▁to ▁shoot ▁him . ▁He ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁avoid ▁being ▁shot ▁and ▁escaped ▁into ▁the ▁br ush . ▁ ▁The ▁failure ▁of ▁min ers ' ▁courts ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Territ ory ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁and ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁territorial ▁courts , ▁the ▁only ▁court ▁system ▁available ▁for ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁B ann ack ▁and ▁Virginia ▁City ▁were ▁the ▁inform al ▁min ers ' ▁courts . ▁The ▁min ers ' ▁courts ▁were ▁a ▁vehicle ▁of ▁the ▁organized ▁min ing ▁districts ▁to ▁resolve ▁min ing ▁claims ▁and ▁disput es ▁between ▁min ers ▁in ▁the ▁district . ▁When ▁confront ed ▁with ▁a ▁major ▁crime ▁such ▁as ▁murder , ▁they ▁usually ▁proved ▁in effect ive ▁at ▁resol ving ▁the ▁crime ▁to ▁the ▁satisfaction ▁of ▁the ▁community . ▁ ▁While ▁there ▁are ▁not ▁many ▁accounts ▁of ▁early ▁courts ▁in ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch , ▁probably ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁inform ality ▁and ▁short ▁existence , ▁John ▁X . ▁Be id ler ▁re called ▁a ▁murder ▁trial ▁in ▁the ▁Virginia ▁City ▁min ers ' ▁court ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s . ▁The ▁trial ▁re called ▁by ▁Be id ler ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁It ▁concerned ▁the ▁matter ▁of ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁J . W . ▁D illing ham . ▁The ▁trial ▁was ▁held ▁outside , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁every ▁resident ▁took ▁part . ▁In ▁the ▁end ▁all ▁three ▁defend ants ▁were ▁set ▁free . ▁The ▁first