This story veers from history at a number of points, especially near the end. Despite Matt's saying a circuit judge will be coming to town, Sheriff Plummer and two associates were hanged without a trial, and were hanged on January 10, 1864, the dead of winter. Plummer was also not dropped from a gallows as the program showed, but was pulled up by the neck, resulting in a slow, excruciating strangulation death. (Source: Wikipedia)