W. C. Clifton

W. C. Clifton was held in the jail at Newcastle, Wyoming, in May 1903, and the Converse County Herald said he was well known to old-timers in the area from his years punching cows there. Newspaper reports say a mob of about fifty mounted men came from Gillette on the night of May 26, broke down the jail door and overpowered the sheriff and a deputy. The men took Clifton to a railroad bridge west of town and hanged him, and reports say his head was severed by the fall. A note the mob left pinned to his clothing said they acted because the law was too slow.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A Denver Post dispatch from Newcastle, Wyoming, says a mob took Clifton from the jail and hanged him from a bridge west of town.

Reported by: Denver Post special dispatch from Newcastle, Wyo. (reporters); Associated Press dispatch (reporters); Rock Island Argus report (reporters); Converse County Herald news report (reporters); Cheyenne Leader special report (reporters); The Buffalo Bulletin (reporters).

Sources (33)

• San Antonio Daily Light, May 27, 1903, page 1 San Antonio Daily Light, May 27, 1903
• Rock Island Argus, May 27, 1903, page 1 Rock Island Argus, May 27, 1903
• Las Vegas Daily Optic, May 27, 1903, page 1 Las Vegas Daily Optic, May 27, 1903
• Albuquerque Daily Citizen, May 27, 1903, page 1 Albuquerque Daily Citizen, May 27, 1903
• Santa Fe New Mexican, May 27, 1903, page 1 Santa Fe New Mexican, May 27, 1903
• The Savannah Morning News, May 28, 1903, page 1 The Savannah Morning News, May 28, 1903
• The Montgomery Advertiser, May 28, 1903, page 1 The Montgomery Advertiser, May 28, 1903
• The Times Dispatch, May 28, 1903, page 1 The Times Dispatch, May 28, 1903
• The Daily Ardmoreite, May 28, 1903, page 1 The Daily Ardmoreite, May 28, 1903
• The San Francisco Call, May 28, 1903, page 3 The San Francisco Call, May 28, 1903
• The Oskaloosa Herald, May 28, 1903, page 8 The Oskaloosa Herald, May 28, 1903
• The Portland Daily Press, May 28, 1903, page 12 The Portland Daily Press, May 28, 1903
• Bismarck Daily Tribune, May 28, 1903, page 1 Bismarck Daily Tribune, May 28, 1903
• The Madison Daily Leader, May 28, 1903, page 1 The Madison Daily Leader, May 28, 1903
• Converse County Herald, May 28, 1903, page 5 Converse County Herald, May 28, 1903
• The Billings Gazette, May 29, 1903, page 7 The Billings Gazette, May 29, 1903
• The Alliance Herald, May 29, 1903, page 1 The Alliance Herald, May 29, 1903
• Weekly Independent, May 29, 1903, page 3 Weekly Independent, May 29, 1903
• The Greenville Times, May 30, 1903, page 1 The Greenville Times, May 30, 1903
• The Grenada Sentinel, May 30, 1903, page 3 The Grenada Sentinel, May 30, 1903
• The Lancaster Ledger, May 30, 1903, page 5 The Lancaster Ledger, May 30, 1903
• Rawlins Republican, May 30, 1903, page 1 Rawlins Republican, May 30, 1903
• The Watchman And Southron, June 3, 1903, page 2 The Watchman And Southron, June 3, 1903
• The Manning Times, June 3, 1903, page 1 The Manning Times, June 3, 1903
• Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner, June 3, 1903, page 1 Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner, June 3, 1903
• Bill Barlow'S Budget, June 3, 1903, page 10 Bill Barlow'S Budget, June 3, 1903
• Northern Wisconsin Advertiser, June 4, 1903, page 2 Northern Wisconsin Advertiser, June 4, 1903
• Wood County Reporter, June 4, 1903, page 2 Wood County Reporter, June 4, 1903
• The Buffalo Bulletin, June 4, 1903, page 5 The Buffalo Bulletin, June 4, 1903
• The Marlboro Democrat, June 5, 1903, page 1 The Marlboro Democrat, June 5, 1903
• The Mccook Tribune, June 5, 1903, page 6 The Mccook Tribune, June 5, 1903
• The Gordon Journal, June 5, 1903, page 2 The Gordon Journal, June 5, 1903
• The Black Hills Union, June 5, 1903, page 3 The Black Hills Union, June 5, 1903