, 1867-10-11
"x," the Mysterious sheriff of judge Lynch
In Montana.


tana letters Of the Hon. A. K Mcclure, to th,
New York Tribune. 10 speaking of the YigilAnc,
Committee he says;
or the many brave men Who inauRurated anS
openly sustained this movement, no one car
justly be awarded exclusive praise but there il
one who figures As conspicuously- in the historj
Of the Vigilantes As did Plummer in the reign O
terror. Some twelve years ago was accustom
cd to meeting 90 the streets Of Chambersburg
Pa, young mau named John X. Beidier. Hii
| frugal wants were supplied By the manufastur,
OF brooms, and finally be mixed the best of cock
tails and juleps at a neighboFiug summer resort
de was as amiable and unoffending lad as the
| community could furnish, and his Jolly, genial
hrmor made him favorits with all who knew
him. Although he had attained his majority, be
was scarcely i've feet six inches in hight, and
was far below the average Of men 10 physical
powers ~ He finally wandered West in search
OF fortune, aud soon after the advent of Plum,
mer came tx, " the only name by which he is
universally known ia Montana. Thus the baue
and the antidote were close upon each other
strong in his inherent love of honesty, stranger
to fear, not powerful, but quick as thought in
his actions, and firm in his purpose as the eter-
nal mountains around him, he naturally entered
promptly and earnestly into the effort 10 restore
order and safety to society. That little was ex,
pected of him when be first cast his lot with the
perseverance, unfaltering courage, and singular
skill in thwarting the plans of the common enc
my, soon made him the chief pillar Of the organ
izaton, aud the unspeakable terror Of every des-
perado. This diminutive man, without family
or property to defend, has himself arrested scores
of the most powerful villains, and has executed,
in open day, equal number under the direc-
ton Of the wonderful fountain of retribution that
was unseen but was surgiug around the hssty
scahold SO expert is be with his faithful pistol
that the most scienced of rogues have repeatedly
attempted in vain to get " the drop" on him.
quick as fash his pistol is drawn, cooked while
drawing it, aud presented to the doomed man
with the stern demand, 'hands up, Sir p and
the work is done. At one time, without aid, be
arrested six of the most desperate thieves in a
body, all well armed, ard marched them before
him to prison. "Hands up gents !" was the first
intimatlon they had from him that be had bust,
ness with them, and submission was the only
course of safety. Had any one of them attemp,
ted 20 reach toward his belt be would have
fallen that moment. There were citizens close
by and how many of them, if any, were sworn
to protect and ready to aid Beidler be knew
while the prisoners did not. This indefinite
unseen, Unreasonable force seems to have ever
stricken the most courageous thieves and muir
derers nerveless, when its sudden and fatal
grasp was thrown around them. They would
6g6tsooros uso fos thsis lisss in any ordiAAsy.
attempt to arrest them, but they were Invariably
weakened" when the citizen confronted them
in the name of public safety. No formalites
were known. No process was read bearing the
high seal of the courts. When, or where the
dread summons of the great unseen tribunal
would come none could conjecture. The sleep
ing companion of the desperado in some distant
rancho would probably drink and breakfast with
him, and then paralyze him by the notice,
you're wanted-busness at Virginia ~ lu no
instance did any of the many lawless characters
arrested By the Yigilantes ever fire a pistol ia
their own defense, even when they knew that
death was inevitable. In most cases the oppor-
tunity was slight, but under all ordinary circum
stances, the narrowest chances would be taken
to effect escape. From "X" no criminal ever
got away. To have attempted it would have
been but to hasten death. So much did the des-
peradoes respect, as well as fear him, that most
of them, when condemned to die by his hand,
committed their last requests to him, and with
him they have been sacred. Order and public
safety have been restored but be still has ems
ployment in his fayorite line. He continues to
act as the chief detective of the Territory. He
comes and goes, and none but himself know his
errand. "What's up, X2' is a query that is
generally answered, ''After tracks" j." and "Don't
know" is his usual reply to all questions to
his route or time of departure. He has traversed
alone every highway and settlement of Montana,
is ever ready, without escort or aid, to pursue
criminal wherever be may seek refuge. His ca
reer has, indeed, been most remarkable, an his
escape unharmed through his innumerable CO.'S
t1icts with the worst men, seems almost wholly
miraculous. He has recently been appointedl
Collector of Customs for the port of Helena, but |
while there is thief, a defaulter, a murderer, |
or a savage to disturbe tie peace of Montana he
will remain the most efficient messenger of JUS
tics known in the mountain gold regions. He
has lost none of his genial, kindly nature by his
long service as the bearer of relentless retribu
ton upon the lawless, and wherever he goes be
3 welcomed by every lover of order and govern
ment. When he is upon the war path, otis no
for neathing the gled Whistles and crime has
no escape but in timely retreat. Fully 5000 |
perfectly organized men at his back. They
have their companies, officers, minute men, and
messengers in every settlement, and he can rally
in an instant scores or hundreds of true men to
his side.
TIE CREDIT SYsTEM.-The Round Table, dis>
cussing law reform, makes pointed suggestion
that all contracts of pure credit, wherein one
man willingly trusts another, be taken out of
the Courts by being declared unlawful. This
would effect positive good by reducing this
mass of litigation at least one half. The paper
adds: "Cases of fraud would be fewer than
they are now. In the first place, every one would
select his agent and his debtors with more care
in the second place, 6duciary agents would be
better paid, because of a general anxiety to get
the best. In the third place, agents and debt
ors would be more, faithful, because want Of e. |
deity to trust would be punished by society |
with remorseless, unforgiving cruelty. Society
is instinctively unmerciful to sins which injure
it, and which are not punished, or cannot be
reached, by the laws-as witness It's treatment
of fallen women. Character would have high |
er peeuniary value than it has now, to the great
improvement of the moral tone Of society. Many
a rich rogue, now trusted only because of his
wealth, would md himself powerless to COM
mand dollar on mere credit; on the other hand,
many honest man now scraping hard for
living, would find his services in ready demand
a. GOOD nav g fr,,,. craa SING the number |