Masked Vigilantes Hang a Convicted Murderer in Dayton Jail

James McPherson, one of the murderers of E. H. Cummins at New York Bar, was hanged last Saturday night at Dayton by vigilantes. McPherson had been convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged, but on Saturday was reprieved by the Governor, pending a new trial granted by the Supreme Court, and ordered to be taken to Walla Walla.

At 10:30 p.m. Saturday night, masked men, well armed, appeared at the jail and demanded McPherson. The guards, six in number, ordered the mob to desist. The order being disregarded, the guards fired without effect. The jail door was first opened with crowbars, and McPherson was brought out and taken to a scaffold prepared for the purpose. McPherson showed no fear and ascended the scaffold with firm steps. Turning to the executioner, he said: 'I suppose you murder me, and God knows it, and I die game.' A half-inch rope was placed over the beam and McPherson was drawn up. He died without a struggle. As soon as he was dead the mob dispersed. The Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of 'Death at the hands of unknown parties.'

The murder of Cummins was planned by three persons—McPherson, Ownby, and Snoderly. McPherson and Ownby were the prime actors in the tragedy, and the former was convicted on the evidence of Ownby. Snoderly was also convicted on the same testimony and sentenced to be hanged yesterday, which was doubtless done.

Following is Ownby's confession, which conveys an idea of the brutality of the murder:

'McPherson and I had talked over the affair for a long time before the murder. He was to keep himself posted about Cummins' money and let me know when he was ready. I saw Snoderly and told him what Mac and I were going to do, and asked him to go with us. He agreed to go if I would let him know when everything was ready. On the day before the murder Mac told me that he had taken $200 down to Cummins that day, and for me to see Ezra and be at his house that night at 10 o'clock. I saw Ezra and told him to beat McPherson's house at the hour agreed upon, and then got on my horse and went to Pataha to watch whether any teams went to New York Bar that day. I stayed there until 4 o'clock, then by a circuitous route reached Mac's house. Snoderly did not come. The reason, as he afterwards told me, was that he could not get away from Kanche's place without being missed. He was helping Kanche thresh that day. I had left home early that morning, telling my wife that I was going to hunt stock. To account for my being out all night, I told her that I had been taken with a headache and laid out on the prairie all night. Mac had got two of Hogan's boys to come over to his house to stay all night, so that if he was suspected he could prove that he was at home by these boys. When Mac and I started from his house, he took a piece of a board, which he pulled off a large board in the yard, with him, to drive in the sand at the Bar to tie our horses to. We arrived at the warehouse between 1 and 3 o'clock the next morning. I tied my horse to this piece of board which Mac drove in the sand, about 1000 yards from the house. Mac tied his horse to the pommel of my saddle. We then started for the house. I stayed behind about thirty yards, as Cummins had a dog that did not know me. Mac made friends with the dog and walked up to the house. He pushed his fingers through a knot hole in the door, raised the latch, threw open the door and commenced firing at Cummins, who was on the bed. Mac fired five shots. At the first fire Cummins cried out, but I do not know what he said. McPherson continued firing until he had emptied the five chambers of his pistol, then stepped back from the door. Cummins then came to the door and closed it. I think I then heard Cummins say something about water, and I think he took a drink, but won't be positive. McPherson fired very rapidly. After Cummins closed the door, Mac found an axe near the house and with it broke in the door. When he struck the door a large knot flew out of it. No shooting was done through this knot-hole. When the door flew open I was right behind McPherson, and Cummins recognized Mac and said: "Mac, what in the world have I done to you?" Mac answered Cummins and said: "Nothing, God damn you! I'll finish you." Cummins at this time was sitting on the edge of the bed. About the same time I commenced firing and fired three shots, when Cummins fell to the floor. McPherson and I picked Cummins up and placed him on the bed, and I immediately went out of the room. Just as I commenced firing Cummins cried out: "Mac, don't murder me!" McPherson used the knife and axe after I left the room, and he also covered up Cummins and placed the cover over the window while I was outside of the building watching. While I was outside McPherson got the money and kept it all except $60, which he gave me at the time, and until I came from the mountains, a week from the next Saturday, when I met him at McBride's on my return from the mountains, when he gave me $150. He took from the cabinet the shot sack that contained all the money. McPherson had put all the greenbacks in the sack which he took. The paper box he got from a leather pocketbook, leaving the pocketbook on the floor. We immediately left the cabin and rode up the main road to Hogan's house, near the Territorial road, where we separated. I went to the right, following a line near the Territorial road until I got to Dry Gulch, then followed the forks of the Pataha until I got home. McPherson went to the left across the country to his home, crossing Fred Kanche's on his way. I do not know how much money McPherson got on the night of the murder. He told me he got $800. I don't think McPherson gave Ezra Snoderly any money. I met him on Sunday at his father's barn and asked him to take a walk, when I told him what Mac and I had done. I told him that I would sell him a horse and arrange so that he need not pay me for it.'

Not satisfied with filling Cummins' body with bullets, McPherson took the axe he had used to batter down the door and struck the already dead man a blow on the head with the pole; and as if feeling that his work was not yet complete, he took his knife and cut the throat, almost severing the head from the body.