Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-09-27

ana sister were not described, and more
told OF Plummer's early life.
In V~igilantes OF Montana, II Vol, D.
ITO. we ind recorded that q Mr.. Purple,
n Of the early residents OF Bannack,
who introduced Langford to these rela-
tives OF Plummer, had learned from
them that they had been misled con-
corning the cause OF their brothers ex-
ecution by letters which he wrote to them
In 1853, in which he told them he was In
constant danger OF being hanged because
Of bis attachment to the union. They
honestly believed that his loyalty and
patriotism had cost him his life, and they
mourned his loss not only as a brother,
bu as a martyr In the cause OF his coun-
try. From the moment that they heard
Of his death, they had determined, II
ever opportunity offered, to pursue and
punish his murderers, and with that pur-
pose in view, were about to leave by rail-
road for Ogden, Utah, and complete the
remaining 500 miles Of the trip to Mon
tana by stage coach. s'' Finding them
resolved, we concluded that, rather than
allo them to suffer from the deception
they labored under, we would put In
their hands Dimsdale's 'Vigilantes,' with
the assurance that all 1t contained rela-
tive to their brother was true"
Little About Plummer
This is about all tina Langford has to
say Of the incident that is Of much i'm
portance. although there was a fine op-
portunity to have CLEANED more import
ant data concerning the bandit chief.
We do not know that either MIR. Langford
or Mr.. Purple saw those letters purport-
ing to have been written by Plummer in
1868, nor is anything said about his
early life In the town where he was born,
who were his parents; what was his early
environment or how Inc when he went
west. Possibly this was due to a desire
to protect the alleged brother and sister
from unpleasant publicity. However that
may be, the story of the New York City
visit is vague and unconvincing.
Langford claims that Plummer was a
native OF Connecticut, and describes him
as being we'll educated and thai his man
ners were those of a polished GENTLE
man" OF his education I canno speak:
but from my two instances Of social con-
tact with him, I disagree with Mr.. Lang
ford regarding his manners.
When he called at our house with Mrs.
Vail to invite my father and mother to
take Thanksgiving dinner at the Vail
house where he boarded, he was not at
all at his ease. AS / remember it, he did
not remove his hat, and sat tilted back
in his chair, his feet striving vainly to
efface themselves. He was noticeably I'M
comfortable, or i, a girl Of IS years would
not have observed 1t. Plummer's manners
when with men may have been pol
ished," but they were not SO On the &C.
casion Of which I write.
On Another Occasion
The second time his manner were
brought to my attention, was on Jan. /,
1854, when, together with some other
young girls. I was in Thompson's store,
and witnessed the alteration between
Plummer and another man, which l men
toned in a former article. In 1t / spoke
OF the risk run by Mr.. Thompson when
he separated the men and persuaded or
forced Plummer to leave the store by it's
back door.
I did not know then what / have since
learned from Mr.. Thompson's reminis-
censes Of his life In Montana, that Plum
mer made a lunge at his-Thompson's-
face with q knife. He had the grace,
however, later to apologize for this and
also for having quarreled in the store
when girls were there. Like a few other
notorious desperadoes, Henry Plummer
led a DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde kind of
life. 1t is not likely that DIR. Click
thought Plummer's manners those of "a
polished gentleman when he threatened
The doctor with death If he revealed
Plummer's connection with the road
agents and I know Henry Tilden did not
Soiioiucl LIS Aloluup uedl IoIcc TIdlle
indicated any polish on the part Of Plum
mel or his companions. Dead men tell
nc tales" wherefore we have no means of
learning the impression made by Plum
mer in his character of MIR. Hyde at his
worst.
We have abundant proof that when he
chose to do so, this rebber and murderer
could win, not alone The friendship, but
the love OF both men n women.
Because he was what he was. a great