Idaho
America 250: Diamondfield Jack’s murder trial became Idaho’s trial of the century
SOUTH HILLS — At the turn of the 20th century, a murder trial in the new state of Idaho captivated the nation — and the man at the center of it all was known as Diamondfield Jack.
On top of Pike Mountain in the South Hills, the story of Jackson Lee Davis — better known as Diamondfield Jack — is one of frontier justice, mistaken identity and outlaw legend.
WATCH: Learn more about the famous trial
America 250: Diamondfield Jack’s murder trial
Historian and CSI professor Justin Vipperman took Neighborhood Reporter Lorien Nettleton to the site on Deep Creek where two sheepherders were found murdered in 1896, a crime that earned Davis a death sentence.
“This is — I mean, this is outlaw American West history,” Vipperman said.
Vipperman said the story captures the tension of the era.
“Diamondfield Jack is such a great story because it’s that kind of — that. You’re on the frontier here, right?” Vipperman said. “We’re watching the sheepmen and cattlemen kind of fight back-and-forth, and Diamondfield is one of those great stories.”
Diamondfield Jack was an enforcer for the Sparks-Harrell Cattle Company in 1895, with a reputation for violence. His job was to patrol the boundary between cattle and sheep territory.
“Diamondfield Jack is supposed to be running the deadline and making sure that sheep herders are staying to the east of the deadline and cattlemen are to the west,” Vipperman said.
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When two sheepherders were found shot to death near the Deep Creek site east of Rogerson in February 1896, suspicion fell on Davis almost immediately.
“When these two men are found dead, people immediately — over there, that’s gotta be Diamondfield,” Vipperman said.
He was quickly tried in Albion and sentenced to hang, despite admissions from two other men who said they were responsible for the deaths.
Vipperman said Davis’s own personality may have worked against him.
“The bravado is what gets him in trouble, and he definitely had the swagger of an outlaw and he definitely carried that idea like ‘I’m a hired gun,’” Vipperman said. “In fact, I would argue that his bravado is probably bigger than his action — the actual thing he was doing.”
After several delays to his execution and 6 years in jail, Diamondfield Jack was pardoned in 1902.
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“I believe in my own research the Bowers and Gray were both the actual real hired guns, and the Diamondfield was — bark was worse than his bite,” Vipperman said.
After his release, Diamondfield Jack prospered as a prospector in Nevada, living to the age of 85 before he was hit by a car and killed in Las Vegas in 1949.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
AMMON – Two fires in the Ammon area have been extinguished, thanks to the massive response of multiple fire agencies.
Two fires started in separate neighborhoods Friday night as a result of people lighting fireworks. The first one started around 5:45 p.m. on Delaware Avenue near the St. Clair Estates subdivision. Idaho Falls Fire Department spokeswoman Hayli Egbert tells EastIdahoNews.com it started in a field next to a house in the area.
Although the blaze was only about half an acre in size, firefighters battled it for about four and a half hours.
“We were able to catch it before any homes were affected,” Egbert says. “We were also able to avoid injuries.”
As firefighters were wrapping up, another fire started on Comish and High Willow Lane in the Comore Loma subdivision about four miles southwest.
The blaze quickly grew to about eight acres. John Tren posted several videos of the fire on the Life in Idaho Falls Facebook page.
“It got very, very close to several homes, but thankfully we had enough agencies out there that prevented the fire from reaching any houses,” says Egbert. “No civilians or firefighters were injured.”
The fire was out by about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, but firefighters had a brush truck on scene overnight to ensure there were no hot spots to start it up again.
It’s not clear whether anyone is being charged in connection with the fire. EastIdahoNews.com is awaiting additional information from Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
Six fire agencies were involved, including Idaho Falls Fire Department, Central Fire District in Jefferson County, Ucon Fire Department, Bonneville County Fire District 1, Shelley Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and Bonneville County Emergency Management Services were there as supporting agencies.
“It was all hands on deck,” Egbert says. “We had pretty much all resources expended trying to cover the fires that were going on.”
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Earlier Saturday, the IFFD issued a joint news release on behalf of everyone involved to remind the public that “current conditions are dangerously dry” and that a single spark has the potential to cause major damage. Law enforcement and fire officials are urging the public to avoid using illegal fireworks until further notice and to attend professionally-managed fireworks shows, rather than light them off at home.
“Individuals found in violation of local fireworks ordinances are subject to citation and fines under local ordinances and may be held liable for the costs of any fire suppression efforts and property damage resulting from unlawful fireworks use,” the city of Idaho Falls says in a Saturday morning news release.
RELATED | Officials: Stop using illegal aerial fireworks before more fires ignite
Egbert reiterates the importance of being safe with fireworks this Fourth of July.
“With last night’s incident, if something of the same size had occurred across town, we may not have had the resources to handle it all,” she says. “It really took all hands on deck to (put it out) and keep everyone safe.”
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Courtesy Zach Zaugg
AMMON — As the community celebrates the Fourth of July with numerous aerial fireworks ringing through the night, a fire has broken out near the Ammon foothills.
According to WatchDuty, a wildfire mapping application, a fire has been reported near South High Willow Lane, and another near East Comish Drive and East 65th South.
WatchDuty watchers report that forward movement of both fires has been stopped, and crews are working on containment.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to Bonneville County Fire District 1 and is waiting for more information about the fire.
EastIdahoNews.com will update this story once more information becomes available.
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IDAHO FALLS — The CEO of the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber resigned Friday amid allegations of misappropriation of funds from a local podcast.
According to a social media post posted Friday from the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, the board of directors accepted the resignation of Paul Baker as chief executive officer.
“We thank Paul for his years of service to the Chamber and wish him well in his future endeavors,” says the post.
The post says that Baker will continue assisting the chamber in a transitional capacity for the next few weeks “to facilitate an orderly leadership transition.”
We have reached out to Paul Baker for comment, and have not received a response. If we hear back, we will update this article.
The resignations come after weeks of scrutiny from a local podcast, IFAF, hosted by Mike Nelson and Karley Morgan. In multiple episodes, the podcasters read questions from an alleged whistleblower who claims that Baker may have misappropriated funds from the chamber, among other allegations.
RELATED | IFAF podcasters reflect on more than two years of rebellious recordings
EastIdahoNews.com has been watching this closely; some facts have been verified, others have not been or appear to be factually incorrect. We will continue investigating and update if we learn more.
“To date, the Board has not found any evidence that Chamber funds have been misappropriated. The Board remains committed to the Chamber’s mission of serving its members and supporting a strong business community,” says the post. “Chamber operations will continue uninterrupted as we move forward with a leadership transition and an independent audit.”
As of Friday, no criminal charges have been filed against Baker for any of the allegations.
The podcast has also linked Baker to Cristie Stone, the former President of the Portneuf Valley Soccer Club, who was recently charged with allegedly embezzling $219,000 from the club. Baker was previously the club’s executive director. Numerous social media posts also indicate that Baker and Stone have been in a romantic relationship.
Local authorities have not indicated Baker is involved in Stone’s embezzlement case.
RELATED | Former president of Portneuf Valley Soccer Club embezzled over $219K, police say
The board says it appreciates the continued support of its members, partners, and the community and will provide additional information “as appropriate.”
EastIdahoNews.com will update when we learn more.
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