Murder of John R. Bitzer

John R. Bitzer, miner, walked past the cabin of Chinaman Ah Chow on January 15, 1870 when he supposedly noticed a disturbance. He said that he witnessed Ah Chow beating his wife repeatedly and ordered him to abstain immediately. Ah Chow immediately drew a pistol and shot Bitzer in the groin. After the shooting Bitzer stumbled to the nearby Kiyus Salon to tell about the shooting, dying the next day at around 2:30 pm.

Gold in Montana

When gold was discovered in Montana in 1862, gold miners flocked to Helena, many of them former 49ers. One of these people may have been John R. Bitzer, who had traveled to San Francisco in 1856.

Vigilante Justice

During the Montana Gold Rush 1860s the rise of vigilante justice led to relative security in Helena, Montana.