St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-17

compactly built man nearly six feet in
height. who was introduced to me as
Nathaniel FIT Langford. had known
Gov. Hauser Tor several years. and was
acquainted with portions of his marvel
ously interesting career as explorer,
gold hunter, Indian fighter, pioneer,
vlEilante, and finally as the big capital
lst of his territory and state. so that q
remark he made about his companion
gave me quick clew TO the story | af-
terWard drew out from the two men.
"Langford used to 1--we in Montana in
Its tough days." said the governor.
"He aud L have had some pretty hard
times together. BY the way, he has
written book on the vigilante prO-
ceedngS in Montana, which is a truth
full statement of them. He was with
me on that trip when Henry Plummer
gave he bright scarlet scarf, so that
he might have good mark tor his rife
when he came along with his road
agents to hold us up"
w ith the reply that | had always de-
sired TO hear the full details of that
story, induced the two gentlemen to
sit down and soon had the main points
OF 1t, as here reproduced:
Along in 1868, HauSer and Langford
who had been engaged in various en-
terprlses at Virginia City, concluded to
make trip to the states. The regular
route lay by way of Bannack City to
Salt Lake City, between which places
y. y. Oliver was running a letter eX-
press by means of small lumber
wa an, which had convenienceS for tax
'nS :. Few AsSengers.
1t was precariOuS mode of convey
aDce, but it was the only public one.
ana the seats were always full. Vir-
eInia City was full of desperadoes at this
time, and regularly organized band OF
ROAD agents had headquarters there. of
witch Henry Plummer, the sheriff of
the county, was the chief. His official
position protected him in part from sus-
piclon. although he was afterward found
out and executed by vigilantes, and
gave him the earliest information as to
the movements of persons who were
taklDg gold out of the country. 1t was
agreed between Hauser and Langford
That the latter should go over to Ban.
mack and engage places in divers let
ter express for its next trip.
The Shot Graze0 His Eyebau.
just as Langford was starting ruffian
named French fired shot at him, the
bullet slightly grazing his eyeball, but
dong no further damage than to shake
the eye III its socket and cause con-
siderable pain. The ride to Bannack,
however, gave MIR. Langford a severe
cold, which settled in his ye, producing
Inflammation and temporary blindness,
SO that he was confined in dark room
for two weeks until liberation brought
relief. While he was thus lad up he
heard OF two Virginia City ruf1ians,
named Ned Ray and Buck StInson
being in Bannack and making particu-
lar inquiries for him.
AS they had both been in Virginia
City when he left he was Immediately
convinced that they had pursued him.
with the purpose of wayiaying him on
the road to Salt Lake City. Ray was
discovered watching the house where
Langford was Ill, and to cOmpIicate
matters and give him further uneasi-
ness, when he got up and applied fol
seats in divers conveyance. that gen
tleman Informed him that the snow was
falling so deep oil the mountain divide
that it was necessary to abandon the
wagon and go back to Salt Lake with q
pack mule. Langford wrote Hausel
these particulars, and advised him tC
get over to Bannack as promptly as
possible.
When Hauser left Virginia City he
had with him $4,000 in gold dust, sealed
in buckskin sack, which belonged to
Dance d Stuart, firm of merchants at
Virginia City, who had arranged to
send it by him to their creditors in st.
Louis. The possibility of getting the
money safely to the states had been dis
cussed occasionally in the merchants
store in the presence of character
known as "Clubfoot George" whose
honesty no one suspected. but who was
shown in later vIgilante Investigations
to have been one of Plummer'S spies.
When Hauser entered the coach for
Banuack he was surprised to find Plum
mer as fellow passenger, and, although
at that time there was no open evidence
against Plummer, good many citizens
with shreWd observation, of whom
Hauser was one, had become morally
certain that the sheriff was at least in
completely with the road agents, If not a
road agent himself.
Hauser's Bold Strategy.
Hauser at once became suspicious
that Plummer intended TO rob him, and
adopted an air OF placing implicit conf
dence in him as his best means of
thwarting PIummer's plans. He not
only made no effort to conceal the sack,
but talked freely and confidentialIy to
Plummer about its contents and his
contemplated trip to the states. II
shivered down my spinal column as we
went through Rattlesnake CANON" said
the governor at this point, because of
the numerous rObberies that had taken
place at that point on the road between
Virginia City and Bannack, and / was
tremendously relieved on reaching Ban
mack 10 find myself whole and sound,
and the sack of gold safely in my pos
session."
There was a hotel at Bannack, kept
by man named Goodrich, in the sitting
room of which there was large crowd.
most of whom were leading citizens,
and among whom was Sidney Edgerton
an Ohioan who had been prominent in
congress, and was then federal Judge
Of the territory, an uncle of WILDER T.
Sanders, the present United States
senator from Montana. In the presence
of these gentlemen Hauser produced
his sack, turned to the sheriff and said:
"Plummer, they tell me no man is safe
in this town over night who has money
about him. Pve got $4,000 in this bag,
which L am taking to the states, and L
want you, as sheriff, to keep it for me
till [ start"
Plummer took the gold and promised
to return it when it was wanted. a
promise which he fulfilled, but Hauser's
friends at the time were filled with
alarm, and Judge Edgerton quietly ex-
pressed surprise that he should intrust
the money to man with such doubtful
reputation. But HauSer met their re-
mOnstrances by showing them that
Plummer would not dare keep gold
handed to him in so open manner, be.
cause if he did not return it he would
fear the vengeance of the respectable
element of the community. "If L had
kept the gold on my own person." ar
gued Hauser. che or his ruffians. would
not have heSltated at any moment to
murder me for it.''
The strategy was as successful as it
was bold. Hauser and Langford finally
engaged passage with a company of
eight Mormon freighters who were to
leave Bannack about noon, on a day
shortly after this episode, and this in
formation was not withheld from Plum
mer, who continued to loiter about Ban
mack. Langford ana Hauser, on the
day named. persuaded the teamster
with whom they we're to travel to wait