Montana oil and mining journal., 1941-01-11
BY WTLCHEY

kMCY uNc0s knE MEUAtuamAS UA
Henry Plummer, the bandit chief
tain who held Montana in a reign
of terror IN the early days. Plum
mer and his men robbed and
killed many. Finally, in despera-
ton, the decent eitizenry rose and
organized the committee Of safety,
sometimes known as the Vigil
Iantes. After this organization
found itself and developed power,
Justice struck swiftly and surely.
Sixty Of these cutthrOats, after
Vigilante trials, were hanged out
of hand. After that life was rea-
sOnably safe and law ana Oruer
ruled in Montana.
The most notable Of these Vlgnante
executions in Virginia City were. When
Clubfoot George Lane, Haze Lyons,
Boone Helm. Jack Gallagher and
Prank Parish were hanged on the
same day on the scaffolding OF par
tally completed building. TneSe men,
ali members of Plummer's gang. hao
gone to Virginia City IN pursuit OF
pleasure. They had no idea OF tne
Strength of the Vigilantes, or tnat
that organization had sentenced them
to death. The Vigilantes threw 2
strong Gordon of guards around the
town and caught the highwaymen.
Thev were at once led to the place
of execution, and one after another.
With scant ceremony, were kicked OIL
drv goods boxes into eternity. Ihey
died within a few minutes OF eacn
other and were buried as they oled'
in a row, in Hangman's graveyard
Fortv-Year- Old Controversy
For years there was controversy
among the Vigilantes over tne IoCas
ton Of the graves Of these celebrated
highwaymen. Capt: a. q. LAYS, ~ 10
member of the Vigilantes, held TO one
iocafion while Col. w. F. Sanders,
nrosecutor of the committee OF safety
insisted upon another. 80 49,
Judge Lew L. Galloway once Colo Ii1e M
story of the settlement OF tnls ~
vear-old controversy. DAVIS nlSlsOeo9
fhat he could pick out the grave OF
Ci1IbfoOt George Lane. He SAID II m
vestigators did not find the skeleton
of clubfoot in the grave OF his Sc
lection he would forever a1Uer noA'A
bis peace. 49,, ,,,o,,or of
VIRGINIA CITY. and at Judge Galloway
instance he appointed a committee OF
three 10 make the investigation. Inc
crave indicated by Davis was opened
and his conteI4 ton verified. Inc poneS
If the lame foot of the crippled pan
Ait were found and removed ana are
now on exhibition IN Virginia Guy.
Mavor walker had the. graves
marked according to the locaIloLs
designated by Davis. DAVIS was Ot.e
Of the strong men OF the Vigtlailoss os
He was the captain "a
the Junction company of Vig1lantes,
md led several details after hignWay--
men who had been condemned pue
managed to escape. Fame was zoo
;weet for him. He conceived the ldea
NAT Montana owed him living LOT
he Great service he had rendered ner
n helping to rid her OF the IawleSS
slement. He refused to work ana 70
ne day Of his death was known al
,ver Madison county as Lazy DavLs' Ja,
antes who were more courageous tna'l !
le.
Necessity of Organization {
The organization Of the committee {
+ safety or the Vigilantes, as tney
1ere more commonly called, was as
ecessary in the early days OF Mon l
ana,s settlement as are the legal trl- S
unaIs OF today, far less expensive, t
lore ilst, more efficacious, ana
etter adapted to draw forth all the 2
ianliness Of good citizens as wen as )
} detect and punish the viciousneSs a
Z the bad ones. This fact becomes 4
iOIG dUUhIGAAb MAAG4A IAAC.
I all those who we're punished by n
ne Vigilantes of Montana come 10 ]
2 considered. j
They were men of the world Their 4
aowledge of western life was perfect, L
much so as to lead them above F
] thoughts of honest labor, and draw L
lem by degrees toward that life OF j
lame which ended In their execution. II
he fault with our own times consists v
men knowing so much. The muir S.
srer, the seducer, the forger, the il
Ibber Of the honest working man, Il
e libeler. are all abroad, and when G
ldom brought to justice, are treated 9
ore like heroes than deep-dyeo II
fminals, and are often allowed to p,
turn to the practice Of their evtl j
,ings How often have men looked
ok to the days Of the Vigilantes .Js
Id wished for the resumption Of ki
cir justice giving power? Scarcely la
day passes in the old states without n
failure of the law to accord Justice. Jc
'en in Montana, where the great iel
sons taught by the old committee j.
e stiIl remembered, justice some /.
lile the specious promises Of officials M
Id in check the salutary call Of the l8
ret tribunal. &C
LawIess Time ra
When the Vigilantes were first IS
led into existence, all laws, both Al
man and divine, were held in de- Nj
ion by a large number Of the IN liza
bitants of eastern Idaho, which Ri
" constitutes Montana. Another
ge number, who labored honestly ms
placer or quartz diggings for
ted time, and then rushed 10 the VIA
lrest settlement to indulge in wild
asures, were creatures Of extremes. Y,ai
long as the criminals could satisfy
S wild crowd that their actions An
-e justified by the mountain code,
dangerous characters had all the for
Itectton which brute force could J
ord. So
o give q roster OF the Vigilantes
Montana, or the committee Of safe lea
as these men called themselves,
)ut Of the question. Many of those pal
aged IN this great work Of cleaning BTi
the early day Montana Of outlawry,
not wish TO have their names mem roa
led, and thus the historian is J
ed to leave the reader In pos age
ion Of Just so much information
this point as viii enable him to golC
ct from the rosters Of the early =