Mature Content: Yes, implied violence.
Kalispell was the scene of two momentous trials in the span of less than a week that first week of June. The first one involved the two bank robbers who had been captured in the act of trying to rob the town's bank. During the violence which erupted, one of the local citizens was gunned down in cold blood. Three outlaws met their grim end too in the big shootout with the lawmen and other aroused citizens. So as trials go, this one was pretty much open and shut.
Judge Harland Bryant, the circuit judge, was known as a stern judge, a believer in law and order and for the two outlaws there could be no lenient treatment. Both men were tried together and their defense attorney could come up with nothing better than to convince them to plead guilty and throw themselves upon the mercy of the court. It proved to be a false hope.
The judge did not even need to retire to his chambers to ponder the sentence but, after giving the pair a stern lecture on law and order and the dire consequences of murdering an unarmed man and trying to shoot others, he promptly announced the two were to be hanged the very next day. There were some locals who said he acted a bit too fast, if he had put off the executions for a few more days, there might have been more publicity spread thru the territory and a bigger crowd would have attended - an economic benefit to the town of course. As it was a large crowd gathered about the hastily constructed scaffold to watch the criminal's demise. There was even some applause as the men dropped thru the trapdoors. However some with weaker constitutions found it a bit too much.
The pair weren't even cold yet when the saloon offered a special sale on drinks, they called it their Two for One deal and that establishment was soon packed with thirsty or bargain hunting customers. There was much talk about how one of the jaspers had cursed right up to the second he dropped to oblivion.
By darkness, the two were buried in unmarked graves and would soon be forgotten, their criminal depredations over. And a grim omen too for the one outlaw who had managed to escape.
Now the second trial was a lot more contentious. The local lawmen were certain if Speed had not pistol whipped Case when he did, the other lawman would have drawn his gun and used it to kill. However it did not go that far. He was knocked out first and dragged off to jail. And when the second trial opened, a very capable lawyer hired at a high fee no doubt, Mr. Goodnight proceeded to hammer away at the prosecution's case bringing up all sorts of doubts and even a few witnesses for the defense who countered most everything the prosecution witnesses testified.
The mere fact that the marshal had mobilized a whole bunch of armed men then posted them not just at the courthouse but even in strategic positions in town such as the saloon roof was seized upon by Goodnight to show this was nothing more than a naked powerplay more about competition for local office than any real attempted murder case. He protested that it also was a tool of intimidation for the local jury and that his client could never get a fair trial in Kalispell.
Now that part, Judge Bryant squelched, telling everyone in no uncertain terms the trial was taking place 'here and now' and that he would guarantee it would be a fair one. The jurors took so long in their deliberations there were fears of a hung jury but again Judge Bryant sent a note into the jury room saying he would tolerate no 'hung jury nonsense' and to come up with a verdict or they'd be in that room til the cows came home.
Finally a decision was announced and there was silence in the courtroom as Judge Bryant asked the jury foreman for their verdict. It was a split one, guilty on the count of causing a public disturbance but.........non guilty in the far more serious offense of assault on an officer of the law. Once the judge had gaveled the courtroom quiet as both sides partisans had exploded either in glee or disgust, Judge Bryant announced he was fining Case Steelgrave $100 dollars and his stay in jail so far already negated any further jail time. The man was free to leave upon payment of the fine. Being the Steelgraves, such a sum was easy to cover and he was out in literally minutes.
His duties finished in this town, Harland Bryant went back to the hotel, ate a hearty meal, then packed to leave. There were other towns, other cases awaiting his presence, such was the life of a circuit judge.