John Chinnick

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(Created page with "'''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 grea...")

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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.

−

~~(The Plainsmen of the Yellowtone):~~

−

:"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."

[[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.

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'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.

+

(The Plainsmen of the Yellowtone):

+

:"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."

+

.* The family was that of ??? Campbell, a Northern Pacific official.

+

.** A neighbor?

+

.*** another source: "in a struggle with his wife for a rifle to take to town"

[[27 Jul 1883]] Helena Independent: Headline-Miles City Reign of Terror-

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The reference for Chatham, Ontario is a newspaper article from newspaper there saying that family members had been notified of his death in Miles City, Montana.

+

[[File:LynchingStory1941.jpg]]

Revision as of 11:19, 10 January 2014

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@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 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.
-(The Plainsmen of the Yellowtone):
-:"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."
 [[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.
@@ Line 27: / Line 20: @@
 '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.
+(The Plainsmen of the Yellowtone):
+:"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."
+.* The family was that of ??? Campbell, a Northern Pacific official.
+.** A neighbor?
+.*** another source: "in a struggle with his wife for a rifle to take to town"
 [[27 Jul 1883]] Helena Independent: Headline-Miles City Reign of Terror-
@@ Line 56: / Line 60: @@
 The reference for Chatham, Ontario is a newspaper article from newspaper there saying that family members had been notified of his death in Miles City, Montana.
+[[File:LynchingStory1941.jpg]]