Jack Davis (prospector)

For other people of the same name, see Jack Davis.

Jackson Lee "Diamondfield Jack" Davis (1879–1949) was pardoned for murder in Idaho in 1902 and would later strike it rich in Nevada. He established several mining towns in Nevada, one named after his nickname Diamondfield.^[1]

Biography

Davis got his nickname when he went west to Silver City, Idaho on the rumor of a diamond strike. The rumor led to nothing but after talking so much about it he got the nickname "Diamondfield Jack". After the failed prospecting attempt Jack was hired by Spark-Harrell cattle company on the Idaho-Nevada border. Davis' job was to keep sheepherders off the cattle's land and after a confrontation that led to wounding of a sheepherder named Bill Tolman, Davis was on the run. He began working for the cattle company again the next year and almost immediately as he came back to work, two sheepherders were killed in the area where he was working. Davis became the prime suspect for the killings. A magazine was found in the sheepwagon with a diamond drawn in blood by one of the victims. The sheepmen were killed with .44 caliber bullets shot out of a .45 caliber gun. Diamondfield Jack was known to have bought .44 caliber cartridges when the correct ones were not available. As he was heading towards Mexico, Jack was picked up be authorities in Arizona Territory. He was transported back up to Idaho and sentenced to hang on June 4, 1897. The day before his execution date he was reprieved due to the confessions of two other men to the murders. In February 1899 Davis was transferred to the Idaho State Penitentiary where he stayed until December of that year. Davis was then transferred back to a cell in the Cassia County jail.

After Davis had exhausted his appeals another execution date was scheduled for July 3, 1901. By the time public opinion had shifted in Jack's favor mostly due to the confessions of James Bower and Jeff Gray and also to the easing of tension between sheep and cattle herders. The Board of Pardons extended the execution date to the July 17, much to the outrage of state prosecutor and future Idaho Senator William Borah. Three hours before Davis' scheduled execution, word arrived to the Cassia County sheriff that his sentence had been changed to life imprisonment. Davis was moved back to the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, Idaho until he was finally pardoned on December 17, 1902 by Idaho Gov. Frank W. Hunt.

Upon his release Jack moved down to Nevada where he finally struck it rich and established several mining camps in Nevada. In 1949 Diamondfield Jack was killed by a taxi cab as he was walking in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[2]

Legacy

An area in the South Hills in present-day Twin Falls County is named after Davis.^[3]

References

1. ^ Grover, David H. "Diamondfield Jack; A Study of Frontier Justice" (University of Nevada Press, 1968)
2. ^ http://www.idahohistory.net/OldPenDiamondfield.pdf
3. ^ South Hills/Shoshone Basin/Salmon Creek Falls Subloop

Further reading

• Young, James A., & Abbot Sparks, B. (2002). Cattle in the Cold Desert. University of Nevada Press. ISBN 0874175038.
• Grover, David Hubert. 1968. Diamondfield Jack; a Study in Frontier Justice. University of Nevada Press

External links

• Nevada Historical Marker 251
• The True Story of Wilson and Cummings Murder by Ted Severe

Persondata
Name	Davis, Jack
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1879
Place of birth
Date of death	1949
Place of death