The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-06
Nervy to the Last Macarthur
Was Cooler Than Those Who
Who Saw Him Die. He
Cut His Speech Short.
Thanking Them All.
{Special from Staff Correspondent

.b,r at a. few moments aIt1i
- ...,oo,. this morning expiated tue
,ourasr Ct Captain Oliver Dotson ~
lyasninntcn Guich February 18TH. 1Hs
.xacrtion was perfectly planned anu
was con;ummated without a hltch'
II ,vos an easy death for the man,
Who in Geld blood murdered an aseu
,,ireT Tie drop weight fell at NV
o'clock and Is minutes later Df' >. H.
Owens. the county physician ana Us
6 Glass and Dodds could tlnd no trace
of 3 1uisation At 10:43 the phEslciahS
,ronounced life extinct and tour nun
utes later all that was mortal W q"
executed murdered was lowered INTO
basket ard turned over TO l uuei laNe1
Tien. An hour later the remains were
,,,,,.:a5 With simple ceremony in the
cemetery here and thus closed the incl
ant Of the murder of Captain Oliver
Dotson ard the legal arranging OF the
crime.
Fleming died game. He had declared
ba would and he was as good as his
word From the time his brother LEI.
him to the time the drop fell there was
not one indication of breaking down.
Leaden Skies.
TIL. day was certainly in keeping with
No event. nature and the elements
seemed to have agreed that the
PARTS they were to play were 10
add TO the sonnbefness of the &C.
easfcn: the air was chilly and no"
an icy wind is blowing. the SKY was
overcast as though a great dull curtain
had been thrown oyer its vast expahse 10
screen the every ray OF the sun. me
ground was wet and the tree brancnes
driped as they swayed to and 1fo IN
meek submission to ora Boreas. 1t mad
showed during the night. the storm be
s,gn about 8 O'Clock and continued until
1,early O'clock this morning 1t was wet
snow and though some of it laid, 1t did
not last long SO that when dawn came
there was little evidence Of its fall. OFF
in the distance the tall mountain peaks
were white caps serving to remind of
the storm but that was all Of the snow
that was visible.
1t was indeed weird morning and
the uncannyness of the tout ensemble
couI not possibly fail to impress.
Standing in the scaffold yard under the
great gloomy engine of death one shiv-
cred While noting the aspect. More
than one of the many persons as
semhled to witness the execution looked
skyWard for the great blue canopy be.
You'd which is Gods realm and failing
TO see 1t because of the ominous clouds
hiding It sighed and moved about
neryously.
Inside the Jail the scene being en-
acted was as weird as the exterior en-
Vlronments. Fleming was gloomy. at
least the gravity of the situation con-
fronting him had broken down his bar
rier of forced stoicism and at last ba
felt that his minutes on this mortal coil
were numbered. Fleming did not sleep.
He did not want to, he sat I'd during
the entire night and conversed with his
death watch Charles Aspiring and Frank
Comstock. They had ben locked in the
cell with Fleming by Sheriff McMahon
VINO Wouid take no chances on the con-
oeihhed Carrying out his threat to cheat
'he ga'ioWs. Dotson had early in tho
evening written note to McMa!,on
stating that Fleming had declared ha
would kill himself. Dotson was narvo,,.
and felt sure that Fleming would keen
his word. How well Dotson knew Tho
desperate character of the man who
murdered his father. Several time.
curing the night Fleming asked for
"hlskey His courage was failing him.
When given the drink he reyided and
3oked with the death watch.
Fleming Joked.
1t was liball jest, replete with profan-
lily, vulgar suggestions and other OH
scene speech. 1t showed the true nature
OF the man, his moral degeneracy mem
tai perversity and physical depravity.
1t was Wonderful exhibition of aban-
don and cold Elood. When the Inter
Mountain representative called to say
good night at o'ciock this morning.
Fleming was still joking. Don't sleep
too late he said addressing the cor
respondent. you must be here on time
to see me jerked.' Just as the first gray
streaks of dawn We're lighting up the
east. Fleming called out to the taller
whose room is just on the outside of the
cell corridor, Come on there" he said,
"McMahon said I was to be up early for
breakfast. he said o'clock come on
Ehere and get breakfast for me, you fell
lows have got to hang me at 10 O'clock
The jailer replied that the programme
had been changed and that breakfast
would not be served until after Fleming
had received holy communion. that tool
place at 3 O'Clock. At that hour Father
Phelan whose minlsterdng to Fleming hat
been constant and two sisters Of Chart,
arrived at the Jail. They erected an ex
kamporanSous altar under window OF
the north wall Of the jail and just out
aide the cell Of the condemned man