Remimscences of John H. Chatties. 41 



Floyd River, then the Sheriff came back and reported 

 that the prisoner had broken away. One thing is cer- 

 tain, he never came back. 



Previous to our leaving St. James, the four trappers 

 had had a second quarrel. "Old Mitch" was killed^ by 

 a blow on the head, "decently" buried in a shoe box, and 

 nothing was ever done about it. 



During the spring elections of 1858, Bill Copeland 

 had a quarrel with H. W. Tracey, in front of the latter's 

 store on lower Pearl Street. As a result Tracey shot 

 him. This was the third violent death among these four 

 men inside of a year. But such things were not uncom- 

 mon on the frontier in those early days. The survivor, 

 John [Henry] Campbell, soon went east "for his health," 

 and what became of him I do not know. I had had 

 enough interest in these men to keep track of them as 

 far as stated. 



Because of the escape of AJlen and the miscarriage 

 of justice in other cases I became so disgusted with the 

 office of Justice of the Peace that I would have nothing 

 more to do with it. But before leaving the subject alto- 

 gether I might mention another of my exploits as Jus- 

 tice. 



PERFORMS FIRST MARIAGE CEREMONY. 



One day while I was putting up an office opposite 

 the Sioux City House, on Pearl Street, a man drove up 

 and asked if I was Mr. Charles. I replied that I was. 

 Then he asked if I was a Justice of the Peace. Again 

 I gave him an affirmative answer. He said I was wanted 

 at the Pacific Hotel, down on Fourth Street, where there 

 was a small settlement. 



I got into his rig and went with him, expecting that 

 I was wanted to make acknowledgment of a deed. Reach- 

 ing the hotel I was led to the parlor, and there intro- 

 duced to a Miss Livermore and a Mr. [Osmond] Plato, 

 who, I was informed, desired me to marry them. I 

 wouldn't have been more surprised if they had told me 

 I was to be shot. Up to that time my experience with 

 weddings had been very slight; I had seen just one, my 



1. By Henry Campbell, mentioned In the following paragraph. 



