ches , ▁the ▁R att les nake ▁R anch , ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁Bill ▁Bun ton ▁and ▁Frank ▁Par ish , ▁who ▁were ▁later ▁h anged ▁by ▁the ▁vig il antes ▁as ▁road ▁agents ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Pl um mer ▁gang . ▁ ▁Road ▁agents ▁and ▁the ▁Pl um mer ▁gang ▁▁ ▁In ▁a ▁region ▁where ▁valuable ▁gold ▁was ▁pl ent iful , ▁transport ation ▁was ▁in secure ▁and ▁effective ▁law ▁and ▁order ▁was ▁lack ing , ▁travel ers ▁became ▁easy ▁pre y ▁for ▁ro bb ers . ▁By ▁late ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁the ft s ▁and ▁mur ders ▁along ▁the ▁routes ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁had ▁become ▁common . ▁In ▁their ▁writ ings ▁about ▁the ▁vig il antes , ▁Thomas ▁Dim sd ale ▁and ▁Nathan iel ▁P . ▁Lang ford ▁estimated ▁that ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 2 ▁travel ers ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁ro bb ers ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁Many ▁more ▁travel ers ▁left ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁were ▁never ▁heard ▁from ▁again . ▁As ▁this ▁became ▁a ▁more ▁frequent ▁occurrence ▁loc als ▁began ▁suspect ing ▁that ▁these ▁cr imes ▁were ▁being ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁group ▁of ▁out la ws , ▁known ▁as ▁" road ▁agents ", ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁B ann ack ▁sh er iff ▁Henry ▁Pl um mer . ▁The ▁gang ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁In noc ents ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁passwords , ▁I ▁am ▁innoc ent . ▁ ▁Not orious ▁rob ber ies