The Portland daily press., 1890-01-18
RICE SO A YEAR IN ADVANCE.

| men accused OF participation In the murder
| of Tbalt The Judge sat In wagon. With
an ability and courage that are still remem-
| bered In Montana, Col. Sanders presented
| the case against the murderer, and when the
| verdict was returned moved that Ives be
hanged on the spot. The prosecutors hold
| on life seemed for time even more precari-
Gus than that Of the prisoner, for the crowd
around the bonfire was full Of the friends Of
the gang, and Plummer's arrival from Ban
mack with rescuing force was momentarily
| expected Part Of the mob made an attempt
| at rescue, but 10 was repulsed. A f0rty-f0ot
| pole was run out through the window Of an
unfinished house close by, and rope fas-
tened TO its end. In fifty-elght minutes after
| his conviction Ives's body swung from the
end Of the pole. The campaign OF extermin-
alton against Henry Plummer's gang had
Col. Sanders and his associates lost no
| time. Five men In Virginia City, one In
Nevada City, and Col. Sanders and three
others In Bannack started the organization
Of the Montana Vigilantes, secret tribunal
which for more than twenty years continued
to exert powerful influence upon the con-
ditions of life In the Territory. In two
weeks the ramifcations of the new league
extended to every settlement In the region.
| and its power was supreme. In q little more
than thirty days the Vigilants had captured.
sentenced to death, and hanged twenty-five
members Of Plummer's band. including tho
| chieftain. There were no more public trials.
The hand OF vengeance descended directly
and without warming Border justice was
dealt out with speed and yigor which
| The methods by which twas administered
are not 10 be justified except by the plea Of
| absolute necessity. 1t was a question OF
| killing or being killed; and public sentiment
| In Montana at tnat time and long afterward
| supported proceedings which under any
other conditions would have been intoler-
able
Inc story Of the subsequent proceedings Of
ha fpe in mnUtha
OF 1864 has been told with great minuteness
In little book published eight or ten years
ago In Virginia City, and purporting TO be
written by Prof; Thomas =, plmsdaie
This name Is believed TO conceal the identity
of one OF the principal actors In the events
about which Col Sanders could tell so much.
| The terrible brevity Of the first campaign Of
the Vigilantes cannot be exhibited In more
striking form than by this table OF the
names, dates, and places OF execution OF
RUNNERS men:
| George Ives, Nevada City. ........Dec. ~, 1868
alias Red" stinkinwate VALLEY. Jan. 4, 1884
g, w Brown, Stnkingwater Valley Jan. 4. 1884
Henry Plummer, Bannack City ...-.Jan. ~, 1854
Ned Ray, Bannack City. ...........yan- 70. ls64
suck Stlnson Bannack City....'..'-Jan' TO- 1854
"Dui Oh john Bannaek City Jan. IL, 1894
Joe pizanthia Rannaek Cty..... Jan. H. 1884
SCinb Foot" Virginia city Jan. IA. 1854
Frank Parish. Virginia City........Jan. II, 1894
jack JACK Gsiisshel, Virginia city L. 1854
Boone Hblm, Virginia City,. Jan. -, 1854
Steve Msrstand, Big II Il Ranch. Jan. IL 1884
William Bunton, Deer Lodge VslIey.yan. -, 1894
i George shears, Observation-Disclosures ~, ls64
Cyrus Skinner, Hell Gate .......yan. 20, 1854
Alexander Cater, Hell Gate 1000. Jan. 25, 1854
John Cooper Hell Gate. ........-...J Jan 70, 1854
Robert Zachary, Hell Gate.... ....Jan. 20, 1864
awhiskey BILL Fort Owens. :. ..Jan. 20. 1se4
i William Hunter, Gallaiin Valley....Feb. 8, 1854
The incidents attending this series OF lille.
| gal executions In the interest Of law and
| order afford material for hundred romances
| OF frontier life. When a murderer or thief
was caught his fate was settled in this man
ner: The Captain Of the party Of Vigilantes
man for these menl step to the right SIDE Of
the road, and those who are for letting them
| 20 stand on the left" When Red" Wager
| was hanged he shook hands with all Of his
executioners and said. "Good-by. boys; God
bless you'll You're on good undertaking"
He was left swinging by the roadside, with
/ the legend pinned to his coat, "Red. Road
| Agent and Messenger" Plummer weakened
| when In the hands of Col. Sanders's Vigil
antes. and the once formidable parsonage
begged for his life, declaring with tears and
| signs that he was too wicked 70 die. Give
| man time TO prayp were his last words.
