Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-05-07

VI ILLS NCCQos
It was under such circumstance.
that Beidler and his partners begar
working their claims on Alder gulch
They took turns working the claims
and hauling In food and other sup
plies from Virginia City.
On one occasion, Beidler had been
to Virginia City for food and was In
hurry to return to his partners. AS
he was preparing to start the home
ward trek, he was met by man
named Jack Gallagher, one Of Plum
mer's deputies. Gallagher asked to
/ borrow Beidler's horse for a few min
utes.
Beidler finally acquiesced in the re-
quest, on Gallagher's promise to be
/ back within a half hour
| x Becomes Irked
The time passed and Gallagher
failed to return Another half hour
passed, and another. Beidler became
angTier and angrier. Finally, after two
hours and half, Gallagher brought
the horse back. Il was pretty mad, f"
Beidler wrote later in his journals.
and I told him exactly what
thought of him. He only laughed"
Later x learned that Gallagher had
taken the horse to make arrangements
for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Gil
lingham, the one honest deputy in the
force maintained by Sheriff Plummer.
Dillingham; had been marked for
death when he discovered the activi-
warned one of their prospective VIC
tins, a loose-talking man who had re-
peated the story.
The murder was done openly, by
three members of Plummers gang
Buck Stinson, Haze Lyons and Charlie
Forbes, all deputies.
A miners meeting was being held
r-E ~fsasa Nwrfn -
street. under direction of a DR. Steele,
and such was the gangs disregard of
the law that they chose that time and
place for Dillingham's death. The
three deputies rode into the gather
ing, spotted Dillingham;.
AS they approached, Forbes, appar-
emily as a signal, shouted, Don't
shootl" The other two fired, and Dill
bingham dropped dead. In the result
ing confusion the three got away.
The miners, however, shocked at the
gh-handedness of the affair, imme-
diately abandoned their civil meeting
and set off in pursuit, capturing the
three half an hour later. Miners
court thereupon was convened to de-
eide what should be done to them.
The meeting continued all that day
and most Of the next, while the crowd
listened to the evidence and booed the
judges and lawyers.
Forbes Turned Loose
Forbes acted as his own attorney
and, pointing out that he had shouted
in an effort to prevent the shooting, |
made such an effective plea that he
was turned loose, the crowd confident |
he had nothing to do with the case.
The other two, however, were found |
guilty and ordered hanged.
Beidler and another man, Dick |
,Tn I'd 20 hill Ill
and dig the graves This they started |
to do, worked feVeriShly to finish so |
the hanging could be held without de-
Meantime Gallagher and the other
members of the gang who were conSid- |
cred in the majority called for new
@They voted by the raised hand"
Beidler reported, and it was impoS- !
sible to decide which side had the best |
Of it, Thereupon two men were ap- I
pointed to count the vote. The two |
men were stationed so that the crowd
would have to pass between them one
at q time. One man was to count the !
hanging vote, the other the no-hang-
ing vote"
This time the vote was overwhelm-
Ingly in favor of turning the two men
loose. Every desperate in the crowd
voted against hanging and then went
around to the end of the line and
voted again." Beidler reported.
This raised such a furore that an
other vote was demanded, this time
Gallagher suggesting that all In favor
If hanging the two men run up the
lill and all those against the hanging
-un down the hill where they then
would be counted.
HE knew the crowd was getting dis
yusted land somewhat lazy) and
would all go down the HILL" Beidler
declared. The two men were turned
Dose.
II then went and helped bury Dill
ingham," x said, land upon return
ng to town found this notice tackled
Up on tree: 1.-TWO graves to let-ap-
1ly X Beidler"
1t was following this encounter, the
first attempt to hang members of
7lummers gang, that Beidler met the
,wo men who had escaped hanging In
he saloon at Bannack.
The orderly element was becoming
more and more disguised with the way