This is a "revisionist" history of the Vigilante movement that claims the road agents were victims of a plot perpetrated in a struggle for power between two factions, one favoring the North and the other favoring the South. Davis was too wounded to resist arrest. Among the seven passengers was, On December 8, 1863, Anton Holter (who later became a, Henry Plummer, sheriff of Bannack, executed in Bannack on January 10, 1864, Erastus "Red" Yeager, road agent and messenger, executed along the Ruby River, January 4, 1864, George Brown, road agent and gang secretary, executed along the Ruby River, January 4, 1864, "Dutch John" Wagner, road agent, executed in Bannack, January 11, 1864, Ned Ray, executed in Bannack, January 10, 1864, Buck Stinson, executed in Bannack, January 10, 1864, "Greaser Joe" Pizanthia, road agent, shot and killed in Bannack, January 11, 1864, Frank Parish, road agent, executed in Virginia City, January 14, 1864, Boone Helm, road agent, executed in Virginia City, January 14, 1864, Jack Gallagher, road agent, executed in Virginia City, January 14, 1864, George "Clubfoot" Lane, road agent, executed in Virginia City, January 14, 1864, Hayes Lyon, road agent, executed in Virginia City, January 14, 1864, Steve Marshland, road agent, executed near the Big Hole River, January 16, 1864, Bill Bunton, road agent, executed at Cottonwood Ranch on the Clark Fork, Cyrus Skinner, road agent, executed in Hell Gate, January 24, 1864, Aleck Carter, road agent, executed in Hell Gate, January 24, 1864, Johnny Cooper, road agent, executed in Hell Gate, January 24, 1864, Bob Zachary, road agent, executed in Hell Gate, January 25, 1864, George Shears, road agent, executed in the Bitterroot Valley, January 25, 1864, "Whiskey Bill" Graves, road agent, executed near Fort Owen, January 26, 1864, Bill Hunter, road agent, executed in Gallatin Valley, February 3, 1864. Historian Paul R. Wylie, who was among the historians that reviewed Dillon's manuscript, predicts that the book "will be the best work on the Montana Vigilantes, and will likely be around for years to come." A treasured Montana pastime.Sure, any joker can lay down a pile of bucks to harvest a giant bull on the Flyin’ D, and there are more than enough “grip and grin” shows on cable outdoor channels. Of the few accounts of the early actions of the Alder Gulch Vigilantes, Beidler and Dimsdale are the most complete, although they give little information about the secret trials conducted by the vigilantes. Bill Hunter escaped capture in Virginia City, but was later arrested at a cabin on the Gallatin River and was hanged from a Cottonwood tree on February 3, 1864. The first book published in Montana was Thomas J. Dimsdale's 1866 first edition of The Vigilantes of Montana, which was compiled from a series of newspaper articles he wrote for the Montana Post in 1865. Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.. Sign In Three vigilantes located and arrested him on January 26, 1864. By this time, Yeager's confession had mobilized vigilantes against Plummer and his key associates, deputies Buck Stinson and Ned Ray. Another tactic employed by the vigilantes was banishment from the territory. This vote was rejected and the next attempt had four men form two gates and people would cast their vote by walking through the 'hang' gate or the 'no hang' gate. [7] As this became a more frequent occurrence locals began suspecting that these crimes were being carried out by a single group of outlaws, known as "road agents", under the control of Bannack sheriff Henry Plummer. During the period 1865–1870, at least 14 alleged criminals were executed by Helena's vigilantes. He seriously injured six people and fatally shot 27-year-old Jamie Roberts. Check with your local BLM office for any additional restrictions on shooting. Davis opened fire at the patrol vehicle as it approached him. Do not attach targets to plants or place targets against rocks, plants, or solid objects. Davis said he abruptly stopped taking the antidepressant drug Paxil in the days leading up to the shooting. Shoot My Travel connects travelers and users with professional photographers in over 500 cities worldwide. Roeder. