Red-headed Rooster of the Rockies
A question about Judge James B. Belford
After the Halloween ghost stories were told about the Belford House in Central City, a reader was inspired to write in. He wrote to ask when we’d do a story about Judge James Belford himself. This same reader believes there are many ghosts in the house dating back to the days when Belford lived there. Since the house is now owned by the opera association and is not open to the public, I’m not sure how we’d find out about the ghosts. We do know a lot about Judge Belford though.
Through the 1870s Belford was part of the Republican aristocracy in the state. Along with Henry Teller, Jerome “Boss” Chaffee, George Randolph and others, he was a member of the leadership circle in Colorado territorial and later Colorado state circles. This group was often accused of being corrupt, though Henry Teller always rose far above those charges. Corrupt or not, they led the state through territorial days and on into statehood. A lawyer, Colorado Territorial judge, and our first U. S. Congressman, Belford certainly did have a distinguished career. He was also a striking character.
A Voice Heard on the Sidewalk
When Belford arrived in Central City in 1870 the top jobs in the territories were all political appointments out of Washington. The Grant regime made those choices, as next did President Chet Arthur. Such positions were given out as part of political patronage in most cases, and probably Belford was part of that process. Belford was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court and arrived ready to do a good job. Always of stern visage, he announced that he would be a strict jurist. His carrot colored beard, which bobbed as he loudly spoke, earned him several nicknames. The one which stuck, however, was the “Red Rooster of the Rockies.”
Next time you’re walking past Colorado’s oldest public building, the old court building on Eureka Street in Central City (where the art show is in summer) look up. The second story windows were often open there, but even with windows closed you could hear Belford for blocks. Whenever Belford was sitting, or rather slouching, behind the judicial desk the town could hear the proceedings loud and clear. He was famous for his booming voice and also famous for his disregard of normal court room procedure. He cut right to the point and often shouted at lawyers, defendants, and the sheriff telling them to get to the point. Some think there were so few bar fights and troubles in these mountains because men knew they’d have to see judge Belford in the morning. He put the judicial hammer down and that was that. This wasn’t a tall tale. There really were few men in Central City jail. One trustee simply walked out and ran away. Before he left he scrawled on the wall, “Can’t stand nobody around so I’m leaving!”
A Judge with Pistols
While some thought Belford was uncouth for slouching and putting his feet up on the desk, others thought that appropriate. After all, he was usually settling disputes between unlettered miners. His folksy style and quick judgments probably led to better compliance. A good example of Belford’s style was the Pelican-Dives feud. In 1868 Owen Freeman struck a rich vein in Cherokee Gulch, but got quite sick shortly afterwards. He sent his two best friends to the recorder’s office to record a three way claim on the mine, now called the “Pelican”. The friends thought Freeman a goner and never entered his name so it became a two way claim. Later the feud over the Pelican grew so hot that Freeman opined he was glad his name wasn’t on the claim.
The feud grew from the fact that one spur of the lode was on the Pelican mine property, but another was on neighboring Dives mines property. Battles over the ownership of the lode went on and on with frequent fist fights and other exchanges. At least two men died in the fights over the ownership.
When Judge Belford sat the case he did so in an unusual manner. He wore a brace of pistols and put them prominently on the desk. He had another gun in a drawer. Despite Belford’s orders, ore was being taken out of both veins, often in the dead of night. Both lodes were being high graded. Once six caskets were taken up to the Pelican to carry out the bodies of six dead miners. The miners turned up in Denver later along with six caskets loaded with some of the highest grade ore anyone had seen. In the end the vein Freeman had discovered started to pinch out, and the Dives, also closing in content, was sold at a Sheriff’s sale. Actually the man who bought the Dives, William A. Hamill made a go of the mine for some time. Judge Belford issued orders in the case, but the case was never really settled.
Was Belford More Than Usually Corrupt?
