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Show I Man Convicted Murder low Wealthy, Romanco in the Career of "Dlamonclfield Jack" Davis. Judge Powers Tells How Ho Became ! Confident of Innocence -of Man. He Convioted. Tills Is t& story of how an old cob pipe played an Important part In saving sav-ing the llfo of a man convicted of murder mur-der and of how the savins' of the llfo may bring, a large fortune to another man. Down In the Xow Goldflcld mining district In Nevada is a camp called DIamondfleld. It did. not receive Its name from five fact that diamonds have been discovered, there, but from the circumstance- that the best claims in the camp were located by "Diamond-field "Diamond-field Jack" Davis, who, according to late reports Js likely soontto be a multimillionaire. multi-millionaire. Back In the enrlyand middle nineties, "DIamondfleld Jack" "was a trusted range rider in the employ of the Sparks-Herrold Sparks-Herrold Cattlle company In Idaho. In I those days there was much friction between be-tween the cattle men and the sheep men, and on the range covered by "DIamondfleld Tack" it is said that a "dead line" had been established, which the sheep men Avere forbidden to cross with their flocks. Was a Ileal Corvboy. "Diamondlleld Jack." at that time, was a real cowboy. He Avas known to be loyal to his umployers, rather a violent partisan of the cattle men generally, gen-erally, in fact, and It was even reported that he had beeu n some pretty sanguine san-guine encounters with eertaln ones who had disputed tho rights for which he contended. "When, therefore, on February 1C, 1S9G, John C. Wilson, a Hheop herder, and his companion, a man named Cum-mlngs. Cum-mlngs. were found dead In their camp on disputed ground, evidently murdered, mur-dered, and it wan further discovered that "Diamondlleld. Jack" and his partner, part-ner, Jack Gleason, had been In that locality about the time the killing took place, they were promptly arrested for the crime. Bitter Iegal Contest. Jack, Davis was placed on trial first, and it ivas one of the most closely contested murder trials in the history of Idaho. Gov. Sparks, who believed implicitly in the innocence of his employees, em-ployees, retained A. I. Perky and Haw-ley Haw-ley & Puoket of Boiso to defend Davis, while Jud.ge O. W. Powers of this city and Judge Borah of Boise were employed em-ployed to assist In the prosecution. Every Inch of ground was fought over carefully; the evidence wag -all circumstantial circum-stantial and the defendant came very near proving: an alibi It having been necessary for Davis and Gleason to have made an almost impossible ride in order to ha.vc been at the shop men's camp at the time It was proved they were killed. But Davis was convicted of murder In ;Mie first degree. His case went to the 5 Supreme court of Idaho, and to the Federal Court of Appeals, but he was beaten at every turn and the dale of hat execution was Anally fixed, with only the possible clemency of the Governor to intervene. Powers PJeatfs for Man's Iife. Then it was that Judge O. "W. Powers who haI done at least as much as any other man to convict Davis, became einvinced. largely upon the strength of new cvld-snne discovered, that. Davis was Innocent. JuriVje Powers thereupon thereup-on went before the Governor of Idaho and pleaded for the commutation of Davis's sentence to life Imprisonment, which was granted. Later, he presented present-ed to tho Governor a written argument for an absolute pardon for Davis, and this was also granted. What Raised a Doubt. When Judge Powers was yesterday reminded of the celo'braled case ho said: "Do you know tho Hrsl thing that raised a doubt In my mind as to the guilt of 'Diamondlleld Jack' was an old cob pipe, which was found under the wagon in which laid the bodies of the murdered sheep men. The pipe was Introduced In-troduced In evidence by the prosecution, and at the time this was clone, I happened hap-pened to be looking In the face of a witness for the prosecution, a man named Bowers. An expression passed over this man's face which showed that he was peculiarly affected. I said then to one of my colleagues that Bowers knew something about that pipe, but the others thought there was nothing to It and the Incident was passod over at the time. But the doubt created In my mind then helped to convince mo when further evidence, tending to prove Davis's innocence, was presented. Bowers Hado Confossion. Bowers, who once ran a meat market at Ogdon, afterward confessed that It was he and ano.lher man who killed the sheep men, and he told them of the old cob pipe having been knocked from his mouth in the struggle which took place. He set up the plea of self-defense and was acquitted. Davis's partner, Gleason, Glea-son, was acquitted before this confession confes-sion was made, a fact which probably helped in securing Davis's commutation commuta-tion of sentence." A prominent citizen of Salt Lake who returned yesterday from Goldfleld, reports that there Is every Indication that the district will bo a strong rival of Cripple Creek, oven if It does not excel ex-cel that camp In tho production o gold, and he says that "DIamondfleld Jack" Ik undoubtedly the owner of some of the best ground In tho new district. Jack was engaged in stocking, a largo company. In which his claims will flg-uro flg-uro prominently, and he told the Salt Lake citizen that the first thing he should do when the stock was issued would be to send Judge Powers a large block of shares. |