The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-22

Il l.
Nathaniel p. Langford of st. Paul (Who !
was annointed territorial governor OF
montana by President Andrew Johhsoh
in 1850 their experiences together IL
the early and eventful days of that re-
zion. AT the Ryan hotel e u
representative found them reviewing tii9
period of ferocious outaWry that IousIo
the citizenship to action when tooh .llo
form Of a vigilance committee ana re
suited in freeing the territory OF the roo-
her gangs that had long overrun the mill
ing regions. sc
sTaneford used to live in Montana IN It's
tough DAVIS" said Gov. Hauser, ana ne
and had some pretty hard times toSeth+
err He was with me on that TRIP 10 oal1
Lake City. when Henry Plummer gave nie
q bright scarlet scarf so that he might
have q good bright mark for his gun when
he came along that night with his road
agents to hold US up. BY the way that
was inst forty years ago tonight, NOV
a. 1863 and if it hadn't been that Lans
ford loaned his blankets to that con
sumptive gambler, Charlie Whitehead,
and so laid awake on the ground an hlslic
to keep from freezing, probably nelthel VI
us would have seen another daylight.
eve were living at that time at Vlr-
pinis CITY. Mont 500 miles from the
nearest postoffice or express office, ana
all moneys sent by our merchants 10
the states for goods had to be carried by
private hand over this SOLITARY roaa'
where for 400 miles there was not hapl-
tation. The country was full of high
wavmen, and more than 100 Of our citi-
zens were murdered by them between
September. 1852, and December, 1868
But Langford can tell you more about our
trip to Salt Lake City than 1 cam
An Outlaw Chosen Sheriff.
Mr. Langford then related the incident;
I'm order to understand the situation
Thoroughly YOU must bear in mind the
fact that Henry Plummer had been cho-
sen sheriff of all the mining camps In
Montana and to him the people looked
for protection, and at the same time he
was secretly the captain of the band of
brigands which overran the territory and
of whom nine were his deputy sheriffs in
the miners courts. When Plummer was
chosen sheriff but little was known of
his antecedents; but later developments
disclosed the fact that he had been con-
nected with the robbers that piled their
vocation in the Salmon River mining dis
tricts during the year previous to his
coming to Montana.
Outlaw Intended to Reform.
st have no doubt that Henry Plummer
came to the new mines of Bannack City
from the Salmon River mines intending to
reform and lead an honest and useful life.
His department justified that opinion.
His criminal career was known only to
two or three persons as criminal as him
self. If he could have been relieved of
The fear of exposure and of the necessity
of associating with his old comrades in
crime, it is not improbable that his better
nature would have triumphed. He
possessed great executive ability, a power
over men that was remarkable, polished
aH lxY1nWladoa of h
fellows-all of which qualities were mel
lowed by the advantages of good early
education. With all the concerns of a
mining camp, experience had made him
familiar, and for some weeks after his
arrival in Bannack he was oftener applied
to for counsel and advice than any other
resident. Cool and dispassionate, he
eyinced on these occasions a power of
analysis that seldom failed of conviction.
He speedily became a general favorite.
Hauser DIstrusted Him.
''Hauser was one of the few who dis
trusted him; and on one occasion he said
to me under the Masonic pledge Of Sc
oreoy, Whoever lives to see this gang Of
highwaymen broken up will find that
Henry Plumrner is at the head Of it; but
1t will be more than my life is worth If
what say to you should ever come to the
ears of one Of the gang But there were
very lew WIZ SIldIeQ I1duS0I VIEWS dI
that time.
"a j. Oliver had been running a letter
express between Bannack and Salt Lake
City during the summer, and early in the
autumn had substituted for a single sad
die horse and pack animal small lumber
wagon, with conveniences for the trans
portation of two or three passengers, the
time occupied for the journey being fif-
teen days 1t was, at best, very pre-
r9riG1S mode of CONVEYANCE. hl1f If
the only public one, it was always full.
"HauSer and had been for some time
contemplating a trip to Salt Lake, and be-
ing now ready, I left Virginia City for
Bannack, seventy-flve miles distant, ex-
pecting to find the express on my arrival,
and make arrangements for our passage
to Salt Lake on its return trip.
Langford Has Narrow Escape.
"The day before 1 left, one Ed French
had shot at me with murderous intent.
The bullet slightly grazed an eyeball, do
ing no further damage than that of shak-
ing the eye in its socket and inf1icting
considerable pain. 1 contracted severe
cold on the ride to Bannack, which set
tied in the eye. producing Inflammation
and temporary blindness. For two weeks
shut myself in dark room, liberation in
the meantime bringing relief and restor-
ing sight.
While thus confined, friends OCCASION
ally called upon me, and one day was in
formed that Ned Ray was in town and
had been making particular inquiries after
me. The next day was told that Buck
Stinson was there on the same errand.
When 1 left Virginia City both of these
ruffians were at that place. I was con-
WINGED that they had left there to pursue
me on the road to Salt Lake City Ray
was observed to watch my boarding house
on repeated occasions very closely.
Upon applying to Oliver for transporta-
ton, that gentleman informed me that
snow was falling on the Pleasant Valley
divide, and that he should abandon the
wagon and return to Salt Lake City with
pack mule Disappointed in my expecta
ton of finding a conveyance, I wrote tc
Mr., Hauser, who came over Immediately
"Messrs. Dance & Stuart, wholesale
merchants of Virginia City, had arrang-
ed to send by us, to their creditors al
st. Louis. $4,000 in gold dust. It was
contained in a buckskin sack and seal
ed. Clubfoot George, whose honesty none
of us questioned, had heard us hold fire.
quent discussions in the store Of Dance
& Stuart as to the chances of safely
getting through with it to the overland
stage line.
Hauser's Clever Diplomacy With Plum
mer.
"Hauser was somewhat surprised o,
entering the coach at Virginia City t.
find that he had Plummer for a fellow