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Mather, R. E.; Boswell, F. E. (1987). This story map was created with the Story Map Series application in ArcGIS Online. Davis was arrested and sentenced to eleven life terms, the longest prison sentence in Montana state history. A gunfight ensued that took the life of one vigilante, George Copley. ", Another account from John C. Fazio, who writes for the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable, contends that the Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch had more to do with national politics than with dealing with criminals. On October 31, 1864, vigilantes captured and hanged J.C. Rawley in Bannack for his alleged spying on behalf of the road agent gang in 1863. [33] Nathaniel Langford, also a member of the vigilantes, explorer of the upper Yellowstone (1870),[37] first superintendent of Yellowstone National Park (1872–1877),[38] territorial tax collector (1864–1869) and author published Vigilante Days and Ways-Pioneers of the Rockies in 1893 after he returned to his home in Minnesota. In 1884, ranchers in Central and Eastern Montana resorted to vigilante justice to deal with cattle rustlers and horse thieves. [5], Jamie L. Roberts (September 20, 1975 – June 14, 2003)[6] a 27-year-old construction worker of Ennis was the only fatality of Davis's shooting spree. With the tacit approval of the stockgrowers' associations, Granville Stuart organized a small intelligence network and mobilized forces to go after the thieves. Immediately after Keene's hanging, leading members of the Helena community established the Helena Committee of Safety, akin to the Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch. The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. in the 4400 block of Baux Mountain Road. [9], Prior to the creation of the Montana Territory on May 26, 1864,[11] and the arrival of the territorial courts, the only court system available for the residents of Bannack and Virginia City were the informal miners' courts. 2. ISBN 0-9663355-0-3. His ranch was suffering from rustling as well. Montana code essentially defines a highway as publically maintained roads open to public vehicular travel, and separate laws limit hunting or shooting from highways and the highway right-of-way. Shortly after its formation, the Vigilance Committee dispatched a posse of men to search for Aleck Carter, "Whiskey Bill" Graves and Bill Bunton, known associates of George Ives. The footage has been widely reported in the media and has been shown on many television documentaries, including: World's Most Amazing Videos,[2] Most Shocking, Hot Pursuit, Police In Pursuits, World's Wildest Police Videos,[10] 16×9[3] and Under Fire.[15]. This association did not survive, but led to the creation of other organizations in subsequent years. The by-laws established the position of president, an executive officer, an executive committee, a secretary, treasurer and positions of captains and lieutenants of companies. [13], While there are not many accounts of early courts in Alder Gulch, probably due to their informality and short existence, John X. Beidler recalled a murder trial in the Virginia City miners' court in his memoirs. View Montana Maps such as historical county boundaries changes, old vintage maps, as well as road / highway maps for all 56 counties in Montana. Near the Rattlesnake Ranch on the Ruby River, the posse located "Erastus Red" Yeager and George Brown, both suspected road agents. Hildenstab abandoned his wrecked car and both he and Conway chased after Davis in Conway's patrol vehicle. Alexander Toponce, a merchant in Bannack at the time believed the number of banishments was high but wrote this in his autobiography: Reminiscences of Alexander Toponce (1923): I don't think they [the vigilantes] made any mistake in hanging anybody. In July 1865, the Helena vigilantes captured Jack Silvie in Diamond City, Montana, and charged him with various crimes of robbery. This is at least the third shooting in Western Montana within a month, totaling nine deaths. Davis spun his vehicle around, exited his car, crouched behind his rear bumper and opened fire on Hildenstab with his .45 semi-automatic pistol. [27], By the 1870s, cattle ranching and related livestock raising was a large and prosperous business in Montana. [21] On January 25, 1864, the vigilantes located Bob Zachary in a cabin outside of Hell Gate and George Shears in another cabin in the Bitterroot Valley. On November 13, 1863, a teenage Henry Tilden was in the employ of. Prior to his execution by hanging from Helena's "Hangman's Tree", Silvie confessed to being a member of the Virginia City road agents and to at least a dozen murders in the territory. Roads and trails leading to Alder Gulch included the Bozeman and Bridger Trails connecting to the Oregon Trail from the east, the Mullan Road from points west and from Fort Benton, Montana the head of navigation on the Missouri River and the Corinne Road from Corinne, Utah