In the quiet town of Wickenburg, Arizona, a dedicated male night watchman named Clarence N. Dotson, aged 43, met a tragic and untimely end. His death, a result of gun violence, occurred on the 7th of February, 1945, while he was dutifully making his rounds. The night took a fatal turn when he discovered a figure crouched in the doorway of the Hassayampa drug store.
Assuming the individual was merely intoxicated, Dotson ordered the man to show himself.
In a sudden and violent response, three gunshots echoed through the night air, striking the watchman. Despite his grave injuries, Dotson managed to return fire and, with his final breaths, relayed to a witness what had transpired. He was able to communicate that the suspect was staying at a local hotel, a crucial piece of information that would aid in the subsequent investigation. Having served his community for only nine months, he was survived by his wife.
The search for the perpetrator began immediately. The suspect, a 34-year-old man, was soon discovered hiding on a bus. When the driver was ensuring all passengers had disembarked, the suspect lunged at him. The driver, however, managed to overpower and knock him unconscious. Upon his capture, it was revealed that Dotson's return fire had not been in vain; the suspect had been shot twice in the leg and once in the arm.
The man was taken into custody and subsequently faced the consequences of his actions. He was convicted for the murder of Night Watchman Dotson and sentenced to life in the Arizona Penitentiary. His time in prison was marked by multiple escape attempts. He first escaped in November of 1953 but was recaptured in June of 1954 in New Mexico. Years later, on May 7, 1968, he managed to escape once more, this time by simply walking away from his trustee job outside the prison walls.
