On a cold February morning in 1896, the bodies of two men, Daniel Cummings and John Wilson, were discovered, setting in motion a legal drama that would captivate the Idaho territory. Cummings, a White male, and his companion had been shot and killed on approximately February 4th. Their bodies were found about two weeks after their demise by a sheepherder who had moved his flock to a more sheltered location during a heavy snowstorm, a move he later believed saved his own life as he was told he was also on a list to be eliminated.
When the sheepherder entered a cabin, he found Cummings stretched out across the foot of a bed, fully clothed in an overcoat. It appeared Cummings had been standing beside the bed when he was shot, falling backward onto it. While there was little blood on the floor, a significant amount was found around his body, suggesting he had bled to death slowly. An autopsy would later confirm that he had lived for several hours after being shot.
Both Cummings and Wilson were determined to have been killed by the same gun.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrest of a man known as Diamondfield Jack Davis. Davis was pursued by the sheriff and eventually apprehended in Arizona. His trial was held in Albion, Idaho, and garnered widespread publicity. Despite the best legal talents representing both the prosecution and the defense, the proceedings were at times chaotic, with court reportedly having to adjourn on multiple occasions to allow witnesses to sober up. A note found on Cummings' body was entered as evidence during the initial inquest but mysteriously vanished before the trial and was never mentioned again.
Ultimately, Diamondfield Jack Davis was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Public sentiment at the time seemed to be that justice had been served. However, the case was far from closed. Davis later received a reprieve and then a full pardon, walking free. With his release, the murders of Daniel Cummings and John Wilson officially returned to the status of an unsolved mystery, a puzzle that has endured to this day. The identity of the true killer remains a subject of speculation.
