The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-04-27
'D|AMONDF|E[D JACK
Spectacular and Dramatic Life
Story of Cowboy Days.
NOW TO BE MILLIONAIRE
From GaIIows Tree to Affluenee.--A
True Life Romance Comes Out Of
the West.-Twice Sentenced to
Death He Is Pardoned and Re-
stored to Citizenship.

4
such in brief is the transition that fate
has wrought in the fortunes OF John
Davis, known as "Diamondfield Jack"
| Riches have come to him as the fairy
| like climax to life story as pictur.
| e5que, as dramatic and spectacular,
as any in the romantic history of the
| far west.
Mining men from Goldfeld, the new
camp near Tonopah, declare that
| Davis and his partners will be mil.
| lionaires before two years more have
rolled away. Davis has been mining
ever since he was snatched from the
| shadow of the scaffold, when death
was so near that he could almost feel
the tightening of the moose about his
neck. He and his associates are now
owners of the Daisy group of mines.
| in one Of which the strike referred
| to was made
"Diamondheld Jack" Davis was one
Of the leading actors in the bittcr
| range war of 1896, and, so far as popu.
| lar interest was concerned, he held
| the center OF the stage until Decem-
ber, 1902, when he was released from
the Idaho state prison Davis was
| in the employ OF the Sparks-Harrell
cattle company, the biggest stock
| raising concern in Nevada. whose cat
tie fattened on the ranges OF that
state and Idaho.
The senior member Of the firm was
| John Sparks, Honest John" now gov.
ernor of the silver state. The posse1.
| sion Of the ranges had long been dis
puted between the cattle raisers and
| the sheep men. Intensely bitter feuds
have resulted and many lives have
been sacrificed to the hatred between
| the two clas1es.
In the spring OF 1896 this bitter
personal feeling reached its height.
| Thousands of sheep were driven on to
| the ranges that the cattlemen had for
merly claimed as their own. The cat
| tlemen prepared to defend what they
considered their territory, and armed
men patrolled the ranges. Conspcu-
| Gus among these was "Diamondfield
! Jack"
In the western part OF Ca5sia coun-
| ty, Idaho, the fight for the range was
the fiercest. The sheepmen had been
warned that to cross a certain ridge
near Deep Creek meant death for
themselves and their stock. Never
theless, some Of them persisted in
driving their sheep into the forbid
den territory.
Among these men were John c.
Wilson and Daniel Cummings herd
ers. One day rancher found both
men dead in their camp wagons. They
had been killed with rifle.
There were many circumstances
and another man as having knowl-
edge Of the crime. They were arrest
ed. The man who was jointly charged
with Davis was soon released, but
with "Diamondfield Jack" it Jared
worle
The jury found him guilty, and on
April IA, 1897, he was sentenced to
be hanged. The case was appealed
to the supreme court of the state,
whoa affirmed the judgment Of the
lower tribunal and resentenced Davis
to die, fixing the date Of execution as
October 28, 1898. Eight days before
the sentence was to be carried out
Governor Hunt granted the con-
demned man a reprleve until Febru-
airy 1, 1899.
Then the case was taken into the
Federal courts. From the United
States circuit court Of appeals the
| fate of Jack" Davis was passed to
the supreme court Of the Tilted States.
which promptly affirmed the previous
decisions.
For the third time Davis was SEN
fenced to death. June 81, 1901, being
fixed as the date of the event.
"Jack" Davis was a poor man, but
powerful and wealthy friends came to
his aid, conspicuous among them be-
ing Governor Sparks.
When the last legal resource had
that Davis was doomed to die, the
influence of Governor Sparks resulted
In restoring Jack" Davis to freedom.
A temporary reprieve day or two
before the date set for the execution
was followed by full pardon and
restoration to citizenship, which was
issued December IT, 1902.
After spending six years in prison,
"Diamondfield Jack" was free to go
his way. He chose to go to Nevada,
to the new mining camps surround
ings Tonopah, and there he found the
fortune that has set every human
tongue in the cattle country to Wag-
ging about his phenomenal luck.
Jack Davis began life for him3e
as newsboy In London. Later he
slowed away on a sailing ship bound
for South Africa. He went to the dia-
mond fields of the interior and met
with varying fortune, until he attract
ed the attention Of Cecil Rhodes, then
just beginning his consolidation Of the
diamond interests.
Davis became a confidential detec-
tive for the empire builder. Several