THE SHOTGUN BLAST IN THE PANEL BEHIND THE BENCH
Submitted by Donna Coate
Forsyth, Montana
January 6, 2010

In a letter to Judge Alfred B. Coate on November 9, 1983, John Richardson Jones, 257 Del Monte Court, San Luis Obispo, California, wrote this version, and probably the most accurate version, of the bullet hole in the panel behind the Judge's bench in the courtroom of the Rosebud County Courthouse in Forsyth, Montana.

The incident occurred during the murder trial of Alfred Lane who killed Harry Theade and then was the second man in Rosebud County to be hung, taking place on September 3, 1920.

The murder weapon, a shotgun, was being offered in evidence by the then County Attorney, Donald, Campbell, and the Judge inquired if the weapon was loaded. Campbell replied in the negative whereupon the Judge requested the gun be passed to him to make sure of its safety. Upon receiving the firearm, he swung it to the rear of the bench and down, then pulled the trigger which resulted in the blast hole.

John Richard said he had heard of the incident as a child and then, in 1958, Donald Campbell, visiting in Los Angeles, California, advised him substantially as related above. He added that the court "chewed out" both Campbell and Henry Grierson, the Sheriff Campbell for handling the gun as he did and Grierson for not putting the gun in a safe condition while in his custody.

After reviewing, Judge Coate's papers, I feel this is probably the closest to the facts although there are several other stories about the incident.