Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-06-21
IS HEREDITY TO
BLAME FOR THIS
BOYS BADNESS?
Son of Man Who Was Hange!
for Successfully Plotting
Murder Of Father.

Deadwood. S. D., June 14.-ls LogaA
Dotson, an 1~S-year-old boy, now IN ths
Lawrence county Jail, a victim or VIC
ious heredity? To those acquainted
with the history of the Dotson fam-
lily the question is an interesting one.
Young Dotson was brought in from
a ranch yesterday by the sheriff, and is
charged with having fired shots at a
rancher named PeatoW with the 1ull
intention to kill. The boy denies the
charges and states he was only prac-
ticing with a rifle and that the bullets
will be found in the log that ne was
using as a target. 1t is not the hrst
time, however, that DotSon has peen
charged with an offense, as last year
he was arrested and given trial FOR
having written threatening letters to
a woman of Crook City. He was given
the benefit of a doubt and discharged,
with the warning that connection with
any such case again would prove more
serious.
His Father Killed Father.
Logan is the son Of Clint Dotson.
who was hanged some years ago In
Anaconda, Mont, for the murder of his
own father, Camp Dotson. The story
is a horrible one and without a parallel
in the annals Of crime in the west
Clint Dotson and two others were
found guilty OF the murder Of an old
prospector, and Dotson was given a life
sentence. One Of the chief witnesses
who secured his conviction was his
father, Camp Dotson, who very reluct-
antly gave the testimony that fastened
the guilt of the crime upon his son and
his associates.
Two years later the people of Ana
conda were startled by the news that
Did Camp Dotson, living alone iE
Washington gulch, had committed sui
eide. The same day, however, n OF
the prisoners at the Montana peniten-
tiary where Clint Dotson was serving
his sentence, revealed to the warden
the story of the crime. He said that
Clint Dotson had made arrangements
with one Of the prisoners who was dis
charged a few days previous TO go to
Washington gulch, kill Camp DotsOn,
and leave a letter, supposedly written
by the old man, stating that Camp Dot
sop and his two associates were inno-
cent and that he, the father, was guilty
of the murder, n had killed himself
because of his remorse.
Easy to Prove Plot. ,
The letter was found just as the
convict had described and the released
convict was apprehended a few miles
from the scene Of the crime. The whole
plan had been Matched in the brain of
Clint Dotson, who expected on the
strength Of the supposed confession OF
his father to ecu a speedy pardon
evidence proved that Camp Dotson had
been shot through q chink in the cabin
and that the writing on the note was
not his, but that of his son Clint. Dot
son and his partner in crime were both
J convicted and hanged in Anaconda
Mont.
Dotson went to his doom with q
GOODNESS that has never been equalled
Just before the black cap was drawn
over his face he asked for a chew Of
tobacco and was chewing it uncon-
cernedly when the trap was sprung.
And now the question arises, is Lo-
gan DotsOn, with such a heredity, to
be blamed or pitied even if the charges
recently made against him are true?