▁Third ▁District ▁en comp ass ed ▁the ▁towns ▁around ▁Hel ena . ▁From ▁July ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁until ▁August ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁the ▁only ▁justice ▁system ▁was ▁the ▁min ers ' ▁court ; ▁the ▁Third ▁District ▁did ▁not ▁get ▁its ▁first ▁chief ▁judge ▁until ▁August ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁when ▁Judge ▁L yman ▁Mun son ▁arrived ▁from ▁the ▁east . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁John ▁Ke ene ▁and ▁Harry ▁Sl ater , ▁two ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁an ▁un resol ved ▁quar rel ▁from ▁their ▁days ▁in ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City , ▁sp otted ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁Sam ▁Gre er ' s ▁sal oon ▁on ▁Hel ena ' s ▁Bridge ▁Street . ▁Ke ene ▁shot ▁Sl ater ▁in ▁the ▁head , ▁killing ▁him ▁instantly . ▁Ke ene ▁surrender ed ▁himself ▁to ▁Hel ena ▁sh er iff ▁George ▁Wood ▁and ▁freely ▁admitted ▁his ▁gu ilt ▁in ▁the ▁shooting . ▁A ▁two - day ▁trial ▁en su ed ▁where ▁some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁j ury ▁were ▁known ▁vig il antes ▁from ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch . ▁Since ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁official ▁trial ▁judge , ▁Ste phan ▁Reyn olds , ▁a ▁respect ed ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Hel ena ▁community , ▁pres ided . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁trial , ▁the ▁j ury ▁returned ▁a ▁un anim ous ▁guilty ▁ver dict ▁and ▁Ke ene ▁was ▁h anged ▁from ▁the ▁l one ▁p ine ▁tree ▁just ▁outside ▁town . ▁The ▁large ▁tree ,