and points south. Mt. The road agents netted $2,800 in gold from the passengers and threatened them all with death if they talked about the robbery. Matt Ortega – Hit by a bullet in his spleen. [31], The numerical symbol 3-7-77 has long been associated with Montana vigilantes. Both Mores and Roosevelt offered their services to the Stranglers, but Stuart declined the offer to avoid the undue notoriety they would bring. Phone: 307-640-3847. On March 10, 1864, vigilantes hanged J.A. He was a proponent of white supremacy and anti-Semitism. He argued that Davis could not blame the shootings on medication and alcohol. This list may not reflect recent changes . The first documented evidence of use of the symbol in a vigilante scenario occurred in November 1879 in Helena when it was mentioned in a newspaper article. Isaiah Crowley – Shot four times in the attack. Davis had no clear answer to why he carried out the rampage and claimed that he didn't even remember the shootings. Bill Bunton, the owner of the Rattlesnake Ranch who joined the stage at the ranch was also complicit in the robbery. Although there was minor public outrage about the killings, none of Stuart's Stranglers were ever brought to trial for their actions and editorials in regional newspapers praised their efforts. On July 14, 1864, four prospectors—John S. Cowan, John Crab, Bob Staley and Daniel Jackson—found gold in a small creek they named "Last Chance Gulch". The last execution by the Helena vigilantes occurred on April 27, 1870, when Joseph Wilson and Arthur Compton were hanged from the "Old Hangman's Tree" for the robbery and attempted murder of George Leonard. By late 1863, thefts and murders along the routes in and around Alder Gulch had become common. Nominate a deserving Montanan here on our website. Keene shot Slater in the head, killing him instantly. As formal law enforcement became more prevalent in the region, vigilantism fell into decline. Range Management: Hank and Dee VanGoethen. She also got a restraining order against Davis at the time. Both Conway and Hildenstab survived, as did Davis. Pizanthia's cabin was bombarded with three shells from a mountain howitzer belonging to Sidney Edgerton. The only mistake they made was about fifty percent of those whom they merely banished should have been hung instead, as quite a number of these men were finally hung. Jem Kelly was apprehended near present day. Additionally, there was a single track, 70-mile (110 km) stage road that connected Alder Gulch with Bannack. As the vigilante companies were leaving Hell Gate to return to Virginia City, they received word that "Whiskey Bill" Graves was at Fort Owen, Montana. [28] By the summer of 1884, cattle men resorted to vigilantism to deal with rustlers and the first recorded hanging occurred at Fort Maginnis on July 3, 1884, when Reese Anderson, a DHS ranch foreman, and several other ranch hands hanged Sam McKenzie for horse thievery. Universities only publish books that survive rigorous peer reviews. Plummer, Stinson and Ray were arrested on the morning of January 10, 1864 and summarily hanged. ... Mr. Langford himself, happily, in the Introduction to his Vigilante Days and Ways and a most valuable chronicle of the time of which it treats, has presented a statement of facts and of arguments justifying the Vigilante methods, that is impartial, honest, cogent, forceful, and convincing to an open and discriminating mind. After a six hour trial, the jury of four men and eight women was in deadlock, 6-6. The shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 5200 block of Mount Marcy Rd. Langford. The reason for his rampage remains unclear. As he did, Conway accelerated his patrol vehicle towards Davis. Allestad pulled over Davis, who immediately leapt out of his vehicle and opened fire on Allestad. On December 23, 1863, two days after the Ives trial, a group of five Virginia City residents, led by Wilbur F. Sanders, and including Major Alvin W. Brockie, John Nye, Captain Nick D. Wall and Paris Pfouts organized the Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch. First, law had been established at Bannack through the miners' court, Plummer's election, and the arrival of Judge Edgerton in September 1863. Armed violence reduction, development, guns and peace. E. 2003 Ennis shooting ; This page was last edited on 11 November 2018, at 18:43 (UTC). However, in Montana, one of the most sought-after game critters of the spring season happens to be the lowly gopher. [7], In a region where valuable gold was plentiful, transportation was insecure and effective law and order