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A Decent, Orderly Lynching: The Montana Vigilantes
A Decent Orderly Lynching The Montana Vigilantes Author:Frederick Allen The deadliest campaign of vigilante justice in American history erupted in the Rocky Mountains during the Civil War when a private army hanged twenty-one troublemakers. Hailed as great heroes at the time, the vigilantes are still revered by many in Montana as founding fathers. Combing through original sources, including eyewitness accounts neve... more »r before published, Frederick Allen concludes that the vigilantes were justified in their early actions, as they fought violent crime in a remote corner beyond the reach of government. But Allen has uncovered evidence that the vigilantes, refusing to disband after territorial courts were in place, lynched more than fifty men without trials. Reliance on mob rule in Montana became so ingrained that in 1883, a Helena newspaper editor advocated a return to "decent, orderly lynching" as a legitimate tool of social control. Allen's sharply drawn characterizations are woven into a masterfully written narrative that will change textbook accounts of Montana's early days--and challenge our thinking on the essence of justice.« less