The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-01-19

Tor SUBSCRIPTIONS, as is SHOWN by entries
in the t~reasurer's book. On January
31st Elk Morse turned in $290.75; Mil
Ter paid in $131.9 5 from the Highland
district; Sanders at one time paid in
$3.50 on account of subscriptions. We
find the entry, Samuel Schwab $93.27,'
Davis paid in $118.50, probably from
Junction. The subscription work seems
to have continued throughout the
year. On September 18th Peter Hart
wig turned in $102.50 from the High
land district, and Pfouts, the president
of the committee on the same day Or
ders on Baume Angevine & Co. for ST.
364.6O. On October 5th the Summit
district turned in $225.45, and Nevada
City $342.95. A large number of in
dividuals gave sums of money ranging
in different amounts from fifty cents
up to $50. The Virginia City brewery
gave $25; the Gem saloon $25. Well
known names appear: Allen & Willard,
the pioneer bankers; Strasburger &
Bro; Kessler & Co.; o. w. Jay; j. H.
Ming; Griffith & Thompson; Poznan-
ski & Co.; Oliver & Co.; Dance &
Stuart. Somebody" gave SIS.
The money was paid out generally
upon Williams order, but here and
there appears an order given by Clark,
probably "Old Man" Clark, Brown
Charley Brown-or Morse. Evidently
Brown, Clark, and Morse were members
of the Ferreting committee. Morse at
one time gave an order for IS for rope.
A Mexican woman was paid $50 for a
pistol. Schwab was paid $110 for a
horse, saddle, and bride. The sum of
$3.50 was paid for a pistol injured by
Brown. Sums of money were paid to
well-known Vigilantes, for example, to
Hereford $40; to Davis $87.86 for ex-
penSeS on a "trip to Gallatin," undoubt-
eddy the one which resulted in the exc
cution of Bill Hunter; the fare of Morse
to Salt Lake by overland stage cost
SIS; A. B. Hamilton a reimbursed
$42.50 for money expended for the
committee, and William Clark $72 for
a like account. At one place in the
t~reasurer'S book Is recorded that the
committee at Summit paid 500 for a
house in which to hold meetings. Moth
ing appears to have been paid to any
member of the committee for his per-
sonal services.
pense. Davis says that Williams lost
six horses and worked with the Vigil
lance committee for more than a year
without one penny Of compensation,
and did more hard riding than any
five men in the whole outfit"
John Lott, writing to me, says, "You
will see that Williams was really the
executive head, but Pfouts was the
ornamental one, and a good one, too"
So far nothing has been said of 81
IT, the numerals of Nemesis. Whence
this mysterious symbol, what did it
mean, and to what extent was it used?
Undoubtedly it originated with the
Vigilantes of California, who used it
during the years when William T,
Coleman was the guiding genius of the
organization at San Francisco. The
Vigilantes Of Denver used 3-7-77 and
also 3-11-77, as did the Montana Vigi-
lantes. Each set of figures is euphon-
ious, but 3-7-T is smoother than Sill
II. The sign was used as a warning
and its purpose was to give the person
warned a reasonable, If short time, in
which to leave the locality,-and to
keep on going.
Those ministers Of retributive Justice
who were constrained to act in the alb
sence OF any legal machinery in Alder
Gulch knew their psychology-they
understood the power Of a dread which
dwells in a mystery of lethal import,
and the numerals meant that a secret
swift-moving band was warning that
the end of life by the hangman's knot
was near.
The understanding in Alder Gulch
always was that when a man found the
sign 3-7-T on his door, or tent-flap
or wagon, he had 3 hours, z minutes
and n seconds to leave camp. I have
talked with many Vigilantes about this
sign and every one gave that interpre-