Some of the state’s crusading newspaper editors accused Belford, Jerome “Boss” Chaffee and others in their “Republican gang” of corruption. Whether standards were different then or not, some practices did smell a bit. Anyone wanting a job was expected to contribute heavily to the Republican Party and work to get out the votes. This was a fairly standard practice during that period, however. More questionable was Belford’s ability to get federal dollars going toward certain railroad right of ways in which he and his friends had invested. In any case David Frakes Day, editor of the Ouray Solid Muldoon never ceased hounding Belford. Belford wasn’t his only target. Day’s paper was noted for such exposes as his guiding philosophy. In his 13 years as editor Day always ran the following poem to explain what he was about:
‘For opposition or politician
Take my word, I don’t give a damn
As I walk the street each friend I meet
Says, “There goes Muldoon, a solid man!”
Day was present one day when “The Red Rooster of the Rockies” was taking a campaign swing through the western mining camps. Belford was speaking in Ouray’s City park and giving his pugilistic best to the speech. Many women in the crowd were cheered by Belford’s promise to get women the vote. Men were excited by his promise to keep the price of silver high and exempt mining from taxation. Belford was on a roll.
Day was not impressed, however. He reclined on the grass of the park. Day counted each election promise on a tick sheet and appeared bored. Belford was furious and shouted out: “Some of you seem to be tiring so I will bring my speech to a speedy end.” Day’s voice, always somewhat piercing, lazily replied: “Ah, don’t mind me Jim.” “I can lie down here as long a you can lie up there.”
Belford’s Legacy
Judge Belford had a recognizable influence on the Colorado Constitution. In 1874 President Grant returned to Washington after his first tour of Colorado. He’d enjoyed walking over the sidewalk of silver bars in front of the Teller House, or at least pretended he had. He’d liked Colorado in general, so he supported the idea of statehood. Grant was blunt, “Colorado possesses all the elements of a prosperous state.” A constitutional convention was on the way.
At the convention the leader of the Democrats, Tom Patterson, though a minority leader, insisted that the worst of the old corrupt Republican leadership not be a part of things.
Former Governor McCook was about to leave for the east anyway after having sold his $7.50 a head cattle to the government for $35 a head and doing some other interesting financial shenanigans. Schyler Colfax, even though a street was named for him, repented the huge bribes he’d been taking and did not attend. This opened up things for the more moderate Republicans such as Judge Belford to make an impact.
Belford argued that mining should go untaxed and he won that point, at least for a number of years. He also argued that women should have the right to vote. This was quite a radical idea, though one many thought long overdue. Belford actually succeeded in part on this. Under the first constitution women were given the right to vote in school board elections.
Once statehood came, however, Democrats like Irish Tom Patterson saw their political future end. Some of them wished they had not been so collaborative. Belford was elected our first congressman in an easy campaign against Tom Patterson.
A Mountain Named Belford
One final incident in the Belford saga is quite strange indeed. Henry Teller left the U. S. Senate with 30 days of his term unfilled. Horace Tabor wanted to be a U. S. Senator and take Baby Doe to Washington for a good time. So, the Colorado Senate appointed him
U. S. Senator for the 30 days. Tabor’s divorced wife Augusta testified in tears against the idea. The old silver king had money though and it was rolling around the legislature. Off to D.C. went Tabor and Baby Doe. Here’s where Belford comes in. On March 1 Tabor gathered witness in the parlors of the Willard Hotel to witness a wedding. There was Baby Doe in a $7,000 wedding dress. There was no less a personage than the well known Roman Catholic priest Rev P. L. Chapelle to do the vows. Judge James Belford was a witness.
According to accounts in the Register Call, Belford’s house can still be seen if not visited and his great grandson still resides in Longmont. Belford, Teller and the others in the gang, even boss Chaffee remain a part of the heritage of the little Kingdom of Gilpin. Some say the house will not stand much longer, but even if the house doesn’t stand, one mountain will. One of Colorado’s fourteeners is named Mt. Belford for the Red Headed Rooster of the Rockies.