Laura Wright 
Mirrors have long been regarded as mystical entities. In the Dark and Middle Ages, alchemists sought the unattainable “perfect mirror.” They were the doorways into other worlds, or traps to ensnare wayward humans. Even rarer, some mirrors were said to be malevolent. Nobles in distant lands were murdered by “poisoned mirrors,” that killed you when you gazed into them.
It is no surprise that mirrors gained a reputation for the mystical, and the horrific. The ancient art of Scrying, or gleaning the future by peering into reflective surfaces, came to be common knowledge. History states that even Nostradamus used this method to envision his future. The perfect mirror was finally realized in 1998 at MIT, although no domestic mirror in existence is “perfect.” From Oculus, to Mirrors, mirrors have a solid place in fiction.
The Glasgow Mirror was no exception, but was not fiction. The “wicked glass,” as it came to be called, killed its owners by way of murders and accidents. The Valley County area of Montana was a hotbed of cruelty and corruption for a number of years. Cattle theft, robbery, and murder were as common as the famous outlaws that came through in search of fame and fortune.
The fist known owner of the Glasgow Mirror was a character himself. Fred Dunn purchased the mirror as soon as he found it. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t own it long. He died shortly thereafter in a gunfight with an angry Texan. Dunn had a reputation as an outlaw and was remembered for having died, “with his boots on.”
After Dunn died, an outlaw named “Long Henry” Thompson took possession of the Glasgow. Thompson was an employee of the N Bar N Ranch. Thompson’s record of killings was impressive, and his reputation proceeded even that of Kid Curry during his life. He is known to have shot George Dunman (self-defense, acquitted), Ed Starr (self-defense, acquitted, although Starr had multiple bullets in his back), and several others that weren’t as documented.
Henry Thompson was actually Henry Pell. He lived in a number of places, but mostly within the states of Missouri, Montana, and Texas.
Even though the mirror had already started to gain a reputation as “hoodooed,” Thompson was fine. He lived for some time with the mirror in his possession, and didn’t suffer any consequences. Unfortunately, Thompson had the piece stored away. He eventually settled into a life that didn’t include being an outlaw. He began to live and honest life and had a family. He considered the curse broken, so he brought the mirror out and hung it on his wall in 1902.
His old fires of vengeance didn’t go out, or perhaps the mirror finally influenced him, he returned to an outlaw’s life. Shortly thereafter, Thompson heard rumors that someone was after him. He posed with his gun in the infamous mirror just before leaving. Later that evening, Thompson was killed. The man he fought with succeeded, and put five bullets in Thompson’s back. Legendary outlaw Long Henry Thompson was buried in Grandview Cemetery, outside Saco. Rumors also stated he was buried with lead weights tied to his feet, a safeguard in case he decided to come back.
The mirror was later sold, and went to William A. Humphrey. Humphrey was the owner that caused the mirror’s fame to spread. Humphrey got the mirror, but soon suffered its curse. He tried to shoot H.R. Stephens in a saloon, but ended up getting himself shot in 1905.
Glasgow’s Town Marshal, Robert Conater, ended up getting the mirror next. He only had it one week before he drowned in the Missouri River on a hunting expedition.
After Conater’s death, no one would go near the mirror. His estate tried selling, auctioning, and even giving away, but no one dared. It eventually went to an unnamed possessor who refused to hang it, or destroy it. He put the questionable item away and declared he wouldn’t touch it.
Whatever became of the Glasgow Mirror, or those who later owned it, remains unknown.
