The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-03-26

Of Alder Gulch, Mr.. Story was a par
of many an exciting incident which
had to do with the maintenance Of
law an order in a camp far beyond
the pale of civilization. Being Of a
natural fearless type, he was many
times close to disaster, but his
cool nerve and thOughtfulness always
brought him out safe and sound.
Perhaps there are very few now
living in Montana who have learned
the important part that this same
Nelson Story played in the execution
of the famous road agent, George
Ives. This episode is best told in
Mr.. StOry's own words as written by
him in a specially prepared article,
in 1917.
Mr.. Story's own description of the
hanging of this swashbuckling des-
peradO of the Plummer gang of ban
dts, follows: ,..4.- g.
Much has been written concern
ing events of the early days of Mon
tana, and although. the general. field
has been pretty thoroughly covered
and the events very correctly narrat-
ed, there are still many thrilling IN
cidents that have never been in print.
"The writer was a resident of Sum
NIT, Alder Gulch, in the summer of
! 1868, occupied in the packing of
, supplies and selling them to miners
of the guIch. About December l.,
1853, a mar appeared in Summit. He.
had come from the Bitter Root val
ley to Nevada, or Lower Town, some
two miles below Virginia City, with
a load of potatoes, which he wished
to sell.
Il bought the potatoes, went the
following day with my pack out
fit, consisting of about IA Mexican
bUrrOs, to the Lower Town where I
arrived about, the middle of the. at
TternOOn. After depOsiting my pack
outfit in the hay corral, I. procured
my dinner, and went to the center Of
the town, then consisting of a row of
One-stOry log buildings on either side
of the street.
Here the trial of George Ives was
in progress. He was being tried for
the killing of a German by the name
OF NichOla TabaUlt, in the Sinking
water valley, near the ranch of Rob
ert Dempsey.
"The jury consisted of "a members.
Colonel Sanders was prosecutor.
Robert Hereford, acting sheriff. The
trial took place in the open, out of
doors in front of log buildings, on
the west side of the street. Benches
and logs served as seats; a wagon
body for the judges stand. Guarding
this honorable court, some 100 men
with guns in their hands, stood and
sat in a circle around the prisoner
and the jury.
Ives Pronounced Guilty
About five o'clock the jury retired
to a nearby cabin. They were out
but a short time. It was fast grow
ing dark. AS they took their seats
again on the jury bench, Colonel
Sanders Immediately stepped forth
and, in a clear-tOned voice, annOunc-
ed the decision of the jury-which
was gUilty-23 deciding in the af-
firmative, dissenting
Sanders spoke for a few minutes
about as follows: The d~issentine
juror is n of the road agents, be.
yond all reasonable doubt and ad.
e vised the hanging of the prisoner
G Ives, Immediately. He further sale
G that a move would be made to rescue
the prisoner; there were many law
p Hess people there and more assemb
ling.
g cat this time. a crowd of spectator
numbering several thousands, ha,
l. gathered and before this gathering
the attorney defending the prisone
e asked that Ives might have time t.
l. fix up his business affairs, which wa
IS consented to. This took about on
glhOur and by the time he had finishe,
p darkness had set in upon us, it bein.
y about seven o'clock.
b Story Volunteers As Guard
g ''The air was filled with apprehen
sion, and upon hearing Sander
4 speech, and warning of rescue, tn
4 writer, being fully equipped with pis
toll and carbine, stepped forth int
the guard without being invited, 70
all the guard were made up of vo.
unteers. Hereford ordered a no.
it low square to be formed about tn
n prisoner; marched us with the pris
as oner up the road to the east som
IN 200 yards, then side-stepped us t
lie the west into a vacant space abOU
e. 20 feet square and between two on,
in story log buildings. Two logs We1
TO extended across from one buildin
= to the other, forming ridge pole.
From about the center Of these log
was suspended a rope with moose a
fixed and a large dry goods box We
arranged for a drop. !
eve formed in rank on either sic
of the open space, facing outward
keep the crowd from invading the el
closure. The adjoining building
were soon covered with people. Her
ford put Ives on the box and pii
Toned him facing east. The write
stood about the center Of the line
the west, At my shoulder stood Bel
jamin Ezekial, a Summit bOardiI
house keeper. Upon my right stOC
a boy, not over 81. One of Il
guards asked Ives if he killed Il
Dutchman (Tabault). No, I did NO
he replied. Who did?' was aske
Alex Carter was the answer.
Sheriff Hereford then got upC
the box, adjusted the moose arOu1
Ives neck, while on the east buildin
directly over HerefOrd's head, a re
cuing party made up of a DVmber
linen. stOOd with their rav01vara.