Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-28
TALE OF VICILANTE TINES
Efficacy Of a Swift Moose in Checking the
Pace Of Criminals
CHAPTER or NONTANNs YOUNG llFE
Part Played by the Late Senator SAN
ders in C1eaninE Out the Border
Rumahs Injecting Mining
Camps in Early Days.


death Of Wilbur Fisk Sanders leader and
prosecutor for the organization, lends to
the record the human interest that ever
attaches to triumph OF order over disor-
der and crime. San Francisco had o SINH
bar experience a decade before the Mon
tana camps were born. Similar methods
were employed in numerous western camps.
Summary punishment OF criminals became
necessary as measure OF elf-defense,
and out of the vortex Of outlawry sprang
law ana order. slgnallsing the right of life,
liberty and property upon which clvillza-
zion Is founded
correspondent OF the New York Sun,
reciting the events OF forty-two years ago
says IN part:
Montana was part Of idaho in 1873
when Colonel Sanders arrived there He
was 20 years Old had studied law in Ohio
and had fought In the civil war He set
tied at Bannock City. a mining camp
where he began to mako a living as a law
yer
BAunock CITY was only about a year old
and Virginia City and Nevada City. close
by. were just getting on the map. There
were no iveiier settlements than these on
the face OF the earth. The craze for gold
had collected there California gamblers
and cu.throats. Mexican desperadoes. de-
scrters from both the federal and the con-
federate armies. fugltives from Justice OF
dozen countries, and last and almost
lcas, few honest miners and peaceful
immigrants. There was little government
nnd no law except a limited quantity OF
the homemade article. II was here that
Colonel Sanders became prosecuting attor-
ney.
PIummer's Gang.
There was trouble waiting for the sheriff.
Eenry Plummer was the head OF a big
gang of road agents and murderers. Plum
imer's gang was the only well organized
band of men in the community and con-
sisted OF about two dozen bad men" and
large number Of spies, scouts and outside
correspondents These were the road
agents who prompted the writers OF dime
novels to do their worst. In action they
wore black silk handkerchiefs over their
faces, and their secret service system tcld
them OF every expedition worth robbing
Individually the members Of Plummers
gang were murderers who put small valua-
tion on human life. They killed for ven
geance sometimes, for personal dislike
sometimes even for luck" They fired at
women to frighten them and killed Indians
for no reason but pure wantonness.
Plummer himself was said to he the
quickest and surost revolver shot in the
pmountnlns. He could shoot with either
his pistol and empty its five chambers in
three seconds, making every bullet tell
lie came to the gold camp with a record
of three murders In California and had
taken part in an attack on a Wells-Fargo
bullion express
when Sam T. Hauser, later governor Of
the territory, started east with load Of
treasures Plummer gave him a red wooden
scarf to protect his throat from chill. The
N..gs
mer's men that the wearer was the victim
the .nwhstcd. --..--.. ......--
Dutch John" and Steve Marsland of the
sherlr's band held up ]. NJ. Bozeman
when he started for Salt Lake City with
5000 In gold, and Plummer himself FIRST
interviewed the passengers of divers Salt
lake coach when It rolled into Bannock
after having been held up by Plummer's
mec.
Formation of the ViEiInntes.
THIS was the gang that engaged the at
tention of Colonel Sanders and the move
mont which brought about the hanging OF
twenty-five OF them. including Plummer
himself followed the formation of the
Montana vlg!lantes. OF which Colonel
Sanders was the active head.
The prosecution OF George Ives was the
beginning OF the end OF Plunmer and his
gang. In the few months preceding the
uprising there had been a reign of terror
n in which no man felt that his life was
Dsafe. There had been no less than lO2
known murders which were charged to tho
Plummer gang.
Ives was one OF the gang. He was sent
10 huy two mules from Communications
Tbalt in the Stinkngwater valley-and
murdered the German to save paying for
the mules. He was caught redhanded. and
a crowd OF citizens dragged him to Nevada
City. Ives didn't worry any over his ar
rest, but this time the miners were aroused
and sent for Colonel Sanders
/, The trial took place in the open air before
. huge bonfire lato in the afternoon OF
December 2l, 1863. Citizens came from
/, miles around to attend. The Judge sat in
wagon. Colonel Sanders had clear cas-,
against Ives. and he made the most 81
every bit OF evidence. The jury, which wa'
composed OF the better element of miners
found the prisoner guilty. and the prose
cutor moved that he be hanged at once.
Then for n few minutes IL was question
whether Sanders or Ives would be the frs
20 die In tho crowd were many friends o.
the prisoner and of Plummers gang. Tn,
arrival OF Plummer with q rescuing gam
was mOmentarily expected. and part OF th'
mob made an attempt at rescue, but II wa
repulsed. pole was swung out OF thu
window OF an unfinished house near by, ant
in fifty-elght minutes after he was con
victed the body of Ives swung on a rop
from the end OF Il, That was the beginning
of the campaign against Henry Piummer'
Can=,
Wholesale HRnRinGs.
Colonel Sanders was backed up by tn
decent men in the vicinity and he mad
the most Of his FIRST victory With FIVE mel
in Virginia City. three others In Bannocl
and one IN Nevada City be formed tn
Montana vigilantes. a secret tribunal whicl
for the next twenty years exerted pow
erful influence upon the territory. Within
two weeks the little band had a hold Il
every settlement in the region. In littl
more than a month the vigilantes had cap
turcd. sentenced TO death and hanged TWEEN
two members of Plummer's band including
PluI0msr himself.
Tie visiantes held no public trials. an
whea their work was done there was moth
lag le'; for a Judge 10 attend 10.
Nlsioute executions took place almoS
daiN IN January, 1854 Plummer and ~
OF his men died In Bannock City on IN
same dsS. and four days later five NOR
~ OF his bend were nut 10 death in Virgini
city. Tho vigIiantes were judges jur
ami eVecu'iorerE. ell In one. The tria