The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-07-08
the xERylEs1 NAN.
K. Beidler, One of Montana's Dep
uty Marshals.

K. Beidler, One of Montana's Dep
uty Marshals.
One of the most unique charac-
ters of modern times died the other
day in Helena, Mont. J.X. Beidler
was his name, but few ever thought
of affixing the first letter and this
sturdy, fearless man went through
his perilous career known as x.
Beidler. No one ever knew what
the x stood for, but the name was
a synonym for bravery and intre-
pidity in the lawless days of the
first mining fever in Montana, says
the New York Recorder.
Beidler's chief work in the early
part of his career was the destruc-
ton in 1863 of a bad gang of men
who made Bannock, near Virginia
City, their headquarters, robbing,
pillaging, numbering in the guise of
peace officers. Henry Plummer, q
notorious scoundrel, was the leader,
and he induced his pals to form
combination and select him as
Sheriff. He then appointed six of
the worst men in Montana as his
deputies and these desperadoes cut
a wide swath of murder and riot
without interference until Beidler
heard of the conspiracy through the
murder of one of the gang who had
sickened of the life he was leading.
The victim was named Dilling-
ham, a man of much better charac-
ter than those by whom he was
surrounded. He was a deputy of
Plummer and after a time he de-
termined to cut loose from his as
sociates. Accidentally overhearing
plot to rob and kill a miner named
Dodge, who was to leave Bannock
for Virginia City with $4,000 in
nuggets and dust, Dillingham; in
formed the man of the plan, but the
latter, an honest, unsuspecting fel-
low, refused to believe it.
True to their plot, four of the
deputies" met Dodge the next day
in lonely spot, and as he regarded
them as law officers he greeted them
cordially and told them of Dilling
hams warning. This intelligence
showed them that it would be un-
wise for them to carry out their
plans, so they resolved to kill Dill
ingham instead for his "treachery."
A few days later Dillingham; was
watching the trial of case before
an impromptu Justice up in the
mountains when he was accosted
by three of the deputies, Ives, Stin-
son and Lyons, who called him into
the brush. He followed them, un-
suspecting any danger, and in a
moment revolver was thrust into
his breast and fired. The muff1ed
sound reached no other ears than
those of the assassins, and poor
Dillingham; was left to die until x.
Beidler shifted murder and found
his body q few days later.
His keen intellect soon brought
out the facts and the villains were
tried. Ives and Lyons swore to an
alibi, but an honest miners jury
would have none of it and sentenced
the trio to be hanged. The time of
execution was settled for 4 o'clock
the same afternoon.
x. Beidler, as official Territorial
representative, was appointed to
carry the sentence into effect. Sc
lecting a good comrade, the scaf-
folds were erected and the graves
were dug. 1t was a bright evening
in Indian summer and the entire
population of the gulch assembled
on a sloping hillside to witness the
first hanging in Montana.
All was hustle, roar and confu-
sion. The repulsive scaffolds had
been completed, and close by were
the empty graves awaiting tenants.
The condemned were marched to
the gallows in single fle under
strong guard. The crowd followed,
hooting and yelling, among whom
were a goodly number who were
either downright members of the
gang to which the prisoners be-
longed or else were in sympathy
with them.
Plummer was there, also Ned Ray,
AL Moore, Babe Skinner, Charley
Reeves, his duputies, and many
others, all of whom were afterward
hanged by X. Beidler's vigilance
committee. These men hustled
through the crowd stirring up feel
ings and exciting sympathy in every
possible way for the benefit of the
condemned.
Nearly everybody felt more or
less timid about the matter. Jack
Gallagher, one of the arch ones, saw
the opportunity and grasped it in
stantly. Jumping on a barrel, ne
shouted he had something to read.
It was a farewell letter from young
Lyons (prepared by an expert) filled
with tender, loving messages to his
mother and sister far away in the
states. The effect upon the audi
ence of rugged men was electrical.
Much the same effect was produced