Accusing the Deadly

In June 1863, Montana lawman D.H. Dillingham started thinking that other deputies were involved in a series of robberies. Buck Stinson (drawing), a close associate of Sheriff Henry Plummer, was at the top of the list.

Stinson heard the accusations. On June 29, he and two pals shot Dillingham to death on a Virginia City street. A miner’s court surprisingly cleared the killers, even though the victim was never given a chance. But justice would have its say. Stinson and his associates were hanged by the Montana Vigilantes in two separate incidents six months later.