The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-12-30


rear came reports Of rich discoveries
IN the Salmon river. The prospect
,rs started but when they had almost
the plains and lava beds
II Idaho they learned that the Cali
had got in ahead of them
md had monopolized the good
ground. Then came rumors of indi-
cations to the eastward. The gold
hunters gave up the idea Of going to
the Salmon river and turned toward
The heart Of Montana. They spread
put over the Bitter Root and Deer
Lodge valleys and late in the season
on 0rasshopper creek,
tributary Of the Beaverhead river.
Bannack City was founded and per-
settlement on Montana soil
was established. I
Then came the rush to Alder gulch.
That was in June, 1863. A party of
prospectors had been out and was
on the way back to Bannack. Night
coming on. . camping place was sell
ected beside Alder gulch. While his
comrades were getting supper Bill
FAlrweather sco0ped up . pan of
gravel from the bed Of the creek
and washed IT," Az the contentsl
were gradually reduced to . little dirt
on the bottom OF the pan, Bill shout
cd with delight. The yellow scales
were thick. A couple Of dollars werel
cleaned mp from the pan. In q few
days there was mining camp on the |
gulch and in . month there was 81
city. Alder gulch made Montana. It
continued to yield for years. The
estimate realised from 1t seems in |
credible. One estimate made by an
old newspaper man IL that the gulch
produced $75,000.0O0 in gold.
Plummer was ia Montana when the
Alder wealth was discovered. He
had already organized his band. The
headquarters were known ~ Rattle
snake ranch. Emissaries were locat-
ed In Nevada City, Bannack and Vir-
ginia City, rs the towns which came
into immediate existence were called.
Such was the system Of the band that
horses, men and coaches leaving these
places to 60 across the country were
marked for plumber by secret signals.
To rob without killing and to both
kill and rob was all the same to
Plummer and his accomplices. BY
confessions and the discoveries of
bodies the "vigilantes'' traced to this
band 102 actual murders. This list
did not begin to include all who left
the rich Montana diggings with con-
siderable sums Of money and were
never heard Of afterward.
EARLY Record Vague
Where Henry Plummer came from
originally the Montana Vigilante
never learned. The Vigilantes traced
his career after he reached Califcr-
mia in 1859, and that was enough 10
and leader Of the Montana road
agents was possessed Of geutlesaa0ly
manners and had q way OF gaining
the confidence Of all classes Of peo-
pie. The people Of one town In Cali
fornia elected him town marshal,
but before his term was up be muir
dered . German named Vedder, who
had surprised him In an intrigue with
his wife. For this he was sent to
the penitentiary. but was got out by
his friends. In q house Of fll-fame
he struck q man on the head blow
which proved fatal. His next known
crime was holding up stage. Then
he shot and killed q man named Ry.
der In q brothel, and ran off with
another murderer to Washington
territory. sending back q report tc
the California papers that he and his
companion had been hanged by a moi
for killing two men. Nothing more
serious than seduction was charged
to his account III Walla Walla. II
Idaho he stole horse. and going tt
Lewiston. murdered the proprietor o.
q dancing saloon.
With this record Plummer entered
Montana just at the time Of the golt
discoveries and organized his band
To help ON his schemes he worked
himself into the office Of sheriff
For nearly q year Plummer and hi
associates had q rich harvest. PLAN
mer laid out the work, but seldom
engaged in his expeditions personally
BY virtue OF his official position b.
was able to make show Of huntin1
down the robbers and at the sam.
time to protect them. Bannack. II
the first winter of its existence, va,
run by the desperadoes. A partne
of Plummer, named Jack Cleveland
killed George Everarts out ON tn
stock range for his money. Sh0rtl.
afterward Cleveland got into quar-
rel with q saloon keeper in Bannack
Piummer interfered to stop tn
trouble. Cleveland still kept talking
when Plummer. exclaiming, II an
tired Of this" drew his revolver ant
shot off his old partner. Ge0rg
Carrhert and George Ives had pisto
duel In the street. and Ives was sho
through the body. but lived to b.
hanged. Charley Reeves bought
sQuaw. but she refused to live witt
him, and went back to the tribe
Reeves followed and was beating he
when the old chief interfered, onl
10 be shot for his pains. The mex
day Reeves and q friend named Moor
announced that they were "going 4
set the ball a-rolling'' and going on
into the street they opened fusilad
on the Indians encamped just soutl
of Yankee Flat. The chief. tw
other Indians and Frenchman wer
killed.
WHEN Juaf3na Went AsfRav