The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-02-23

WdtSlilul dIlC ODSCl NSu tlilS, dSCiu-
ing that no time was to be lost. A
rope was obtained from the home
of Governor Edgerton and three
separate commands were organized
quietly. To each was assigned the
task of capturing one of the road
|agents.
| Plummer had gone early in the
Ievening to his home He had I'M
buckled the belt that held his re-
volvers, intending, apparently, to
eat supper before riding forth to
escape the Vigilantes. Suddenly
there was heard on the hard-packed
snow the tramp of marching men,
and dark figures surrounded the
cabin. Sanders, one of the guests
at the dinner party, and a dozen
others, entered the room. In mo-
ment the road agent chief was
dragged, struggling and cursing,
out into the night At the gallows
he became abject, servile and ca
joling in his abandoned cowardice.
He begged to be allowed to leave
the country. His pleading was in
vain He saw Buck Stinson and
Ned Ray swing. Then, seeing that
he could not escape death, he brac-
led up, cody asked for a good drop
and died almost without struggle.
His grave is in a ravine just out
side the old and abandoned camp
|of Bannack.
Story of Alex Carter
Within short time the Vigil
lantes hanged more than 80 of
Plummer's gang. They were all
men of desperate character, with
the blood of many murdered men
on their souls. One of the worst
ruffians of the band was Alex Car
ter, who had most singular his
tory. Known in Montana as one
of the most brutal and unscrupul-
Gus of the highwaymen, he was a
bosom friend of George Ives and
confessed completely in the murder
of young Tiebalt, for which Ives
was hanged.
And yet in contrast with his
known character in Montana, Car
ter had reputation in California,
where he lived before going to
as fine type of citizen,
honorable and just in his dealings
"a generous and kind-hearted
man. He was a close friend and
benefactor of Joaquin Miller, the
famous Poet of the Sierras, and
when the latter came to Montana
in later years to write history of
he state, he could not believe that
Carter had not been mistakenly
and hanged. So bitter
lid the poet, Miller, become that he
lfterward denounced Vigilance
Committees in California, Montana
ind elsewhere. He refused to in
Jude the story of the road agents
md Vigilantes in his history of
Montana.
Later the story came to Montana
hat Carter, then man of some
wealth and position, fell IN love
With handsome girl and won her
to marry him. A week
before the date set for the wedding,
,he eloped with another man. Car
er disappeared from his home and
vent to San Francisco, where he
spent his money in life of drunk
,nness and debauchery. He drift
ID to Virginia City and Bannack,
where he was soon consorting with
he lowest characters. He became
me of the most eager of Plummer's
-ecruits. When he was captured he
showed the utmost nerve and cool
less, and at his trial confessed to
having committed murder.
AS the activity of the Vigilantes
grew, the road agents spread in
heir efforts to leave the country.
The last of the band, Bill Hunter,
vas captured at the mouth of the
Iallatin river and hanged February
}, 1864. Less than two months
lad elapsed since the execution of
George Ives. During that short
ime the Vigilantes had secured the
and and dealt out swift and mer-
iless death, until now the frozen
,ody of the last of Henry Plum
ner's men told mutely of the over
brow of anarchy in Montana.
The last service of Captain Will
Jams, leader of the Vigilantes, was
S chief of the committee who
anged the notorious Captain Jo-
eph A. Slade. Thereafter he en-
aged in stock-raising, living in the
Upper Ruby valley, where he died
february II, 1887. His body lies
4 an unmarked grave which over