Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-29
HIS Confession
Benson duplicates the Other
Suspects.
TELLS OF THE JOURNEY
That Was Made to Helena After the
Murder Had Been Committed
The Prisoners Held.

preliminary nearing or Clinton DOtSOr,
Ellis Persinger and Charles o. Benson,
charged with the murder of Eugene Gull
Mnane, by the latter making a confession.
He duplicates himself but the drift of his
acknowledgements of the'crime to County
Attorney Duffy fastens the burden on his
uncle, Clinton Dotson, and Ellis Persin-
ger, Who was up to yesterday looked
Dotson and Benson after the crime was
committed. Benson made his confession
on Aug. 25, h day after it was reported
that either Dotson or Persinger had made
a confession at Deer Lodge, where they
were held in thep pen. The authorities are
not telling all the information they know
about these defendants and it is therefore
still barely possible that T>otson or Per-
singer made some kind of admissions at
was made, as stated in the Inter Noun
tain Aug. "a, or else failing to divulge the
officers concentrated their efforts on Ben
Q and secured his confession, which
run in part as follows:
II do not know how long Dotson had
known Persinger. Dotson first formed
the acquaintance Of Persinger While 1
was not with him. ! frequently heard
Dotson and Persinger prior to the 5th Of
August talk about robbing Old mar Gull
linane cf his money and that they intend
ed to get his money and this was the pur-
pos, Of leaving Helena and going to
Washington gulch.
The next mOrning-the morning of the
9th. about o'clock that morning. we con
tilued our journey, still going in the di-
~rection of Washington gulch, and in the
Of the home of Eugene Guilt
name, and travelled out on that day about
10 miles, where We stopped and remained
Until about dark. When the day became
about dark, we three continued on to
travel all that night, the night Of the 9Th
of August. still going in the direction of
Cuilinana'S home. We continued on our
travels the night Of the6 9Th until we stop |
ped a little while before daylight on the
morning of the 7th at Nevada creek. We
stayed there all that day and camped and
hid the horses and wager in the brush
where the rig could not be observed or
seen.
I'VE remained there all the night of the
7th together and On the morning of the
9th, and before daylight of that morning.
Dotson and Persinger left me in charge
Of the rig there and went toward the di-
fection OF Eugene Cullinane's place. l
knew they were going there to rob him.,
because they had frequently talked about
rdbbing him before we left Helena, and
after we left Helena. Dotson said that
ne knew that the old man had money
buried in and around and about the place.
Before they left me on the morning of
the 9Th, about daylight, each of them took
a weapon out of the wagon that we had
been travelling in, Dotson taking a So
calibre rifle which was afterward found
in the wagon by the officers when they
made the arrest of myself, Dotson and
Persinger.
s"They were gon all that day of the
9th. They returned to the wagon wher
I was shortly before dark ON the 8th OF
August, 1899. The did not get any money
from the old man, so they said. Where
the wagon was hid in the brush was at a
point about a mile and a half from Eu-
genes cabin, I should judge. I did not
hear any shots fired: I did not know how
many We're fired. Dotson, upon his re-
turn, answered, We will have to get out
Of here now / did not ask the reason
why. I supposed the reason. When Dot
son returned towards the evening Of the
9th, Persinger was with him at that time.
Both of them, Dotson and Persinger. told
me they had got no money from the old
man. / knew that on the morning of the
Sth they started to the old mans place
0OF the purpose OF fODDlnS him Of his
money.
After Dotson and Persinger returned
to where the wagon was concealed in the
brush in the evening of the Sth. we wait
ed until it got dark and then hitched up
h horses n drove Their towards Hell
ena.
II first saw Cullinane's watch, or the
watch that was in the mattress in the
WagOn when we were arrested, and
either Dotson or Persinger, l do not
know which, threw it in the bed and told
me to swear with them that Persinger
bought it from a tranger near our camp
Tl- Ann