Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-09

Intelligence Of the execution, will
the usual exaggeration, spread far ant
wide through the mining camps. /
was received with approval by the So
ber citizens, but filled the robber horde
with CONSERVATION. Charley Harper
while on the way from Florence t.
Lewiston to gather full particulars, me-
mountaineer.
stranger he inquired. what's the
news?
"T 'spose you've heard about the
hanging of them fellers?
Heard some. What's the particu'
lars?
We'll, Bill Peoples, Dave English
and Nels Scott have gone In. They
strung 'em up like dried salmon. Hap
py Harry got out Of the way in time;
but il they get Club-Foot George his
life won't be worth cent. They're al
ter a lot more of 'em up In Florence.
DO you know who they're after?
asked Harper.
Yes. Charley Harpers the big
chief they're achin' for the most, but
the story now Is that he's already
hanged. A feller went into town day
before yesterday and said he saw him
strung up out here on Camas prairie
Did you hear anything Of it back on
the road"
Wise to the import Of the moment
Harper fed the immediate scene. But
he did not change his manner OF nfe'
and his time Of reckoning was to come
Such, however, was the beginning OF
the end for the outlaws and gun men,
A year or so later, when the Vigilantes
were strong, we'll organized and well
advanced in their cleansing work.
Henry Plummer and other trouble
makers duly hanged-there was an i'm
pressive scene at Virginia City. 1t had
been determined to round up finally
all known members Of the robber band
that had followed Plummer.
ION the 18th Of January, three days
after Plummer was executed, an order
was quietly made for the Vigilantes to
assemble at night in sufficient force to
surround the city. Not man was to
be permitted to leave the city after the
line of guards was established. Bill
Hunter, one of the six marked for cap
ture, suspecting the plot, effected his
escape by crawling beyond the pick
cts in a drain ditch. The city was en-
circled after nightfall by more than
500 armed men, so quietly that none
within, except the Vigilantes, knew 1t
until the next morning.
"An that long winter night, while
that Gordon Of iron men was quietly
stretching along the heights overlook
ing the city, the executive committee
sat in council, celebrating upon the
evidences Of guilt against the men en-
meshed in their tolls. At the same
time another small band was assem-
bled around a faro table in the cham
ber of a gambling saloon. Jack Gal
lagher suddenly broke the silence of
the game with the remark:
"'While we are here betting those
Vigilantes are passing sentence of
death upon u.s.
Wonderful prescience! He little
knew or realized the truth which this
observation had for him and his COM
rades in iniquity.
Morning broke, cold and cloudy,
discovering to the eyes Of the citizens
the pickets of the Vigilantes. The city
was like an intrenched camp. Hun
dreds of men, with guns at the shoul-
der were marching through the snow
on all the surrounding hillsides, with
military regularity and precision. The
preparation could not have been more
perfect If made to oppose an invading
army. There was no misunderstand-
ing this array. People talked with
bated breath to each other Of the GER
tain doom which awaited the villains
who had so long preyed upon their
substance and spread terror through
the country"
And doomsday fell, sure enough, fol
the bandlts-Gallaher, Boone, Helm
Frank Parish and the rest-who had
only the past prestige of terror to pit
against grim determination and plenty
Of rope. The robbers met their short
shrift with various manifestations of
cowardice and bravado. Helms last
braggadocio. The fellow himself leaves
a bad trail through many of Mr.. Land
fords pages. Concerning him we read:
Boone Helm was a native Of Ken
lucky. His parents emigrated to one
of the newest settlements in Missouri
while he was a boy. The rough pur-
suits of border-life were congenial to
his tastes. He excelled in feats of
physical strength. and delighted in
nothing more than a quarrel which
brought his prowess into full display
He was an inordinate drinker, and
when excited by liquor gave way to
all the evil passions of his nature.
One Of the exploits recorded of him
was that of hurling a bowie-knife into
the ground and regaining it with his
horse at full speed. On one occasion
while the circuit court was in session
the sheriff attempted to arrest him
He resisted the officer, but, urging his
horse up the stairs into the courtroom
astonished the judge by demanding
with profane emphasis what he wanted
of him.
| Nor was his the only notoriety in the
family.
Three brothers of Boone Helm came
to the Pacific coast between 1S4S ant
1858. They all died violent deaths. A
the time of the return of Boone Helm
to Florence for trial for the murder o.
Dutch Fred, one Of these brothers, ia
military called old Texs was engaged
in mining in the Boise diggings, 20t
miles south of Florence. He had {
good reputation for honesty, liberalitI
and courage. He was, moreover, {
man of eccentric character 1t is told