was lacking, travelers became easy prey for robbers. In Hanging the Sheriff, R. E. Mather and F. E. Boswell have radically redrawn the portrait of Sheriff Henry Plummer and effectively challenged the conventional justification of the Montana vigilantes of 1863–64. On January 11, 1864, "Greaser Joe" Pizanthia, a road agent on Yeager's list, was located in his cabin just outside Bannack. Several commercial freight and two passenger stage companies—Peabody and Caldwell's and A.J. Wiggins carried out the instruction and Davis drove directly over the spike strips. George Ives was prosecuted by Wilbur F. Sanders and Ives was convicted and hanged on December 21, 1863. [17] The most relevant process contained in the by-laws was: It shall be the duty of members to attach themselves to some company and whenever any criminal act shall come to their knowledge to inform his Captain or Lieutenant of the same, when the officers so informed shall call together the members of his Company, (unless the Company has chosen a committee for such purpose) when they shall proceed to investigate the case, and elicit the facts and should the said company conclude that the person charged with any offense should be punished by the committee, the Captain or Lieutenant will first take steps to arrest the Criminal and then report same with proof to the Chief who will thereupon call a meeting of the Executive Committee and the judgement of such Executive Committee shall be final. [5] In 1863, gold was the preferred form of currency in western frontier communities and had a value, fixed and guaranteed by the U.S. Government, of $20.67 per ounce. James Brady was hanged by vigilantes in Nevada City on June 15, 1864, for shooting another man. One possibility is because of a sudden medication withdrawal. Slade in Virginia City for serious drunken behavior, breaches of the peace and reckless gun play that endangered the communities' citizens. Shooting From Or Across Road Or Highway Right-Of-Way 61-8-369.� Shooting from or across road or highway right-of-way. Stagecoaches had to stop at several different ranches during the trip to water and change horses, feed passengers and provide overnight lodging. Among those who were members include Wilbur Sanders (1st U.S. Contact Us : … In July 1884, Theodore Roosevelt who later became the 26th President of the United States, was operating a cattle ranch in Medora, North Dakota along the Little Missouri River in cooperation with cattle merchant Marquis de Mores. Except as provided in 87-2-803 (5), a person may not shoot a firearm from or across the right-of-way of a highway. Truth than fiction is ever stranger, and no glorified romance of the old west has ever succeeded in echoing like authenticity. However, a large band of horse thieves still operated in the Musselshell region. Shears was hanged outside the cabin he was captured in. [3], In the early hours of the morning, around 2:00 a.m., on Saturday, June 14, 2003, 44-year-old George Harold Davis drank alone at the Silver Dollar Saloon bar, on Main Street in Ennis, Madison County, Montana. The bombardment severely wounded Pizanthia and he was shot and killed as he was removed from the wreckage of the cabin.[20]. Two works, of Ruth E. Mather and F. E. Boswell, Hanging the Sheriff-A Biography of Henry Plummer (1987, 1999) and Vigilante Victims: Montana's 1864 Hanging Spree (1991) have been criticized as revisionist,[45] and received poor reviews by Montana historians such as Michael P. Malone[46] and Richard B. The first written account of the vigilantes was Thomas Dimsdale's Vigilantes of Montana which first appeared as a series of articles in 1865 editions of the Montana Post, Virginia City's and Montana's first newspaper. Some of the best citizens in the territory were Vigilantes. He will never be released from prison and is not eligible for parole. (KPRC 2) Investigators said the couple drove to an HCA Houston ER clinic near the Northwest Freeway and Fry Road… He contends that judging the vigilantes by today's understanding and standards of due process is problematic. Mather, R. E.; F. E. Boswell (1991). OUR OFFICE IS LOCATED ACROSS FROM THE RANGE IN THE YELLOW HOUSE. The authors reject the vigilante defenders assertion that Plummer's reign of terror necessitated the formation of a vigilance committee to bring law and order to the area. Less than a year after the Grasshopper Creek find, on May 26, 1863, gold was discovered along Alder Gulch, a tributary creek northeast of the Ruby River that lies between the Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range and 70 miles (110 km) east of Bannack. One of its prominent members, Ross Deegan, editorialized about the need for extralegal action if the territorial legislature did not enact laws to protect the cattle industry: Will [our legislators] give us ... protection, or shall we be compelled against our wishes to become judges and executors of what we deem a proper penalty for the commission of such infringement upon the rights of property? In early December 1863, a three wagon freight outfit organized by Milton S. Moody was going to Salt Lake City from Virginia City. Magruder was an Idaho merchant leaving Virginia City with $12,000 in gold dust from goods he had sold there. 