The murder of John Smoot and its forgotten place in Montana history

It was Christmas Eve in McClellan Gulch in 1867 when a young man wrapped up some late evening grocery shopping before heading to saloon to have a drink to celebrate the holiday.

Among the miners celebrating the holiday, John Smoot soon found himself in an affray that would cost him his life and lead to an important - but almost entirely forgotten - milestone in the history of Montana jurisprudence...