Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-01-04

iii Springs asylum inmate VINO was To-
ported missing I'm this vicinity Aasz /
July.
and execution of 80 men Of the Plum
mer gang and later presided over sew
eraI hangings at Helena. In this con-
nection It is proper TO state that Of
the entire 80, Plummer himself, the
self-appoiEted leader of the murderOus
gang. was the only one Who dlsplayea
streak of yellow when the end came.
He begged TO be chained down, have
his arms cut off or 10 be banisEed say
ing he was too wicked to die. Bus he
was also too wicked to live and he met
the fate that he had so long deserved
K Great for Jokes
Many stories have been told illus
trating the ready wit and ocular dis
position OF x. Beidler. A new jail was
built In Virginia City. x and some
friends, including Cap Williams. had
been enjoying few cups q cheer and
X. invited Cap up TO see the new jail.
The jail was equipped with g steel
cage, and X asked Cap to come inside
and see how it was built. Cap stepped
inside when x quietly stepped outside
and locked the door. Despite the force
full threats Of Cap of what he would
do If they didn't let him out, the rest
Of the party went down town and left
Cap there about half an hour. When
they finally returned Cap was released,
but only after he had agreed TO set
EN- up. Cap, so the story gees, took
his medicine gracefully but he didn't
forget. Some time later x. stopped at
Caps ranch on one Of his trips, had
supper. and finally said he was ready
for bed. AL right, said Cap. who had
a room In his house that x. had always
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a lantern and told K. to follow him.
Have you put up a new buildingr
asked x. Cap led x. out to the corral
put down the bars and invited x. in.
Then he put up the bars and started f0T
the house. Where am I going 10
Sleep" asked x. Anywhere you like.
Just help yourself, replied Cap. ana
x. went into the barn and Init the
hay" Nothing was said about it in
the morning. x. knew Cap was even
While x. was living in Helena, Bin
Hamilton, sheriff of Chouteau county,
took an Indian witness to Helena.
There was an old opera house on
Bridge street and a travelling show WAS
In town that night. K. invited Hamilton
TO go TO the show with him blIt they
couldn't figure out what to do With
the Indian as there was no jail In
Helena at that time. Finally they de-
cided to take the Indian with them.
1t was one of those old-tfTne n1elo-
dramas where about everybody on the
stage was killed off before the show
was over. The Indian stood it quite q
while and finally made a dash for
window, jumped through It, stole 2
horse and rode home. When he arrived
he told the Indians Helena was q
terrible place. The white people killed
themselves on a platform and every
body else laughed about it. X. saw the
joke when he had to pay $40 for the
broken window.
x. Beidler was a man who made
many friends wherever he went He was
famous In all Montana mining camps
for his remarkable fund of stories Dur
ing his later years he was the center Of
many pleasant gathering Of those
who enjoyed hearing "reminiscences OF
early days and the incidents, many OF
them thrilling, IN which he had 8 part.
His funeral, held at Ming's opera house
in Helena, was one of the largest ever
held in Montana up to that time. Rev.
Frederick T. Webb OF the Episcopal
church conducted the services end
eulogieS were delivered by Col. w. r.
Sanders and Judge Cornelius Hedges.
Active and honorary pallbearerS were
w. F. Wheeler. James u. Sanders, Wal
ter King John F. Heidi, Hugh Me
Quaid, William A. Rlxmsey, and w. M.
Sprague of Helena; James Ponsford
Lodge, Frank c. Higgins of MissOula,
and EnOch Hudson of Bozeman.
Among other Montana pioneers OF
the SOS who attended and the year of
their arrivals were:
Ignatius Miller, 1865; John Moffit,
1854; Moses Morris, 1864; Andrew
O'Connell 1858; Joseph ONeslI, 1854;
1QROs xars
1862; E. o. Railsback. 1864: John A.
Quirk, 1864; Charles RuInley... 1852;
William A. Rumsey, 1868; Wilbur II.
Sanders, 1853; John r. Sanford, 1854;
Samuel Schwab, 1868; William X
Steele, 1858: Granville Stuart, 1885,
Jerry F. Sullivan, 1862; Harry N. Sykes.
1884 John r. Watson. 1854; ID; W.
John r. zeigIer, 1858; E. w. Payne,
1858; John RAIN, 1858; George Irwin,
1853: F.. H. Woody, 1855; G. b. Berry.
1854; William Kennedy, 1852; James d.
Sanders, 1868; William F. Mellen. 1850;
Anton M. Hotter, 1868; W. q. Baily,
1864: Elizlr Beach, 1864; William "A
esnpp Booker sS0f ass s Hlsfee Bn ngD
1854; T. H Clewell, 1868; Charles l.
Oahler. 1868; w. w. DeLacey, 1853:
william A. Dingec, 1858. j. j. FAINT,
1852; Joseph E. Flick, 1868; George B.
FoOte, 1864; William n. Guthrie, 1852;
James w. Hathaway, 1864, Cornelius
Hedges, 1864; L. H. Hershsieid, 1884;
Homer Hewins 1862; Frank Higgings,
1864; Silvan Hughes, 1864, Nicholas
SeSsler, 1854: Charles B. Luth, 1858;
Marcus Lissner, 1854; M. McGuirck,
1854; E. W. McNeal, 1863.
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