The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-12-14


Claude Duval of the gold camps. Al
a matter of fact there is little bash
for such an association Of the names
Of the men, for while Plummer was
suave and polished villain with Ger
tain brilliant traits, he was as ruth
less and unchvalrous a thief anC
murderer as ever stretched hemp
while the French highwayman is Civ
en- credit in history for some good i'm
pulses.
Plummer was in some ways the
most extraordinary character among
the criminals of America. Well edu
Gated, agreeable in manner and witty
he possessed remarkable executive
ability and was a natural leader
Handsome well dressed and carefully
groomed at all times, his manner and
bearing suggested the aristocrat and
yet he commanded the liking and held
the loyalty of big band of as rough,
untamed desperadoes as ever has been
organized in America AT the same
time he was able by his pleasing per-
sonality and superior mentality to in
spire confidence in the minds of the
best men in any community. SO sue
cessfully did he hoodwink the better
element of the two great mining
camps of Montana, Bannack and Vir-
ginia City, that he was chosen as the
sheriff of Montana and acted i'm that
capacity while directing the operations
of a large and well organized band of
cut threats who carried on their OPP
erations over considerable area in
the Rocky mountain region This was
at a time when gold dust was carried
in stage coaches and private convey
ances in large quantities making high
way robbery a lucrative vocation.
Plummer. like most Of the road
agents of his time in the west gained
his education in crime in California.
where he went from the east in 1852
at a very early age being then in fact
not more than Is or II years of age.
Mystery surrounds his earlier life.
Manyof his associates believed he was
from Boston. while others declared he
was an Englishman by birth He en-
gagged in business in Nevada City
Cal. in 1853. and two or three years
later was elected marshal of that
town. While holding that office his
criminal tendencies made their first
appearance and besides taking part
in several robberies, he murdered. two
men. For the second murder he was
sentenced to 10 years in prison. but he
managed to secure his release after a
few months. Shortly after he went
to Washoe, Cal, where he Joined
band of road agents and took part in
an attack on a bullion express Of
Wells. Fargo & Co.
California Becomes Too Civilized
for Road Agents.
In the late sos California citizens
became so persistent in Furnishing the
crimes that an exodus of roughs and
bandits took place, and Plummer with
many others, headed for Virginia City,
New. where fortunes were being made
from the rich Comstock mines. How
ever as silver did not provide as fav-
orable opportunities as gold dust for
robbery, most of the desperadoes were
attracted by reports of rich gold
strikes in the territory of Idaho, which
then included in it's boundaries what
are today the states of Montana and
The principal camps in /
Idaho in 1859 were Lewiston Orohno |
and Florence. Plummer made his |
headquarters at Lewiston and organ /
lied a band of ruthless and murderous /
bandits Win Cd
throughout the territory in all direc-
tons where the amount of travel made |,
L profitable. In the mountains he es-
tablished two principal ranches or
'shebangs," as the road agents called /
Them, which were used both as meet
ng places and as rerteats for any of
he band who had been recognized in
he commission of a crime and were
being sought for. One was on the
Nalla Walla trail and the other on the
Dad to Orohno.
Plummer acted the part of a gen
leman gambler" spending his days in ,
he better class gaming houses of ,
lewiston. Nearly every man in the ,
sold camps gambled more or less. and .
ne lolpWinS Vi SuCN an occupation IN ]
10 way lowered his standing in the
In fact he soon became h
ecognized as a leading citizen of the p
etter class. Most of the merchants @
f the camp thought highly of him .
he reputation he established helped n
realty to cloak his operations in di- n
Getting the activities Of his organiza- q
ion of road agents. L
Piummer's Eloquenee Saves MUIR 10
derers From the Moose.
Plummer had one great advantage o
uring the early stages of his resi- h
ence at Lewiston and that was that a
he criminal element of the camp was Il
hen greatly in the majority. So many i'm
hugs and cut threats had come to II,
ne camp that for a year they had lor
lings much their own way and hon n
st men were afraid TO accuse them In
fha orir1ec fhaxr >,r,or,ff4ad Di,,r, -.