2015. They weren't available until well after his death when Helen F. Sanders, the daughter-in-law of Wilbur Sanders finally got them published in 1957. As Hildenstab approached Davis' car to potentially ram him, Davis slammed on his brakes and Hildenstab rear-ended the vehicle. The first people voting 'hang' were to walk up-hill while those voting 'no hang' were to walk down-hill. A vigilante trial of Skinner and Carter was held in the Worden and Higgins dry goods store on January 24, 1864. [4] Davis then entered Missoula County, Montana, where he encountered Missoula County sheriff deputy David Conway and tried to run him off the road in a head-on collision. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. Top Montana Shooting Ranges: See reviews and photos of shooting ranges in Montana, United States on Tripadvisor. TITLE 61. This page was last edited on 19 December 2020, at 20:53. He contends that Sidney Edgerton and Wilbur Sanders were pawns of Abraham Lincoln and other unionists who sought ways to rid Montana gold fields of southerners and confederate sympathizers. The vigilantes transported Wagner to Bannack where he was hanged on January 11, 1864. Please follow this guidance during your recreational shooting experience: Never shoot from or over any road or highway. Wylie describes the book as having a "careful, informative, judicial approach [that is] well-written and very readable," and that to his knowledge, "there has never been a work in the area quite like this. [2] The chase and shootout were captured on dashboard cameras installed within the two pursuing patrol vehicles. Known as "Stuart's Stranglers", the vigilantes were responsible for the recovery of dozens of stolen horses and the deaths of at least 20 thieves in July 1884, by hanging, shootings or fire. Notable among these men were Augustus "Gad" Moore, Billy Terwilliger, William Mitchell, Harvey Meade, "Rattlesnake Dick", "Cherokee Bob", Tex Caldwell, Jeff Perkins, Samuel Bunton, "Irwin of the Big Hole", William Moore and Charles Reeves. In July, 1879, a Territorial Stock Association was formed that ultimately spawned a number of small county or district based associations throughout Montana. Office and mailing address. However, unlike Judge Hosmer in Alder Gulch, Munson made no remarks about vigilantism nor did he threaten vigilantes with prosecution if they continued their activities. 1531 Otto Road. After the Bunton execution, the vigilante companies regrouped and made a 90-mile (140 km) ride to Hell Gate, Montana where they believed more road agents were hiding. Conway and Hildenstab pursued Davis westbound along U.S. Highway 12 towards the Idaho border. His early accounts of the Alder Gulch vigilante events are widely cited and the book version of his articles, the first book published in Montana Territory in 1866, has been extensively reprinted since its first edition. 2016. Snow showers. [51][52], On May 7, 1993, the Twin Bridges, Montana public schools organized a mock trial of Henry Plummer at the Madison County courthouse in Virginia City. Reservation Info (877) 444-6777 TDD: 877) 833-6777. The trial was held outside, due to the fact that every resident took part. A two-day trial ensued where some members of the jury were known vigilantes from Alder Gulch. Shooting Tips. After working on the formation of Montana Territory for the committee, he was formally appointed as the first Chief Justice of Montana Territory. [11], Davis had a prior criminal history on record. ", In 2004, Frederick Allen, a journalist and historian, published A Decent and Orderly Lynching:The Montana Vigilantes reviewed as an up-to-day balanced account of Montana's vigilante history (1864–1870). The robbery netted less than $1000 in gold and treasury notes. In Hell Gate, Captain William's vigilante company located and arrested Cyrus Skinner, Aleck Carter, and John Cooper.
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