Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-01-04
BY JOHN ArUNROE

the initial step I'm forming the
VigEantes at a meeting held In
"FOx's bRua house." IA Virginia
CITY, On the evening after the ex-
ecutfoR Of Ives. They were an old
Californian, whose name is lost;
Wilbur r. Sanders, James VIII
Ihms, Paris S. Pfouts, John S.
Lott, A. b. Davis, James NJ Fox
Con Weary, Charles s. Bagg, Pres
ton Scott, Elk Morse, and Marion
Lowell.
Very active as members of the parties
who pursued the road agents were: j..
X Beidler, Neil HOWE, John Feather
stone, Richard McIiaren, Charles Lyen-
decker, Smith Bah, Charles Brown,
Thomas Baum, Rudolph Burtcney,
Robert Hereford. James Williams was
commander in-chief, commonly called
executive officer; John 8. Lott led the
party to Bannack, while A. B. Davis
led the party to Gallatin-
In July. 1862, an old Frenchman
stole horses and other property from
settlers IN the neighborhood OF Colo
Greek. He was pursued by James
Stuart and another settler, and was
captured near the site Of Fergus ranch
In Prickly Pear creek. His captors re-
turned him to the camp, where he was
tried before the court of miners. His
Q11ilt was clearly established, but owing
to his age and profound repentance,
the regulation penalty was reduced 10
a 10 hours notice to leave the country.
It was evident the old amateur horse
thief could not observe this sentence
In his destitute condition; so the court
subscribed SIS, gave him some pro-
visions, and the old man left the dis
trict forever.
Execution of SpiIlman
About the middle of August, 1852,
three men arrived at American tork
from the lower country. They had i've
or six good horses; but very little else
in the shape Of an outfit. Two OF tneIn
were william Arnett, @. w. Spillman,
and B F. Jernigan. About a week att
erward two men named Fox and Buil,
armed with shotguns and reviewers,
slipped quietly into town IN the dusk
of the evening and meeting James
Stuart inquired If the three men de-
scribed above were there and upon
being informed that they were. staten
that they Cox and BulD were In pur-
suit of them for stealing tne horsss
on which they had come from the VI
cinity of Elk City, and requested tne
co-oneration Of the citizens in arrest
ing them. Stuart assured them InaI
thew should have all the assistance
necessary. and they at once began 10 /
LOOK for their men. They found Spill
man in Worden and companyS STORE,
and bringing their shotguns TO bear on
him they ordered him TO surrender,
which he did without WORD; Iney
left him under guard, and went aILer
the other two, who had just opened
monte game IN q saloon. They stepped
inside the door and ordered them 70
throw I'D their hands. Arnett, who was
dealing. instantly grabbed for his pis-
toI which he always kept lying In MS
lap ready for business; but before ne
could rake 1t, Bull shot him through
the breast with a heavy charge OF
bucl1shot, killing him instantly. Jernl-
gan ran into a corner OF the room,
CRYING Don't shoot, don't shoot; /
give Irp." He and Spillman were then
tied and placed under guard till morn
ing. when proceedings were commenced
bv burning Arnett, who had died with
the monte cards clenched so tightly
in his left hand that they could not
be taken from him. and they were
buried with him. The two prisoners
we're then tried separately by a Jury
Of "A men. Jernigan was acquitted,
and given six hours to leave the coun-
try, and IT is needless to say that ne
eft on time Spillman was hanged
Aug. g. 1852, and buried beside Ar
nett.
The First Coach Robbery, 1868
The history Of the first act Of the
coach robbers on the line between Vir- !
yinia City and Bannack as given In
sarly-day newspapers states that the
heaviest loser among the passengers !
vas Dan McFadden (familiarly known !.
Is hummer Dan'O, who, like all the !
prominent characters of the pioneers
lays, had seen many ups and downs.
he was one of the most familiar char
scters Of Alder Gulch in the golden 1
lays of 1853. He had accumulated and
ost several small fortunes with the :
Indifference which characterized the
na iorfty Of the early-day proSpectors, I
prospects" leading to the main de- !
Dosit which they must eventually
trike. Dan was happy when the
iains were rich and the whisky plen- :
iful Somehow he was always IN the I
anguard of a stampede, and had fol- :
owed the gold excitments hither and I
hither through the mountains to Ban 3
Jack, and then drifted along IN the !
Yake of Bill Fairweather and party 70 i
.lder. :
hummer Dams" Strike 81
In Virginia City Dams fortunes had 8
ettled down to their lowest ebb And G
t last, even the easy-going, good-na-
lred pioneer awoke to the necessity p
( making another attempt TO repien- =
h the purse that had been filled and 4
mptied 30 often. One morning the &
wellers m the Gulch we're electrified :,
Y the news that hummer Dan" had y
ruck 1t rich again. Sure enough, he y
ad, for hummer Dams Bar" almost =
pposite Virginia City, proved to be y
ne of the richest In Alder Dan stead q
ID down, worked hard, siliced out :.
e .Ist,,. 80 -tn,-ts 60. cs.1t -. Sc
2 $50, 40 oOe'4 - ~ N''41s AsAAe T
IL
IA.