The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-05

at. Clinton Dotson. 1t came about that
during the latter part of 10000 Macarthur
received a pardon and went out Of the
state prison the S0th of December. 1900.
Now comes the unfolding OF the vicious
plot. As soon as 1t was known that Nc
Arthur was to go out of the prison Clin-
ton DOtSOn began to concOCt scheme,
to be carried out by Macarthur, by which
he himself would be pardoned and re-
leased from the penitentlary. This
scheme was in short nothing more or less
than the murder Of his aged father, Oil
during the latter part of 1900 Macarthur
Oliver Dotson was to be found dead, and
he was to leave beside him a purported
confession. taking upon himself the muir
der of Eugene Cullinane. Clinton Dot
sons idea was that when that paper was
found he would be Immediately pardon
ed. Here is the motive.
Why is it that Macarthur would do such
a deed. apparently only out of friendship
for his cell mate? 1t will De Seen.
Fiendish Was the Plot.
Clinton Dotson when he was concoct-
ing this conspiracy could not keep it to
himself; it was too good to keep; he
must tell it to some one and he told I. to
Ellis Pei singer who was also in the pris-
on for the killing of Culhnane. Clinton
Dotson told Persinger that he had a
scheme by which they would all get out.
That he had arranged with Macarthur to
kill some one who would leave con
fession' as to the killing OF Cullinane.
Persinger asked him if it was John Chad
wick, who, it may tie said in passing, was
a neighbor of Cullinane. Clinton Dotson
said no, it was his father. He said
people would more readily suspect
old man Dotson and Cachelin. He then
told Pelsinger that he told Macarthur
that he had $4,000, the proceeds of
railway robbery, hid away in Wyoming.
and that he would give Macarthur half
of this sum. Dotson told another con-
vict. Roberts, substantially the same
story. AS soon as Macarthur had left
the prison, Persinger toll dthis story to
Frank Corley,th warden, and wrote it in
letters to others, and he persisted fran
tica1ly that the scheme would be car
ried out. There is therefore not the
least doubt Of it's truth. Mr.. Conley
sent word to old man Dotson. but it
probably never reached him and at any
rate it all sounded so much like pipe
dream no one except Pers!nger thought
it would be carried out. Afterwards
when news came that tn body of old
man Dotson had been found Mr.. Con-
ley at once exclaimed that Macarthur
was the murderer and that a pretended
will and confession would be found near
by the body. And so it happened.
When Macarthur left the prison on the
SOth of last December he went that
evening to Avon and there that evening
wrote a letter to a man by the name of
Berry down in MissOula county. Next
day he went out to Washington gulch,
on the way inquiring for the cabin of old
man oliver Dotson. He was met on this
day by number of men. He went to
Mr.. Dotson's cabin and with others
partook of a New Years dinner. Mr..
Dotson having business with the land
office in Helena, went to Helena on the
I. 5th of January taking Macarthur with
him. Macarthur was then going by the
I name of Murray. Soon after arriving
in Helena Mr.. Dotson drew from the
bank about $50. Macarthur was still
with him.
The Scheme Leaked Out.
About the sth of January Macarthur
was sitting in some large beer hall in
Helena, talking privately to some
friend. To this friend he was telling
that he had secret job to perform In
Washington gulch, for a friend, and
! that there was money in 1t for him.
This was overheard by man by the
name of John Mcdonald, an engineer on
| one of the railroads. Mcdonald thought
| nothing of it until after the report OF
the murder of Dotson and he after
wards identified Macarthur as the man
| who did the talking.
On the evening of the Sth or 9th OF
| January Macarthur and Mr.. Dotson
i of oLv1 Eo,p in
| Helena. Macarthur was much under the
| influence of Nquor and told Becky Fer
ris that he intended to kill old man Dot
| son and get Clinton Dotson out of the
penitentiary. Another person overheard
| part of it. This part of the story ap-
pears strange, but Becky Ferris told
| others about it before the murder. She
| also told old man Dotson what NC
| Arthur told her but he evidently DID
| not believe her.
| About the 10th Of January old man
Dotson was taken with the smallpox
and was sent to the pest house at Hell
Lena. where he remained until the 18th o.
February.
l. Macarthur returned to Avon on the
feyening of the 18th of January ano
1 stopped at the hotel there, registering
by the name of Murray. On the 18th HI
proceeded to Washington eulch and
went to Dotson's cabin. He was seer
by q number of men.
It might be here mentioned that OLE
Aman Dotson had moved from American
| gulch into Washington gulch, abou
4 three miles further west.
| The old miners in Washington gulcl
i were not very friendly to Oliver Dotson
and consequently few visited him. From
fJanuary IL, when Macarthur went to oil
man Dotson's cabin In Washington
gulch down to February Is. when oil
man Dotson returned from Helena. N
one in the gulch seems to have visite'
the cabin. But Macarthur was seen goinl
there on the 18th OF January. Smok
was seen issuing from the cabin ever,
day thereafter. a stranger was notice.
II about the cabin from distance. al