On January 10th

On January 10, 1864, Bannack vigilantes hanged Sheriff Henry Plummer and two deputies from a gallows Plummer himself had reportedly ordered built — the climax of the 'Innocents' murder spree that left scores of travelers dead on the gold roads. Whether Plummer actually led the road agents or was lynched on bad evidence is still argued over by Montana historians.

The January 10, 1901 gusher is documented. A documented history gives the file real substance; this entry is part of that spine. The record holds it as fact — documented, not retold. 'Spindletop' documents the entry. Documented ground is what separates this file from pure legend — this is part of it.