The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-25
Capt. Dotson's killing Was Due
TO A Base Prison Plot.
WAS SHOT DOWN IN HIS CABIN
Former CsIImats Of Dead Mans Son, Who
is Serving a Life Sentence, Arrest
Cd for Crime.

| Captain oliver Dotson. one OF the best
| known pioneers OF the Black Hills, who
! was found dead I'm his lonely cabin
month ago with bullet hole in his head,
| is believed to have been the victim of Il
! plot carefully planned in the Montana
penitentiary by Clinton Dotson, a son OF
| the dead man. and James Macarthur, an
| ex-convict who has just been arrested,
| charged with the crime.
! The theory is that Clinton Dotson. who
| is serving a life sentence, hoped 10 obtain
his releases through a forged confession
| posted in the dead mans cabin. 1t IL said
that upon his release Clinton Dotson
| promised to divide $4,000 in gold with the
man who murdered his father.
Captain Dotson was pioneer OF the
1 Black Hills region OF South Dakota, hav-
ing located in that part OF the state in
| ls7s. shortly after the possession OF the
country was wrested from the Sioux In
| dians
| lie had been for years a captain on
/ Mississippi and Missouri river steam
boats. during which time he became a
! typical river character. When he nrst
4
| veterate gambler, and he drank a great
) deal
| He afterward reformed and became
| one OF the most persistent opponents OF
\ gambling He IL well remembered in
| Deadwood and the western part of South
| Dakota on account OF his crusade against
| the saloons and gambling dives of that
| part OF the state, begun in the spring OF
\ ls.S.
Captain DOtson's death, IL Is believed.
| was the sequel of a crime committed In
! Montana several years ago. Clinton Dot
| son. son OF the old man, OIL
| yer Benson, grandson. and Elias
| Persinger, an acquaintance of the two
4 men were last July convicted OF the
| murder of Eugene Cullinsne, who was
| killed in August 1899, at his home in Hell
/ ena.
| Captain Dotson was an important wit
ness against his son and grandson, testi-
| fying 20 circumstances which materially
| aided i'm procuring the conviction of the
| murderers.
| CLINTON DoTSoN'S LIFE SENTENCE
Clinton Dotson was convicted as the
| principal and Benson and rersinger as
| accessories. Dotson was sentenced 10 ~
years imprisonment and the two other
| men TO ten years each I'm the peniten-
! tiary.
4
| we'll as Captain Dotson, were former resi-
dents OF South Dakota, and went from
| the Black Hills to Montana. The young
| er Dotson, while a resident OF South Da-
| kota, lived on Whi,ewood creek.
| Benson is a son OF Charles Benson, who
| n the summer OF 1895 was murdered by
| his son-in-law. Frank Monahan of Cen
| tennial Prairie, :. d. Young Benson was
| one OF the principal witnesses whose tes-
1 timony caused the acquittal OF the men
| who murdered his father.
Dotson Benson. and Persinger were
I convicted of the murder of Cullinane not
| only by Overwhelming circumstantial ev-
| idence but also ythe confession of
| Young Henson. who related the details
| of the crime to the officers of the law
4 Previous To the confession Clinton Dot
| son had attempted 10 fasten the crime
| upon Edward Cacheln. who is his broth
| er-in-law. Cachelin having married n
\ daugher of Captain Dotson. Cullinane's IS
| watch was foun din young Dotsons bed
! at the time he was arrested, but he de-
! ciared that IL had been placed there by
! Cachelin.
| I'm his confession young Benson said
| that he Clinton Dotson. and Persinger
! went To the cabin of Cullinane. I'm Amer
! lean Gulch, and that Dotson shot culli-
| name in the head with a rife. Benson as
serted that Dotson took Cullinane's
! watch.
The murderers concealed the body Of
| their victim IN n brush pile There was
| not a single thing To show that either
/ Cachelin or capt. DUtsou was in any way
/ concerned the crime, and the evidence
! against young Dotsou, Benson, and Per-
I singpr was conclusive.
! The attempt on the part of the muir
| derer 60 give Capt. Dotson's death the
4 appearance OF suicide was a failure. IL
| Is believed that the captain was shot
! through "A hole that had been deliberate
| IS cut in one wall OF his little cabin.
Dotson was away from home most of
: the time on the day OF his death and II
/ Is tnOught his murderer took advantage
4 of his absence 10 cut the hole. The muir
derer thrust the muzzle of the rifle
. through the hole in the side Of the cabin
and shot Dotson I'm the head. killing
! him instantly. The murderer then. from
| All appearances. set about 90 arrange
! things in such manner that those who
/ FIRST reached the scene would bc lei TO
think the old man had committed sui
| eide
lie fastened the gun To- a bookcase with
/ staples and tied "a string 10 the trigger.
I So as 10 make a. appear that Dotson had
| been standing In front OF the rifle AMI
had himself pulled the trigger.
MURDERER WAS TOO HAsTY.
l
! hurry, and his haste resulted IN his un-
/ doing ~ was discovered that the sta
! piles were not strong enough To with
! stand the rccoil OF tho gun. ON the out-
I side of the cabin. just 10 one side of the
/ newly sawed hole were round powder
/ marks. the edges Of the hole being black
I cned and burned.
/ Tho murderer thon undoubtedly fc&gcd
| the following confession, which was
| found by the officers in Dotson's cabin
! washington Gulch tno dsteD.-ln tho
| wear 1896. In October. I think it Was.
Killed man in Gallatin county. near
Central Park. and his his body I'm the
I bushes about 900 yards west of the
bridge. In August 1888. my son-in-law'
IA. Cacheun. and myself killed Eugene
| Cullnane.
ed. Cachelin shot Eugene in the head
and I shot him IN the back. We q. not
kiil him for his money. We Killed him tu
| get him out ~ ths way. We thought -
/ ......f4 A.. .VV.afs.I and f4Ulellu fssN 80.