The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
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!S-s 49,,
= xfoaays twenty xesrs Asa =.
Inc stories OF tho visilanse" q Mohtaas! o.
tho early gold miners Of Idaho, Of Tie Afplof-
~ WESTERN coio..ao h.xo h..aI,, tho,. .on.l
rs 49, :: =, o .'.-S '.''t eq1s'
on tne conunens HH only twenty-five yeSn
since the arst.named tsescn-Kont.na-wMs.
settled, and it is TO- iay well-orsaniizeti StyL
,,-.s - ..-.......~. n,.N .r 1.'.;
Of the Silver Bow" % the Indian name means.
ktt kpi . wonderfully checkered history. sne
:. ,,.or,..s. 4. 60, = d.. "a a. i..... 60.
"e p1opo's " ''f" 10" ol I'D ssssss 1or oul
readera -.,
Montana had an early ora Of pioneer pescs, 4
turbulent era OF terrorism, . swift and com
bstive era, when the order-loving element
rsbellsd. Organized and In short time hanged
"A fas. tt.. t~.,.. e,,,. 1,,,,,n.i. .,a a, s..
w ''s' sns1 ."sns 1os. oi"sl'' .ne =" oAs
OF subsequent social safety. Nwas in tho yeai
led hundrsd. ~ h.,r1v rnonnt.;naer, yrom va.
-.s.t I.sn.s,s .: ~ .'., -. "N,'. ..o.. W.
sascn A0aaAins ana the steeP colorado n
xmeR Other discoveries Wsfs saen made neai
DER fn,dGd snd a Rssysr Head Gs,tb nvs,
,lrsisss ~. N t;.ss ~ - ss..si.s 49, - a.. ~ ~.
a There Were nd andrss f,
~ -. E.srs as.. ~ ~. sasse - pss ~ i.
wv --s. So sy. 49,. S"'o =
way OF Fort Hall and Snake Riyer, IfapPert
drifted IN from the fastnesses OF TIE hockies7
Ihere were even Mexicans from santa re aat
French voyaReurs from the TED lsivor country
among tile % early Montana miners Before the
claae ~, ,lMG Arge parties arrived from Mime.
sofa aud other W69tekil states.
The almost unqnoetbnS1 Etle which the
Plnmmer, Reeves Moore and SEs"1es; sang Ms,st g
outlaws maintained for months IN the carly
days Of the Bannock and Virginia City settle
ments finds hardly parallel in mountain his
YIy; Ihe hHe luss .i after the stampede to Al.
most iMp5sihs display, plammsr being sheri,
ana the famnsfratlon 81 Justice pefne tq stiet1
hands, while IN secret theS lfed road age!'
o.to, wth eH tsn spies ana
territory and all the mountain trails under
close watch, 90 that miners or other persons
with money we're robbed and murdered by the
dozen, stages oveIhafslea and the region terror. Or
ized ihey went ON sprees 20 .Piatntea !ns
. toMn scariet wnenever tney choss, iD!l*sina
Mno y, we're . obnoxious to them, Eilling Indians:
and IN senle - masssscrelng the ~ nnaDi!ann
q 9H entire l9diAh settlefnent Their agents
11a sp1es a. ultimately SGMpieted Z system M o.
Ehich; 70 au6tg troM gimSasiee D6on 0f ths
:y,gllsntes Ella prDlished y yI5Rt9st Gi.y, MOL
N'.u1I,,.
snd coac9es were marked m some ne unaer7!ooT
Manner 20 ,Gesi&nste tnem ss nj onlecn l@
Plunder. Ihelf arms were pair OF revol-
yers. shotgun with shortenad barrels, and
large KNIFE; tney were monnlea on n .Me Des. oi OF
horses and disguised with masks; There were
% s having committed from hve TO twelve mur-
aerst men VINO nave % 6een notorious crlminale
ID galif6fnia, Lotiisisna or Missouri; there
Mer9 those aiso Those hves, before sney came
70 MontanS; haa Deeh IN every way fespocsaph
sna q, ,hard.workine; ", ,s,,,o ,.,.,..,;...
iSysl Magrader party. This gentlemsn wat
Heservediy One Of the most popular mon ID
the territory, merchant OF Lewiston; Idaho
VINO Ie, mad come to virginia City, Mon, carly in
lst5 with pack train OF goods which he soon
sold ont. realizing about sl4, ,oo and with ti,ls
four 70 friends-Ailen; the two Chalmers and
Phillips. The Plummer band df road agents
held council and decided to kill the entfr1
party and obtain the money. Four members
OF ths gang, Nomaine, Howard, Page and
Lowrle, ohored their services to Magruder,
leMjstwi aqd they were treated with the
greatest ktndness., When the party was near
the Clearwa or tho mttrderets did their fatal
work, killing four OF the five While 3sleet
and Magruder while Watching bis horses on
t9e la hillside. With that strange idlocy which 90
Often aeoompanies % g crimes they afterwa.ds rode
anlmai9 were recognized, and bold deputy
marsha! then followed them TO California and
arrested 81! FOUR one turned State''s evidence,
and three were Hanged: Crimes like this led
to the sim9ltsneods formation Of tigllante
committees in Nevada and Virginia cities, and
defending league extended over the entire
territory. On January IA, 1864, no less than
nve OF the leading desperadoes OF the Terri
were executed in Virginia City, and the hate
ini % rule OF crime was broken, for only four
days previously, at Bannock City. three Of
the leaders Of the road agents had met the
sam samo 1ate ihe rapdity with which the vig-
nsntes go5 IN thelr WORK IL startllngiy shown
6y the dates OF the principal executions.
one hanging occurred on december II, 1863
Two on January lsG4, three on JanuarylO
two on January II, five on January II, one on
q, four on Janhary25 and one I'm january
a. Is not believed by any person
who has investigated the subject that In :
single instance tho vigilantes abused theiE
power The execution OF "Bill Hunter,"
raamth fenasr lsa on lonely trail H. near tho
ton Of the defiant and powerful "Road Agent"
organization. For three months. in the
depths OF winter, and under extraordinary diff
fcu!ties, the small but determined band Of
vigllantes, supported by the long terrorized
sae ss Up opes
them, captured them, tried them, and hanged
them The safety of Montana Was thus se-
cured
Individual cases Of crime continued to occur
and were punished by the still viligant urgani.
,sf ,stion Of Montana citizens In the summer Of
was hanged in the presence Of 5000
persons, and one Kelly, who received fifty