The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-03
TERROR TO OUTLAWS
OF ALDER GULCH PRACTICAL-
LY PEXNIEEsS
HELPED TO HANG HUNTER


Time by One Who Participated in
the ATair-A. Il. Davis, VINO
Lives In "a Lonely Cabin in Ruby
Valley.
In a little lonely cabin in Ruby valley
lives man named A. b. Davis, says the
Anaconda Standard He lives all alone
and ekes out d hard existence by culti-
waiting the ranch which he has there
Davis was one of the first arrivals In
| Alder gulch, and every year since his ar
| rival there thousands of dollars in gold
| have been taken out of the gulch But
the money didn't come his way, and Da-
| Wis is practically penniless. His wife
whom he married in Virginia City back
in 1864, is now living with her children
in st. Louis, while Davis, In his little old
cabin on the Ruby river, lives the life Of
| a bachelor
Yet Davis was one of the leaders of the
vigilantes in the old days, and his very
| name was a terror to all the outlaws of
the time. He was born in Iowa. and
moved west to Colorado in 1861 He came
TO virginia City in 1868, and finds that he
can't leave the old place He has gone
away three or four times, but always re-
turns, until he Is now a fixture In the
little cabin in the valley few miles from
the stirring scenes of the vigilantes In
DAYS gone by. His face Is rugged from
exposure he walks with a cane now.
his long Whiskers and his mustache are
white Yet thirty-five years ago he was
among the V1g1lantes second In command
only 10 capt. James Williams, the leader
In 1act Williams and Davis were the two
candidates for the position of chairman
OF the executive committee, as 1t was
known. Davis tried to beat himself con-
sldering that Williams was a better man
Tor the position. Williams Is now dead
out Davis says that he was model COM
mander, and did more In money. ttnoe
and horses to make Montana than any,
one else. Williams was in charge of everv
hanging expedition that started from Vir-
g1n1a City except one, and that one Davis
was in charge Of
Inc outlaw who was hanged by Davis
was Bill Hunter. George Ives was hang
eo on Dec. ~ by miners court The
Nlgllantes were organized soon after, and
dig gang was hanged about the last of
January. 1t was intended that Hunter
should be hanged at the same time but
he made his escape and was not caueht
by Davis and his men until the 1s+ of
February.
The old vigilantes are usually reticenf
TO narrate the part they took in these old
stirring times, inasmuch as there have
Deen charges that some men were hanged
IN those times without sufficient proof of
their guilt. Mr.. Davis was however. re-
Gently prevailed on to narrate the facts
| connected with the hanging of Hunter.
Hunter was probably the best shot in
Virginia City, said Davis, In telling the
story of the affair He could keen whirl-
ing around, and in ten seconds could put
twelve balls into the crown of a hat I
had assisted in the hanging of Ives, who
was friend of Hunter, and after that
vas over Hunter repeatedly threatened
my life. Once l was in Tom Baums store
when Bill came in after ME. got behind
pile of coffee sacks and pointed nv
| gun toward him. When he saw that |
had the drop on Kim he went away with
out making any trouble.
1t has been claimed that some men
were hung against whom there was moth
| ing more than q suspicion. That Is not
| true. Not q man was hung by the Wig
| 1Iantes against whom there was not a
clear case, and all of them had fair trials
| The only difference is that we didn't allow
defeat the ends of justice. There was a
particular case against every man. There
was a saloon called the California EX-
change, which was kept by friend Of
man FROM Wisconsin, who was killed
MURDERED AND ROBBED A MAN.
Before the Wisconsin man started for
home he had $500 on deposit in this saloon
The proprietor of the saloon took down
the numbers and description of each bill
that was left with him. One 500 bill had
been torn IN two and pasted together with
tissue paper. The Wisconsin man started
back to his home with his money in q
wagon drawn by two gray horses. The
Wisconsin man never reached home. The
wagon was found in Beaver canyon. and
it WIS found that the horses had been
sold by members of this gang. The
horses were afterward resold and the
money sent to the widow back in Wiscon-
sin. ThHt made good case against soma
of the gang.
About 340O of the Wisconsin mans
money was traced to Jack Gallagher,
Bill Hunter and Lyons The torn $50 was
presented at this very California Elk
change by Gallagher and Hunter. They
spent the money around various saloons
in gambling and drinking. The proprietor
Of the California Exchange went to the
vigilance committee and told of the nat
ter and al investigation was started.
The evidence was conclusive and the men
were hung.
1.-The night before the execution there
were about $50 of the Vigilantes on guard
around town Bill Hunter was hiding in
a lumber yard between two piles of lum-
Der. Some of our guards were sitting on
the lumber piles, and as they talked Hun
ter ascertained that he and the others
were to be hung the next day. He stole
out Of the yard, got safely out Of town
and scooted for the Gallatin valley
when 1t was found that Hunter wasn't
to keep his appointment with the rope
the next day a posse was appointed to
go after him and catch him. The party
consisted of five men-Charles B. Bagg,
John S. Lott Dick McClerman, Charles
Leyendecker and A. B. Davis. l was in
command.
Eve finally found Hunter in little
cabin about 20 miles above GalIatin City
At Gallatin City we were put on to where
he was. A man named Brown piloted us
to the cabin. 1t was a small cabin about
10X12 and there were three men in It,
When we rode up along after the middle
of the night l hollered out:
"'Hellov
"Some one inside hollered back:
" Hell high and you won't hurt your
shns"
I'VE said we were on the Barney
Hughes stampede and wanted to rest We
were allowed to come in and stayed until
morning. Bill Hunter was lying down
with his head covered up and did not
show himself or say anything.
"In the morning Lott went to where
Bill was sleeping and told him to get up.
Bill grunted a 6 If he was still asleep. We