Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-17

- ONE mems lives are made up OF
comedy, while others experience
nothing but tragedy from the
cradle to the grave occasionally
however, man ls found whose life is
mixture OF both 1t "a not often
though that one finds character
whose comedy and tragedy are so IN
termxed as is the case OF that Of Jack
Davis, the subject Of this sketch All
over the lntermounlaln region he Is
known by the soubrlquet Of Diamond
field Jack" ana his career has been a
most sensational and dramatic one.
HIS DRAMATIC CAREER
since his youth he has spent his
years on the frontier as COW puncher
and miner and he attained the title OF
"Dlamondaed' I'm the following man
ner. IN 1898 there was quite an excite
ment to Owyhee county, ida the coun-
~ In which the rich Silver city dis
trict is situated The excitement was
near Tinker creek but soon subsidized
because there were no diamonds to be
found In paying quantities. Al THIS
time the San Juan country In southern
Colorado was attracting much atten-
ton and Jack started for the eXclte-
ment. While on The road he encoun-
tered o number Of cowboys and strange
as It may seem there was either onr
or two other Jack DayIaes IN the crowd
and upon asking him where he had
come from and upon being told that it
was from the diamond excitement, they
concluded 20 dub him "Dlamoudneld
and the name has stuck to him ever
since and always VIII as long as no
lives.
TRAGEDY MOST DIRE
The spring Of 1895 found him In the
employ OF Sparks & Herrall I'm taking
care Of their thoroughbred stock IN
Cassa county, Ida Gov John Sparks
of Nevada was the head OF the firm
named. II was shortly after this that
an episode occurred I'm Davis career
upon which he does not like to dwell,
and yet II was Of such character that
unless II were told a sketch of his ca,
reer would be incomplete. As Is well
known whenever cattle and sheep men
meet there Is almost certain to b.
trouble, whether II be out on the range,
or In town when each vies with the
other as to how red he can paint II,
Although an imaginary dividing line
had been agreed on there had for 10
years peylous been trouble and bad
blood existing between two facuona
who were using Uncle Sans domain
free OF charge 1t was claimed that
the sheepmen tried to invade the west
side Of the range IN violation Of the |
agreement before entered into and the |
result was that In February, 1896, two |
sheepmen were found out on the range |
dead. They had been killed by some
one unknown and suspicion pointing a. |
Jack Davis, he was arrested, tried, con- |
ylcted and sentenced to be hung,
CATTLEMEN ADMIT CRIME.
Right here II may be stated IN Jus
tlce to Mr., Davis that subsequently, two |
cattlemen acknowledged the killing, |
Their names are given but withheld IN |
this sketch. The evidence IN the cass |
was purely circumstantlal and the case |
was molly contested on bOth sides ana |
Il was appealed to the supreme court
OF the state Of Idaho, then TO the Unit
ed States circuit court, the United |
states court OF appeals and the su.
preme court at Washington The ques-
ton Of states rights came up and the |
court Of last resort held that II had |
no Jurisdiction Locally the case be-
same a political issue, Messrs. Haw-
ley & Perkey Of Boise defended Davis
while the prosecution was aided by |
such eminent counsel as Hon. w. n.
Borah Of Boise and Judge o. w. Pow
ers OF Salt Lake,
SEVEN DEATH DAYS"
Seven times was the day for the exc
cutlon set and stays were obtained
from the courts.
Finally the sentence was committed
10 imprisonment for life and Il was at |