Aleek Pratt and four from John Chinnick's ranch. Thursday, a couple of campers near town lost four head.

[[6 Nov 1882]] YJ: A. C. Logan of the Daily Press was attacked by John Chinnick in the Cosmopolitan theatre. A fight ensued which attracted quite a crowd. No damage done.

[[4 Jan 1883]] YJ: Fred Schmalsle and John Chinnick pulled up stakes and started for the upper Powder river country on a buffalo hunting expedition.

[[9 Feb 1883]] YJ: Fred Schmasle and John Chinnick came in yesterday from a hunting expedition through the southern part of this territory, and northern Wyoming.

[[1 May 1883]] Helena Independent: Indictments of county officials- defrauding county- John Chinnick name on list- he indicted for unlawful detention of books.

'Big Nose' used to hang out at Chinnick's place when he was in Miles City. In fact, that is where he was captured in 1880. One of the gang was arrested at Chinnick's saloon and Al Chinnick was thought to be "a sometime member" of Parrott's gang.

:"One Saturday ([[21 Jul 1883]]) morning a man named William Rigney and a companion, drunk and ugly from an all-night carouse, turned up at the residence of a respectable citizen* while the family was at breakfast. When ordered out, they made obscene remarks about the wife and daughter - a thing which the frontier did not tolerate. Saloon keeper, Charlie Brown**, who was passing by, walloped Rigney over the head with a "stout club" and stretched him senseless while the second tough took to his heels. Rigney was put in jail, only to be taken from the jailer about midnight by a group of citizens who hanged him from a nearby railroad bridge. The published account made the action appear to have been carried out by vigilantes but old timers say that Rigney was already dead when he was hanged, and the action was merely to cover the fact and prevent Brown from being tried for manslaughter."

:"This thug had been a hanger-on and part time employee at the Cosmopolitan Theatre, a variety house on the south side of Main Street at 6th Street. Early Sunday morning - a few hours after the hanging - this building was discovered to be on fire and the blaze swept the entire block before it was stopped. This fire was obviously the work of an arsonist and many citizens believed Rigney's pals had started it as an act of retaliation. The town had long had a considerable number of tough characters, and the coming of the railroad in November 1881 had added to the assortment. After discussing the matter, the "vigilante committee" issued an ultimatum to the undesirable element to get out of town or take the consequences."

:"The leader of this faction was John Chinnick, one of the first settlers in the town. He was not a bad sort in some ways, and quite civic minded, but his saloon and cabin had always been the rendezvous of any shady characters who drifted up or down the Yellowstone - including Big Nose George Parrott. When he was informed on Monday morning (July 23rd?) that he had been banished from town, he first agreed to go, but later showed signs of being unwilling to leave quietly. About noon he apparently had a scuffle*** with his wife over a revolver and in the tussle he received a fatal wound in the abdomen. This caused a death a month later. With their leader in a critical condition, the rough element heeded the warning and left."

fire, lynching of Rigney, shooting of John Chinnick- mystery surrounding shooting- 3 rumors- suicide, jealous wife, vigilantes fearing him turning traitor- Vigilance committeee order number of people to leave town- roughs organized and ordered Vigilance committee to leave- determined citizens organized to save town- mob dispersed & town was quiet.

[[31 Jul 1883]] St. Paul Daily Globe (Mandan Pioneer): There was a gang of about 20 roughs in Miles City, including Rigney. He had gone to the house of Mr. Campbell for an evil purpose and was caught and lynched. Rigney's friends threatened to burn the town. They attempted to burn the Inter-Ocean and a man named Ryan is now under arrest for burning the Cosmopolitan, which happened 3 hours after Rigney's lynching. There is no doubt the fire that destroyed the Cosmopolitan and "the stores" (inventory? nearby stores?) was incendiary - started by Rigney's friends. As soon as it started, there were three distinct reports (bangs? ppl firing guns to report a fire?), probably using kerosene cartridges. The vigilantes have ordered out the toughest of the sluggers, backed up by the threat of more lynchings. John Chinnick was shot, but he claims that it was done by himself accidently when cleaning his rifle. He was the proprietor of the Cosmopolitan and the original owner of the townsite. He is lying in a dangerous condition. These roughs are called "rounders", men who hang around the saloons and gambling houses, picking up money where they can. This in Miles City's first hanging.

(Billings Herald): The action of certain citizens of MC was a grave step, esp for William Rigney. A number of hard cases, of the same kidney as Rigney, had been making their rendevous in Miles for some time, and growing bolder by degrees, had become a terror to the rest of the town. They had been warned to leave town, but scoffed at the warning. Rigney had made some horrible threats against members of Mr. Campbell's family and was arrested trying to break into their house. This was the last straw and a vigilante group wasn't willing to let normal justice take its course.

John's widow, Iola married Calvin H. Lille in March 1884

Iola ???? b. 1840 Ohio (1880 census taker Tom Irvine says they are single, and birth info disagrees with Hoopes) Hoopes says her name was Nell, but then Iola, she was married to John 4 yrs, 8 mo, 3 days, she helped in running the saloons. Neither are listed in 1882 city directory.

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