▁April ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁when ▁Joseph ▁Wilson ▁and ▁Arthur ▁Com pton ▁were ▁h anged ▁from ▁the ▁" Old ▁H ang man ' s ▁Tree " ▁for ▁the ▁rob ber y ▁and ▁attempted ▁murder ▁of ▁George ▁Leonard . ▁The ▁double ▁h anging ▁is ▁significant ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁photograph ed ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁image , ▁widely ▁circul ated , ▁had ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁d amp ing ▁public ▁sentiment ▁for ▁vig il ant ism . ▁ ▁P ax ▁V ig il antic us ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁Mont ana ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁was ▁experien cing ▁what ▁Mont ana ▁historian ▁Freder ic ▁Allen ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" sort ▁of ▁p ax ▁vig il antic us " ▁ ▁Allen ▁claims ▁this ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁reputation ▁for ▁summary ▁execution s ▁but ▁also ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁gold ▁in ▁the ▁Black ▁Hills ▁of ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁Territ ory . ▁This ▁drew ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁prospect ors ▁and ▁camp ▁follow ers ▁out ▁of ▁Mont ana , ▁reducing ▁the ▁sector ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁more ▁closely ▁associated ▁with ▁crime . ▁ ▁Stock men ' s ▁associations ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁cattle ▁ran ch ing ▁and ▁related ▁liv est ock ▁raising ▁was ▁a ▁large ▁and ▁prosper ous ▁business ▁in ▁Mont ana . ▁C attle ▁and ▁horses ▁were ▁valuable ▁comm od ities ▁and ▁always ▁subject ▁to ▁rust ling ▁by ▁th ieves . ▁After ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁with ▁the ▁threat ▁from