New-York tribune., 1867-08-21


man vera brayer than ever before and the cloud OF
CRIME that encompassed the court to control the YER
dict or save the accused by fresh murder was dSsi
mated by the stern integrity and unbanchlng cour-
age of the lovers of order. Col Sanders o young au
vocate small in stature but large IN SOM ana man
hood conducted the prosecution, ana lor lhe hlst
time the advancing column OF wrong recoiied as the
verdict was announced: That George Ives be forth
with hung by the neck until he is dead" Ffty-eght
minutes thereafter, but ten yards distant IRON the
pace he sat on trial the fatal drop fell, and justice
had foothold in Montana. This was on the 2lSt OF
December 1863 Soon after Sheriff. Plummer ana two
of his band were executed together at Bannock. lie
swung from gallows he had erected for the execu-
ton of another, and he maintained his wonderful
selfpossession to the end. His last act was delb-
crate examination of tho rope and drop to be sure
that his neck should be broken by the fall, and no
was launched into eternity without prayer. Five
of his followers sleep in unmarked graves on the hill
close by this city who died together on one of the
street corners and then the Tesisess course OF JUS
tice ran until at last near the head of the murmr-
ing waters of the Gallatin. feess body suspended
from a tree bore this inscription: Bill Hunter,
the last of Henry Plummers band" Several
of those first arrested and executed confessed upon
the gallows, and revealed the names OF the whole
organization; ami with this information they rested
not until there not one of the original Plunmer
band among the living Not one remains OF that
once omnpOtent organization. TO tell ITS crlmsoheu
and fatal history. After the leaders had been exc
cuted-three at Bannock and five at Nirgnia-onepy by
one tbe scattered and fleeing fugtiyes were hunted
down and sent suddenly to their long homes. All OF
them died without even the profession of penitence'
and many of them blasphcmed until their utteranco
was chokcd by the death-nOOSe. Two OF them leapeu
high in the air from the gallowS, to hasten thelr
presence before an unreconciled and aVengihg uou'
In these men selfbanishment was considered ITO
| atoncmeut. Thousands of dollars were expended 10
nu,suc tbo,e who fled hundreds of miles to escape
| this mercilcss rctribution. but all in vain Nhen
they felt safe in their isolated retreats the mana Oh
! the Yigants would swOop upon them, ana lhey
vould find graves unshriyed and unmourned wher-
ever the ministers of offended justice crossed lher
patb. Some had climbed the narrow passes TO Idaho
and Oregon, others had passed for refuge IN Caii-
fornia. and even South America has been tired IN
vain as retreat from this colossal current OF ven
| geonce AL all have been fruiess. The solemn
| Judgment of the unseen tribunal must be executed
though the ends of the earth have TO be searched Ior
tbe guilty victim. Not only Justice inheXiDiy de-
| mapded it, but common safety was equally lhl-
perative in exacting that none once cohdemheu
should escape. They could infest the thousand
miles of unpeOplcd plains aud mountain
canyons between this and the States, wheIe
the ministers of justice must sometimes travel ana
no one was left TO renew the vengeance OF CRIME.
They made themselves and the public safe by
less pursuit until the murderer lived only where all
are Judged in righteousness Nor is their work
wholly of the past Although unseen aud unknown,
their sleepless eyes guard the Ear West with ircess
violence No desperate can ascend the Missouri
without his name, description, aud anteccdents,
either preceding or coming with him, aud every
settlement will have its faithful sentines 10 ohh-
longo him on his arrival There is no pomp or parade
in their proceedings and most who "onld lear
them naturally suppose that they have d'sbanded as
an organization but the hapleSs rogue who lands IN
Montana will nave the ardor of his hopes speedily
chilled by some unknown friend bidding him good
bye and suggesting that he must depart without
delay. No explanation is giycn-none Is needed anu
Montana loses q citizen she can better spare than
keep. Many miles from this place | saw doomed
man-doomed TO death by this matchloss human
agency. aud conscious of it. He was prisoner in
the hands Of the law He could escape but dare not,
for around him arc the silent and unknown scntinels
Of a tribune that has no tcchncaties In its trials
He may escape the cobwcbs of the civil law, but the
world is too small to afford him asylum. and he
lies from day 10 day IN hopeless despair. Some hour
not distant. he viii go unwcpt 10 his final resting
place and none will inquire why he has gone un-
timely.
Such is o brief aud necessarily imperfect history
of The triumph Of Justice in Montana. The civil
courts are now in operation, but without the power
Of the VIgantcrs crimo would soon regain the
asccndencY. Their organization is maintained as an
auxiliary TO the courts and to reach out the arms Of
Justice where the civil power is unequal 10 the task
Should the law over prove too feeble for the the sup
port of order then will the fiat of 5000 rush To
tho public safety So inhcxible have they been that
no means no ties. no circumstances, could shield the
guilty One Of their own number was found to have
sought shelter from just punishment in their
circle" and he was executed from their midst In
another instance the friends Of The condemned pro-
posed 90 make restitution Of stolen property, If the
sentence could be changed from death 20 Punishment
bat the criminal was of the robbers baud. and
the restitution made by the Nigilanters, and the
sObber TO his grave. In three years OF opera
iOns, covering nearly 100 executions, this OIgInLa
iOn is not to-day charged by friend on foe with par
tiaty prejudice, or with single uni iust punish
ment. Stcmiy. patiently, untiringly IT has prose-
cutcd its unwccOme labor. and It's history is but the
history of the supremacy OF virtue, order and Justice
| ia Montana. A. K. NJ.
The VicerOy of Egypt is said to have been
immensely struck with the beauty of the English ladies'
aud 10 have found but fault with thcIn-that they
rode horseback in his eyes great udccOulm Ruuor
mond necklace for &2jOO0 bat does not say 10 whom It
| was presented.
! The London Lancet mentions a curious in
stance ui deception under an operation. had
line. She conveyed TO the MiddeseX Hospital where
aupuatiOn pronounced 10 be necessary. It WAS per