The age-herald., 1901-09-07
MAN HANGED FOR DIABOLICAL CRIME ConSpired With a Son to Kill
 His Father APPEARANCE OF SUICIDE Hung Rifle On Wall and Wrote Will Leaving Property to son-scheme Failed to Work and the Mur-
 derer Is Hanged.
APPEARANCE OF SUIClDI

Deer Lodge, Mont, September 6-Jas. McArthur, alias Jas. Fleming, was hanged here this morning for the murder of Capt. Oliver Dotson last February. McArthur kept his nerve to the last and walked 10 the gallows without a sign of weakness.
 The drop fell at 10:16 and death ensued seven minutes later.
 The crime for which James Fleming suffered the death penalty is one of the most remarkable in the history of crim- 1nology, involving a most revolting and diabolical conspiracy On August g., 1899, Eugene Cullonane, an aged resident of Washington Gulch, Powell County, was found murdered. For this crime Clin- ton Dotson, Charles Oliver Benson and Ellis Persinger were convicted Dotson was sentenced to life imprisonment and Benson, who made a partial confession, and Persinger were sentenced to ten years
 The Riot.
 Last January Persnger informed War den Conley of the state prison that Clin- ton Dotson and a convict known as James MacArthur. but whose real name was James Fleming, had conspired to murder Capt. Oliver Dotson, Clinton Dot sons father, an old man living in Wash. ington Gulch. Fleming whose term was soon to expire, was to kill Captain Dot son, leave forged confession and will and arrange the surroundings in such a way as to lead to the theory of suicide.
 The contents of the confession are to the effect that Captain Dotson had killed Eugene Cullonane, but his son, Clinton Dotson, Benson and Persinger were mno> cent, and that through remorse for his treatment of his son he had killed him self and left the confession In order that Clinton Dotson might secure his release from prison. Fleming's reward for the murder was to be a share in $15, 900 which Clinton Dotson claimed to have hidden away in Wyoming, the proceeds of an al- legged train robbery. So wild was this plot that the prison officials paid no attention to 1t.
 The Murder Committed.
 Early in January of this year, Fleming was released On February 15, he was seen at Washington Gulch. On Febru- ary 20 the dead body of Captain Dotson was found in his cabin with a bullet wound in his head.
 On the wall was fixed rifle with a string attached to the trigger leading to a point near the dead body. The ar engagements of the furniture and other articles about the place indicated suicide. The purported confession as previously outlined was found on a table, also a will bequeathng Captain Dotson's en- tire estate to his son.
 Fleming was captured near Missoula. On trial the circumstantal evidence showed that he concealed himself in the Dotson house, and through a hole in the partition had fired the fatal shot. The hand writing in the alleged confession was identical with other specimens proven to have been written by Fleming. The defenses alibi theory was completely de- molished and the conviction was secured within an hour on July 13.
 Clinton Dotson was also convicted and sentenced to death September 6, but in his case a respite to October % was granted by the Governor on technical grounds.