The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-07
PAID THE PENALTY
JAMES MACARTHUR HANGED AT
DEER L0DGE, MONT, FOR MUIR
DER MOST FOUL
KILLING OF OLIVER DoTsoN
Tale of an Amazing Criminal Con-
spiracy I'm Which the Murdered
Mans Son Toek u Lead
ing Part.

DEER LODGE, Mont, Sept 6.-James
Macarthur, alias James Fleming, was
hanged here this morning for the murder
OF Capt. Oliver DotSon last February.
The execution was witnessed by nearly
every sheriff in the state Macarthur
Kept his nerve to the last and walked
to the gallows without a sign of weak
ness. After taking his place On the plat
form he was given permission to make
statement. Facing the spectators he
launched out into a torrent of abuse Of
the men who had been instrumental in
sending him to his death, and declaring
again and again that he was innocent
lie rambled on for several minutes, and
finally the Sheriff, seeing there was no
chance to stop him, gave the signal for
the trap TO be sprung. The drop fell at
l0:lb and Macarthur was pronounced
dead seven minutes later
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which James Fleming
suffered the death penalty is one of the
most remarkable in the history of GRIM
nology, involving a most revolving and
diabolical conspiracy. On Aug 8, 1899,
Eugene Cullinane, an aged resident of
Washington Gulch, Powell county, was
found murdered. For this crime Clinton
Dotson, Charles Oliver Benson and Ellis
Perslnger were convicted. Dotson was
sentenced to life Imprisonment, and Ben
son, who made a partial confession, and
Pers1nger We're sentenced to ten years.
Last January Persinger informed War
Den Conley, Of the state prison, that
Clinton Dotson and convict known as
James Macarthur, whose real name was
James Fleming, had conspired to murder
capt Oliver Dotson. Clinton Dotson's
1afher, an old man living in Washington
Gulch. Fleming, whose term was soon to
expire, was to kill Capt Dotson, make
up forged confession and will and ar
range the surroundings in such a way
as to lead to the theory Of suicide The
contents of the confession were to be
to the effect that Capt. Dotson had killed.
Eugene Cullinane, that his son. Clinton
Dotson, and Benson and Persinger were
innocent, and that through remorse for
MS treatment OF his son he had killed
himself and left the confession in order
that Clinton Dotson might secure his re-
lease from prison. Flening's reward for
the murder was to be a share in SIS, 600,
Whlch clinton DotsOn claimed to have
cached away in Wyoming, the proceeds
OF an alleged train robbery. So wild was
this plot that the prison officials paid no
attention to it.
EARLY in January of this year Fleming
WAS released. On Feb Is he was seen at
Washington Gulch, On Feb. 70 the dead
body OF Capt. Dotson was found in his
cabin with a bullet wound in his head.
I'm The wall was fixed rifle with a.
string attached to the trigger leading to
a point near the dead body. The arrange
Ieents of the furniture and other articles
abot the place indicated suicide The
pHrported confession, as above outlined,
was found on a table, also a will be-
gueathing Capt. Dotsons entire estate to
his son.
Fleming was captured near Missoula.
On trial the circumstantial evidence
showed that he had concealed himself in
the Dotson house, and through a hole in
the partition had fired the fatal shot.
The handwriting in the alleged confession
was Identical with other specimens
proved to be written by Fleming. The
defense abb theory was completely de-
molished, and the conviction was secured
within an hour, ON July 8. Clinton Dot
son was also convicted and sentenced to
be executed Sept. 6, but in his case a
respite to Oct. 25 was granted by the
governor on technical grounds