▁of ▁the ▁road ▁agents . ▁The ▁Mont ana ▁V ig il antes ▁h anged ▁men ▁using ▁the ▁testim ony ▁of ▁other ▁men ▁who ▁faced ▁their ▁im min ent ▁execution s ▁as ▁the ▁sole ▁evidence . ▁Of ▁the ▁few ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁V ig il antes , ▁Be id ler ▁and ▁Dim sd ale ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁complete , ▁although ▁they ▁give ▁little ▁information ▁about ▁the ▁secret ▁tri als ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁vig il antes . ▁Est im ates ▁vary , ▁but ▁noted ▁vig il ante ▁historian ▁Frederick ▁Allen ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁between ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁somewhere ▁from ▁ 1 5 ▁to ▁ 3 5 ▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁vig il antes . ▁ ▁V ig il ante ▁justice ▁Over ▁a ▁course ▁of ▁approximately ▁six ▁weeks ▁between ▁December ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁and ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁vig il ante ▁companies ▁located , ▁arrested ▁and ▁executed ▁sus pected ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Pl um mer ▁road ▁agent ▁gang ▁in ▁B ann ack , ▁Virginia ▁City ▁and ▁Hell gate , ▁Mont ana . ▁ ▁B ann ack ▁Short ly ▁after ▁its ▁formation , ▁the ▁V ig il ance ▁Committee ▁dispatch ed ▁a ▁pos se ▁of ▁men ▁to ▁search ▁for ▁Ale ck ▁Carter , ▁" Wh is key ▁Bill " ▁Gra ves ▁and ▁Bill ▁Bun ton , ▁known ▁associ ates ▁of ▁George ▁I ves . ▁The