Establishing law and Order in Mining Towns

• Disputes about claims were dealt with by a committee of miners

• A sheriff was appointed to deal with law breakers and the court of miners would decide on the punishmennt. 

• Common punishments were: Flogging, banishment and hanging.

• However these were not very effective as the sheriff could easily be bribed or threatened and it took a long time for justice to be dispensed.

Vigilantes- People who took the law into thier own hands, often hanged a persom without trial

• They became popular in mining towns

• They dealt with the suspect quickly usually by hanging.

• It could be very effective.

• For example: Vigilantes hunted down the leader of a gang of 100 men who were terrorising a mining town in Montana. They killed him and the gang dissapeared

• However, they often ignored the evidence, leading them to often hang the wrong person.