/ Bonnie Helm died game, telling Jack Gala
| CHER, who was cursiDg and crying at the val;
| lows mot to make damned fool VI himself.
| AS the Vigilantes pushed the box away from
under Gallagher's feet, Boone Helm shouted
Il
| I'll be In hell with YOU In minute' Then
| he added, just as his own rope twanged,
EVERY man for his prineiples-hurrah for
JEFF DayisP Let her ripP
One of the most frightful tales whieh Col.
| Sanders can tell his colleagues In the
United States Senate Is that which recites
his experience at the execution OF Joe Pizan-
thia, known as 'the Greaser," at Bannack
| City The Bannack Vigiantes had de-
/ termined to arrest this Mexican desperate.
| party started for his cabin. which stood
/ on a hillside. The Greaser was summoned
| by the leader Of the Vigilantes, but refused
| TO come forth. Two of the Vigilantes, smith
Ball and George Copley, entered the hut and
i received a pistol shot each, Copley being
killed. The excitement In Bannock rose 10
madness. There was adismounted howitzer
| somew here in town. Under the direction Of
i Vigilante who had had military experience
this was dragged up, loaded, and trained on
| the cabin. Three shots were fired from the
law and order rushed into the Mexican's hut.
| They found him and dragged him forth,
Smith Ball emptying bis revolver into the
wretched captive as he was pulled into the
open air. The Mexican was then hung to
| pole by a lump hitch. and as his body
/ swayed to and fro q hundred shots were
| poured into 1t. Meanwhile somebody had
set fire to the cabin. and proposition TO
ceived with exultatior by the Infatuated
| crowd. The body was thrown upon the pile
and burned so completely that not trace OF
| bone could De f0unu. i. =.
tana Vigilantes acted with discretion, eau
ton, and with a steady regard 10 the terrible
responsibility they assumed when they put
ON masks and went forth, rope In hand, TO
hunt men against whom no magistrate bad
| ever issued a warrant. Politics never inhu-
| enced the decisions of the dreaded Organiza-
tion; personal interest or private malice,
rarely. 1t was Inevitable tnat the power
thus yielded should be occasionally abused.
| None Of the old Vigilantes will claim that no
| mistakes were made: mistakes terrible 10
the innocent victims. did the courts OF law
in old settled communities never make
mistaken" is what would be asked in reply
to such a suggestion. Have there never
been judicial errors by which innocent men
are hangedP'
who has now laid aside his mask and bis
rope In the presence Of regular courts OF
Justice, able to enforce their DEGREES and TO
protect life and property, would be some-
thing like this: The good people were al
with us None of them feared us; none OF
theu had reason to fear cur midnight visits.
| The majority Of the honest men OF the Ter
ritory were Of our number There was no
law In the territory when we came t9gttheI
work with hands that never trembled: We
| made 1t possible for the peaceable to live IN
Montana, and for the industrious u ac-
cumulate and enjoy the fruits OF industry.
Just as fast as the consolidation of society
| rendered operative the ordinary progresses OF
law, we retired. While It's administration
| was still feeble or imperfect we supplement-.
ed it, We made civil law respected, and
| when it came to full power we bowed to u
| and went out Of business. Tee hanging OF
| George Ives ana the entermination Of Plum
mer's band by Col Sanders and the fearless
men associate with him was the critical
event in the history Of Montana. II made
possible the State that exists to-day as the
equal OF New York or Illinois,"
II Col. Sanders gets to washington and
talks there as freely as Is his habit ut home.
and frankly tells all that he knows about life
In Montana In the days Of the gold stamLede,
the walls of the Senate cloak room will hear
some strange tales.