The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
IN THE STIRRING WG|LANTE DAYS.
An Old Timers Recollections Of Lynching Bses-A Deer Lodge
Man Hanged by Mistake-A Steak From a Roasted
Greaser-Slades Notorious Career.

threw II through the window at the
would-be murderer. Then he went I'M
moiested down the street.
Later in the evening Lynch went to
the saloon 90 see Brady and explain.
Brady saw him coming and. grabbing
a rifle. stepped out the back door as
Lynch entered. He was drunk at the
time. which fact possibly interfered
with his craftsmanship. He slipped to
the front door. drew a bead ON his un-
conscious victim n fired. Lynch fell
to the floor. but the wound was only n
flesh wound. and with proper care he
soon n was as well as ever
in a very short time.
stampeded the Pilgrims.
The vigilantes picked the matter up
n Brady was arrested. There had
been a great influx OF pilgrims and IL
was decided that an example was
necessary. Brady was given the usual
trial and ample opportunity to defend
himself. The tide of opinion was turn
ing somewhat i'm his favor. when. in
reply to a question from the prosecu-
ton. he admitted hat when he fired he
intended to kill Lynch. IL was a fatal
admission and placed the moose around
his neck. He was found guilty and
was ordered hanged. Preparations were
Immediately made for the execution. as
there was no nonsense about new trials.
writs of error or xecutive clemency in
those lays. An admirable spot was
chosen for the scene of the hanging. so
arranged that the spectators. of whom
there were thousands. nj view the
execution from the sides of the gulch.
A beef reel was utilized as a gallows.
When the hour arrived the space
I around the gallows was packed with
spectators. many of them fresh from
the East. Immediately surrounding the
condemned man was a guard of 100
armed vigilantes. When the time came
the captain shouted. About facet"
Someone in the crowd. as a joke. yelled:
Don't shoot. Don't shoot" That was
enough for the tenderfeet in the crowd
and with a shout of fear they began a
stampede down the hill. and of the
thousands who gathered to witness the
execution only a few remained to see
Brady take his last jump. An unwill-
ing and involuntary spectator. Kelly,
under guard. was forced. as a warn
ing. to see his employer swing.
In vigiiante Days.
DIR. H~ardenbrook. who was all
through the troubled and adventurous
days of the vigilantes. has a mass of
interesting "reminiscences and his praise
is u~nbounded for those stern men who
purged the community of it's ~despera-
does and made life and property safe.
They were good citizens n men of
sterling worth, many of whom since
have occupied some of the highest po-
sitions i'm the gift of the people of the
state. They had a rough work cut out
for them me they did IL manfully. The
doctor tells some interesting stories of
those early days and times in which
he played his part. Speaking of the
time of the first rush of miners to Nir-
ginia City and Alder gulch in 1863. he
says that as far as law was concerned
society was in a state OF anarchy of
which Montanans of to-day can have
little conception. That which is now
the state of Montana was then a part
of Idaho. but while congress had al
ready set apart Montana as a territory.
yet the organization act had not yet
gone into effect. There was practically
no law, a fact of which the road agents
N desperadoes were not slow to take
advantage. The little law that existed
vas mad a farce and IL was every man
for himself. When the d~esperadoes or
ganiZed society was helpless. From or
ganization IL was a step only II the
election of Plummer as sheriff and with
his election came the appointment of a
gang of roa agents and desperadoes,
as deputies.
A Gentlemanly william.
Plummer was a pleasant, quiet. gen.
tlemanly-appearing sort of fellow, but
he left a record of crime behind him i'm
Nevada, from which place he came to
Montana. His manner was so deceptive
that there was practically no opposition
to his election as sheriff. Nearly every
one voted for him. the doctor included.
The event which brought the vigi-
lantes to life was the cold FLOODED muir
der of a man in who had care
lessly dropped some accusations against
Plummer and his gang. Two of his
deputies, Buck Stimson and Hazel
Lyon. came from Virginia City, called
him TO the door and shot him down. So
confident were they of immunity that
they stayed around the town and made
no attempt to escape. A miners meet
ing was called and the deputies, much
to their surprise. were arrested. They
wer1 given a fair trial and condemned
TO death. The graves were dug and
everything was prepared for a hanging
bee. Then a woman appeared on the
scene and by means of a letter alleged
to be from Stimson's mother so aroused
the sympathy of the miners that the
vote was reconsidered and by one vote
the men were set free, but banished
from the country.
Stimson, however. returned about
.t.11 ,.a,,t. Iot.r anl x-ag xfI,-