In the cold, clear light of February 5, 1903, Lane County Sheriff William Withers, a 45-year-old White male, set out for Walton, Oregon, on a mission to apprehend an escaped prisoner. The fugitive was Elliott Lyons, a known embezzler and horse thief, who was believed to be hiding at his parents' home where his wife also resided. Accompanied by a deputized posse, Withers reached the Lyons residence and, with his pistol drawn, boldly entered to demand the man's surrender.
What happened next was a chaotic and tragic turn of events. In a desperate attempt to protect their own, Lyons' wife and parents physically restrained Sheriff Withers. In that moment of struggle, Elliott Lyons emerged, armed with a revolver, and fired a single shot that struck Withers in the neck. The bullet tore through his windpipe and lodged against his spinal cord. While Lyons made his escape into the surrounding area, the gravely wounded sheriff was tended to. Despite the medical attention he received, the damage was too severe. William Withers succumbed to his injury two days later, on February 7, 1903.
The news of the beloved sheriff's death sent shockwaves of outrage through the community of Eugene. Posses were quickly organized to hunt down the "desperado" responsible. A substantial reward was offered for Lyons' capture, dead or alive. For four days, the search for Lyons was relentless. He was finally spotted in Creswell, attempting to board a southbound freight train. The posse, alerted to his whereabouts, managed to stop the train and surrounded him. As they closed in, Lyons, seeing no way out, surrendered, exclaiming, "Well, it is all up; I am done for; I am your man."
Elliott Lyons was taken into custody and subsequently indicted for the murder of Sheriff Withers. A coroner's jury determined that the shooting was premeditated. Fearing mob justice due to the public's anger, Lyons' arraignment was held without advance notice. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial took place swiftly. After a mere 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of murder in the first degree. On March 6, 1903, a judge sentenced Elliott Lyons to hang. The execution was carried out on April 17, 1903, in the courtyard of the Lane County jail, marking the second and final hanging to take place in the county's history. The man who murdered Sheriff Withers had paid the ultimate price for his crime.
