John X. Beidler – Marshal and Vigilante – Legends of America
Okay, let’s talk about a real character from the Wild West: John X. Beidler. This guy wasn’t your average cowboy; he was a Montana Vigilante and a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Talk about wearing a few different hats!
From Pennsylvania to "Vigilante X"
Born back in 1831 in Pennsylvania, John X. Beidler had a pretty normal upbringing. He went to school for a bit, learned to make shoes, and even worked with bricks. But life took a turn when his parents passed away when he was pretty young. That’s when he decided to head west, like so many others at the time.
He bounced around a bit, first stopping in Illinois and then Kansas. Now, Kansas in the 1850s was a hotbed of conflict, what they called "Bleeding Kansas." It was all about whether new states would be free or slave states. Beidler got mixed up with the abolitionist John Brown and his crew, fighting against the pro-slavery folks. He even got a leg wound in one of those skirmishes that stuck with him for life.
After John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harper’s Ferry, Beidler decided it was time to move on again. He drifted through Texas and Colorado before hearing about the gold strikes up in Montana Territory in 1863. Gold fever hit him hard, and he headed north, arriving in Virginia City just days after the big discovery.
Boomtown Blues
Life in these boomtowns was rough. Virginia City was no exception. You had miners striking it rich one day and broke the next. But here’s the problem: there wasn’t much law and order. Sure, they had some informal courts for small stuff, but when it came to serious crimes like robbery and murder, things were a mess.
Enter the "Innocents," a gang of outlaws led by none other than the sheriff of nearby Bannack, Henry Plummer. Talk about a conflict of interest! This gang was running wild, and something had to be done.
Beidler, who was working as a stagecoach guard at the time, decided to join the Montana Vigilantes. These were basically a group of citizens who took the law into their own hands. Beidler jumped in with both feet, swearing a secret oath with 24 other men to hunt down and hang as many criminals as possible. Their main target? Plummer’s gang.
"Ask Him How Much Time He Gave the Dutchman!"
One story really shows you what kind of guy Beidler was. Before the Vigilantes really got going, a guy named George Ives was on trial for murder. Beidler was guarding the proceedings, and after a three-day trial, Ives was found guilty. Ives begged for a stay of execution, but Beidler wasn’t having it. From the rooftop, he yelled out to the prosecutor, "Ask him how much time he gave the Dutchman!" Ives was hanged that very night.
The Vigilantes believed that the only way to clean up the area was to get rid of the outlaws, plain and simple. Beidler, with his "boiling" temper and no-nonsense attitude, became their chief hangman.
Vigilante X: Hero or Bully?
Beidler, who liked to be called "Vigilante X," became the face of the group. But he was a controversial figure. Some people saw him as a trustworthy and fearless hero, while others thought he was just a "pint-size bully" and a showoff. He was a small guy, only about five-foot-three, but he had a big personality.
As a "reward" for his work with the Vigilantes, he got appointed as a Customs Collector and a U.S. Deputy Marshal. But he kept up his vigilante activities, which made some people think he was going too far. In one stretch of time, 21 men were captured and hanged with no trials, no appeals, and no last goodbyes.
Even while working as a lawman, Beidler helped organize a vigilante committee in Helena. By 1867, Helena was full of crime, and Beidler had plenty to do.
Crossing the Line
In 1870, Beidler’s actions almost got him arrested for murder. A Chinese miner named Ah Chow killed a man in Helena. Beidler caught Chow, turned him over to the vigilantes, and they promptly hanged him. Then, Beidler applied for the bounty on Chow’s head!
The local newspaper editor was furious, writing that he couldn’t believe a private citizen would do something so lawless and then try to get a reward for it. Beidler claimed he was threatened afterward, receiving a note that said they would give him no more time to prepare for death than he had given the men he had "murdered."
The End of the Trail
John Beidler continued to work as a deputy U.S. Marshal until the late 1880s. In 1888, his health started to fail, and he ended up relying on the generosity of friends.
He died of pneumonia in 1890 at the age of 58 in Helena. Hundreds of people attended his funeral, which was paid for by donations. One newspaper summed up his life by saying that he died poor, having served his territory much better than he served himself.
Years later, in 1903, the Montana Society of Pioneers had his body moved to a new cemetery. They put a rough boulder over his grave, with a plaque that acknowledged his "extra-legal" vigilante activities but honored him nonetheless.
One of a Kind
John X. Beidler was a complex and controversial figure. Was he a hero who brought law and order to a lawless land? Or was he a bully who took the law into his own hands? It’s a question that people still debate today. But one thing is for sure: he was definitely one of a kind.
Hope this helps!