The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-07-02
Man Hanged for Rustling
Steer; Animal Returned to
Corral the Following Year

the saloon to explain to Brady his run
in with Kelly. Brady saw Lynch COM
ing, and grabbing a rifle, slipped out
OF n back door of the saloon and ran
around to the front. Lynch in the
meantime had entered the place. Brady
from the front door drew a bead on
his unsuspecting victim and fired.
Lynch fell to the floor wounded, but
It proved to be q superficial injury and
he recovered.
The V~igilantes took the matter up
however. and Brady was arrested and
brought to trial. Sentiment was run
ming somewhat in his favor until he ad-
mitted while testifying in his own be-
half, that when he fired at Lynch he
had intended to kill him. That changed
the situation, and the jury found him
guilty and sentenced him to be hanged.
Preparations were made for the execu-
ton.
Anxious to See "Necktie Party"
There were at that time in Alder
gulch a large number Of newly-arriv
men from the east to whom a hanging
was a strange and unusual event. They
all wanted to e this n In Difference
to their wishes the old-timers in charge
Of the affair, always aimiable, hos
pltable and accommodating, selected a
spot so that the hundreds Of spectators
could view the event from the sur
rounding hillsides. A beef reel was used
as a gallows.
A guard of v~igilantes in military
formation marched Brady to the place.
When the time came for the execution,
Inc Inc captain n o. the guard commanded
in the crowd yelled, Don't shoot, don't
shoot" and there was a stampede of
the fasteners at the cry. When Brady
lnally look his jump there were only
a handful left to see him die. Kelly,
his assistant, wa held under. guard,
as an involuntary witness, as a warn
ing to him to mend his ways.
One of the early hangfngs of the
,Vlg1lantes was that Of a Mexican men,
per OF Henry Plummer's gang who had
escaped the general roundup and made
bis way to his cabin near Bannack.
There he fortified himself and stood
OF qdd,, the Vigilantes who besieged him.
cabin, but without bringing the Mexio
can to surrender. He lodged about the
inside Of the cabin returning the fire
OF h Vigilantes from chinks between
me logs, and killed several of the at
The law and order men, however,
hoW1tzer and literally RACED the cabin
with cannon fire. When the Mexican
was pulled from the Wreckage of the
building he had 40 wounds in his BODY.
but was still alive. Then, not to be de-,
MEG h pleasure of hanging him, one
OF n members of the posse obtained
a clothesline and strung the dead BODY
up to n limb of a tree. After it had
remained there for half an hour or sd.
It was cut down and thrown into the
blazing ruins of the cabin and Gre
mated.
Phil Hunter. one OF Plummer's gang
who escaped into the Gallatin valley
when the Vigilantes were rounding up
bandits, was followed by a posse and
captured. It was in midWinter. and
when taken Hunter. was severely froz-
en-. His captors started to return him
to Virginia City, but after going a
short distance they decided they were
taking a lot Of trouble for nothing AND
hanged him to a tree, alongside the
g and left him. When the BODY was
cut down later by paSsersby, It was
buried at the foot Of the tree.
The first legal hanging in Deer
Lodge county, occurred in 1888 when
Martin L. Scott was executed for the
murder Of his wife. The crime took
place In the town of Granite. which
was then In Deer Lodge county. The
trial was before Judge Hugh Galbraith.
y. a. Durfee was county attorney and
Scott was defended BY ATTORNEYS ]. n.
Boorman and ]. @. Robinson. Sheriff
Lew coleman carried out the execution.