The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1885-02-28
Lincoln County Leader.
Salurday. February IS, 1885.
The Dark Days Of Montana.
F,om orr regular Correspondent
Ruylius. Wv,uiu

III WHINE Il lNiilllllo' OAIN& vs. Ait'
early days of Montana, lt will 20
necessary to refresh ones memory
by going back TO the pioneer GAYS
of 1923. Early in the summer
ot 60, authentic news reae, ed
Denver, Colorado. Of fabulou~ly
rich gold digging> having boon dis
covered on tributary OF the Sal
mon River. A great stampede to
the Florence gold digging, was the
consequence. All OF tie idle popu-
lstiou Of Colorado rushcd to the
new cldorado. Late IN that sum
mer many trains-unabie to pro-
coed DOWN the Snake river and cn
to Florence-on account Of hostile
Indians. pulled into Salt Lake, the
center of President logng's Latter
Day Mormon Kingdom.
II the fall Of 1872 Jim GcmmclI
came down from the norln and re
ported the striking Of rich gold
diggings on Grasshopper Creek,
forty miles from the old Mormon
settlement Of Fort Lcmhi, AID that
"A camp-callcj Bannack, had been
opened and organized by ''pil-
grims' from Minnesota and Pixies
Peak miners. a big stampede
from Salt Lake for the Grasshopper
mines Immediately followed Gem
meli's report. There was truth in
the report-the diggings were cy-
ceedingly1rich. Among the NUM-
Der who rushed into Bannack in
1923 were many d~espersdoes,
WHO afterwards fell victims Of out
ragged Justice at the hands Of the
vigilantes of Montana powerful
organization Of men organized for
the purpose of Kidding the country
OF murdcrers and thieves, who
We're in those days styled road
agents" Bannack was anything
but q pleasant place at that period.
The road agents had formed them
selves into a strong company with
Henry Plummcr, the miners sher.
riff of the camp as chief captain Of
the gang. For owe a year this
band Of desperadoes had things
pretty much their own way. Muir
ders were numerous and bold rob
berries were Of daily occurrence.
Bannack and Rattlesnake Cross
iugs were carbohydrates, where
murders and robberies were plann-
cd under the personal direction Of
Plummer, who used lis office of
sheriff to blind the people and pro
tect his desperate followers in the
commission Of crime, Outrages Of
the most cold-blooded character
were committed SO frequently that
they called tor the formation Of q
vigilance committee to protect the
people and redress wrongs. For
some time the committee did little,
being unable to get at the gang.
whose existence was well known
but a difficult matte to prove be
yend a reasonable doubt. The
confession of two OF these road
agents, who were executed on the
StinkIngwater, put the committee
in possession Of a list Of the mem
bers, together with the secret by.
laws they had adoB ed for theil
government. BY these documents
and confessions il was proved that
P!ummer was Captain, with a long
list of desperadoes to do his bid
ding. After the committee hac
got positive evidence, the work o.
discriminating the road age Is be
gan. The bAll opened in Aide
Gulch'about the Dist of December.
1868, and the hanging continued
throughout the Territory, yer,
rapidly. These were the ''blacl
days OF Montana" The commit
tees work was swift-its execution.
summary. There was no 'aPpca
from the committees decision, enc
Il, sentence Of dcsth was carrieC