of venue, on January 19, 188), walking to his death % "with a firn,
~~defiant tread."
Letter dated April, 1977, from Marian Geddes, Curator, The Carbon
County Museum, Rawlins, Wyo., 82301,
CARBON COUNTY JOURNAL, Rawlins, Wyo, Jan, 19, 188)
2 PACIFIC 532
of venue, on January 19, 188), walking to his death "with a firm,
~ defiant tread."
Letter dated April, 1977, from Marian Geddes, Curator, The Carbon
County Museum, Rawlins, Wyo., 82301,
CARBON COUNTY JOURNAL, Rawlins, Wyo, Jan, 19, 188)
2 PACIFIC 532
of venue, on January 1§, 188), walking to his death % "with a firm,
~ defiant tread,
Letter dated *pril, 1977, from Marian Geddes, Curator, The Carbon
County Museum, Rawlins, Wyo.
CARBON COUNTY JOURNAL, Rawlins, Wyo, Jan, 19, 188)
2 PACIFIC 532
tt ae nd January 18th, 1884
Donovan, alias John Lee, was a 22-year-old white man who claimed to
be a son of John D, Lee who had been executed in Utah for directing
the Mountain Meadow Massacre, He had resided at Rock Springs, Wyol,
for several months, working as a laborer, where, the first Batruday
night in May, 1883, he was seen entering the room of William Leigh-
ton, a barber, who was Emnsivexed believed to carry large sumes of
money The next morning, Leighton's body, bludgeoned to death with
a hammer, was found on the floor of his room, Donovan, who thereto-
fore had been broke, was flush with money and, as he was thelast per-
son to have been seen in the company of Leighton, he was arrested,
His landlady identified the hammer as one that belonged to her and
Donovan confessed, saying:"I killed the son of a bitch, Bill Leighton,
at Rock Springs, I killed him by striking him three blows on the
head with a hammer." Donovan went on to relate that he had forgotten
the hammer which he intended carrying with him and planned to go back
and retrieve it but the Wody was discovered before he had a chance to
do so, M# After his conviction, an application for a writ of error
to the judgement and sentence of death was made to the Territorial
Supreme Court but it was denied and an application to the Governor
for a commutation of his sentence was also rejected, He was hanged
at Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyo., where he had been tried on a change
pany Eetey January 18th, 1634
Donovan, alias John Lee, was a 22-year-old white man who claimed to
be a son of John D, Lee who had been executed in Utah for directing
the Mountain Meadow Massacre, He had resided at Rock Springs, Wyol,
for several months, working as a laborer, where, the first Satruday
night in May, 1883, he was seen entering the room of William Leigh-
ton, a barber, who was mmmeidexes believed to carry large sumes of
money. The next morning, Leighton's body, bludgeoned to death with
a hammer, was found on the floor of his room. Donovan, who thereto-
fore had been broke, was flush with money and, as he was thelast per-
son to have been seen in the company of Leighton, he was arrested.
His landlady identified the hammer as one that belonged to her and
Donovan confessed, saying:"I killed the son of a bitch, Bill Leighton,
at Rock Springs. I killed him by striking him three blows on the
head with a hammer." Donovan went on to relate that he had forgotten
the hammer which he intended carrying with him and planned to go back
and retrieve it but the ody was discovered before he had a chance to
do so, KX After his conviction, an application for a writ of error
to the judgement and sentence of death was made to the Territorial
Supreme Court but it was denied and an application to the Governor
for a commutation of his sentence was also rejected, He was hanged
at Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyo., where he had been tried on a change
easeeeat ae January 18th, 1884
Donovan, alias John Lee, was a 22-year-old white man who claimed to
be a son of John D, Lee who had been executed in Utah for directing
the Mountain Meadow Massacre, He had resided at Rock Springs, Wyol,
for several months, working as a laborer, where, the first Satruday
night in May, 1883, he was seen entering the room of William Leigh-
ton, a barber, who was umxiaiexe believed to carry large sumes of
money. The next morning, Leighton's body, bludgeoned to death with
a hammer, was found on the floor of his room, Donovan, who thereto-
fore had been broke, was flush with money and, as he was thelast per-
son to have been seen in the company of Leighton, he was arrested,
His landlady identified the hammer as one that belonged to her and
Donovan confessed, sayings"I killed the son of a bitch, Bill Leighton,
at Rock Springs, I killed him by striking him three blows on the
head with a hammer," Donovan went on to relate that he had forgotten
the hammer which he intended carrying with him and planned to go back
and retrieve it but the Wody was discovered before he had a chance to
do so, KX After his conviction, an application for a writ of error
to the judgement and sentence of death was made to the Territorial
Supreme Court but it was denied and an application to the Governor
for a commtation of his sentence was also rejected, He was hanged
at Rawlins, Carbon County, Wo., where he had been tried on a change
men tae, feptnry 28 21006
Seige. bee
