Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-11-16
By C. HI GUTHRIE


Y0u can pour over the pages OF
Montana history until blindness
assafIs you and not come up with
two individuals who pursued crime
and depravity more aSsidu0usiy
than did Boone Helm and George
Ives. Belonging TO a gang OF which
every member was better than a
country hand at dishing it out
with rifles, bowie knives, revolvers
and other tools of the craft, Ives
and Helm stood at the head of the
class. They killed at times with
scarcely more prOvOcatiOn than
need OF exercise.
They were the fiends incarnate Of
the Henry Plummer organization,
which held sway at Bannack and Alder
gulch until the vigilantes rose up to
eliminate them with a series Of neck
tie sociables which had salutary ef-
feet on the countryside. Full many q
youth at that time who had previously
owned hankertng for robbery and
murder, suddenly realized the distinct
advantages of an upright life.
Ives Was Handsome
II you'd had to choose one of the
two as a companion you'd probably
have taken Ives. He had one virtue,
at least. He was handsome. And when
the occasion demanded he could be
gracious. as could his boss, Plummer,
when IT served his purpose. Ives pos
sessed dash and personality. His boy
hood background, set In Racine county,
wisconsin, was good. He at least wore
some of the trappings of civilization
even when at his peak as bad man
and there must have been times when
he experienced some twinge Of re-
morse for the career he had selected.
Not so with Boone Helm. He never
was remorseful about anything. Here
was an out-and-out savage, a cursing,
heartleSs beast of man, two-legged
demon whose only possible merit was
a sort Of reckless courage.
There was no spark OF humanity IN
him. He summed virtue as ne would
a plague. Kindness, gratitude, honesty,
friendship-they simply weren't IN the
man. He was the apostle Of the double
cross. the bed-fellow of violence and
the patron of murder; a devil whose
response to a fancied slight was
stab through the heart
pity, to both Helm and Ives, was
lust a word. The latter killed Nicholas
Tiebalt as the young German. told by
Ives that he had to die, knelt N
T,raver. The road agents had robbed
riebalt of money he had procured,
and a span of mules. Ives at this time
was the terror Of the countryside. a
boid. audacious, staggering killer who
oDenIv boosted of his exploits.
The Tiebalt killing touched off the
fireworks. George Ives killed no more.
He was soon dead himself. I1ebalLS
body was found in thicket by VIII
liam Palmer. Palmer went there 70
retrieve a grouse he had shot ana
found it lying on the young mans
frozen corpse. The body bore the
marks of a small lariat about the
throat which had been used to drag
him while still living, to the place
of concealment in the sagebrush.
Palmer took the body to Nevada
City. where 1t was exposed half DAY
in his wagon to the gaze OF hundreds
of citizens.
Alder gulch to stomach,
and kindled the fire which led to or
of the vigilance committee
Kills Informer
A short time prior to T1ebalts Vlo-
lent demise, Ives demonstrated his
deep-seated devotion to the Plummer
gang by erasing a gentleman who had
become embroiled in larceny. upon
some modification of his punishment
he agreed to divulge certain facts re-
garding the road agents Ives hearo
IF this met the unfortunate on the
road between Virginia City and Demp-
sey's ranch and without even passing
the time of day, blazed away with
charge of buckshot. The shot, some
how. failed to take effect so Ives drew
his pistol and dispatched the fellow
with a shot through the head. the
man fell from his horse, which Ives
calmly led into the hills.
This killing occurred in broad day
light, in plain view Of two ranches
md while several teams were in sight.
When Ives dropped to his death at
he ripe old age Of 81, Alder gulcn
)reathed easier. Here was man OF
lrepossessing appearance, blue-eyed,
ioht-complexioned 6-footer who looked
ne part of a decent citizen but who
lad a record of crime few his age
,ould equal. He was dangerous as
heartless as SLOT ma
hine.
Ives was the first of the Plummer
.rowd to be neutralized by the vigil
antes but Boone Helm was soon to
ollow. with four other desperadoes
lie was strung up at Virginia CITY,
efiant rebel to the end.
Murdered I'm Missouri
Helm was born in Kentucky and
hould have died in Missouri, because
( a murder he committed there. He
rev to young manhood In Log
,ranch, MO, married a young wo1na2
I the neighborhood and year later q
ras a father. But the domestic life n
ad no charm for Boone. Drinking &
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