Before the final conviction, Biscaro had already created for himself a substantial reputation as a violent and unsavory character having already served three prison terms earlier: one in Wyoming, one in Colorado, and one in  Montana.

Biscaro had already created for himself a substantial reputation as a violent and unsavory character having already served three prison terms earlier: one in Wyoming, one in Colorado, and one in  Montana.

Due to this and his general living habits, he was considered dangerous at all times. However, during his final stay at the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, it seemed he had turned over a new leaf. The Warden even regarded him as a “model prisoner”…whatever that may entail. Regardless of the reason for the good behavior, because of it, the prison staff was genuinely surprised by the brash manner in which Biscaro made his escape.

At the end of April in 1921, four months after his incarceration, Biscaro had come down with a case of appendicitis and underwent surgery by Dr. Barber to remove his appendix. The operation was a success, though he remained weak for quite some time, and remained in the infirmary well into May. On the 16th of May, he requested a meeting with either Warden Hadsell or Deputy Warden Kiefer as soon as it was convenient. According to both, they had other, more pressing, matters of business to attend to, but said they would have complied at a later time.

Also on that Monday morning, Dr. Barber, the same doctor that had operated on Biscaro weeks earlier, and a Mr. Rich Magor came into the prison to do some work. Later that day, Mr. Magor went to the infirmary to wait for a ride back to town from the doctor. Biscaro was still being held in the infirmary. Biscaro pulled out a revolver and held the two men, including a guard and seven convicts, at gunpoint against a wall. He sent the guard to tell the Warden his demands: that all the guards be removed from the walls, and that a car containing four women be brought to the infirmary door or else the doctor and Magor would die. Barber and Magor talked the man out of the women and asked him to settle for them instead, which he did. The Warden complied (for the most part) by clearing the walls and by ordering that no guard attempt to shoot the man until he was at least two blocks away from the prison. He then loaded the two onto Dr. Barber’s car, which was near the infirmary door. After a failed attempt at driving himself and nearly killing the two, he had Barber drive at gunpoint, right out of the Sally Port.

Once the posse caught up with him and began searching, three gunshots in quick succession were heard.

Once Biscaro had obtained the agreed-upon distance between the prison and himself, a posse was formed to retrieve him with the Warden driving the lead car. Biscaro, knowing he was being followed, kicked Magor out of his car at forty-five miles per hour, and told him to send the message that unless they stopped following him, he would kill Dr. Barber. Magor escaped essentially uninjured. Dr. Barber, however, “knowing” Biscaro had no intention of letting him go, purposely wrecked the car, and ran away, nearly being shot several times. Biscaro then ran into a nearby ravine to hide. Once the posse caught up with him and began searching, three gunshots in quick succession were heard. Biscaro’s body was found shortly after with one bullet lodged in his heart and another in his head. The third bullet was never accounted for, and the death was presumed suicide.

Biscaro’s wife (Grace Nichols), a stern and rather unattractive woman, later confessed to slipping the gun to her husband without regret adding, “I’d do it again.” When she was told of her husband’s suicide, it is said that her stern face softened a bit and her eyes filled with tears. However, when she was allowed to view Biscaro’s body, her face was emotionless as she said, “Well, Old Scout, guess I will finish your sentence.”

Cited: The Rawlins Republican: May 19th, 1921.

Alfred Hunter became a Wyoming State Penitentiary inmate in January of 1928 for the crime of second degree murder. Because of past childhood accidents such as being kicked in the head by a horse, and being bucked off as well, Alfred had many traumatizing head accidents. Doctors believed because of these accidents, it caused Alfred’s temper and anger issues to become more extreme, but they weren’t completely sure it was totally due to his accidents.

On November 6th, 1927, Alfred lost his temper with Beatrice. He took his automatic pistol and shot her, she died almost instantly.

Growing up, Alfred had a mild life. He lived in Laramie with his mother, who remarried Mr. Alva Howell, after his Canadian father, Mr. Oliver E. Hunter, had died. When he became an adult, he became a “pipefitter,” the best he could do with only a 4th grade education. He was a Catholic, and practiced his religion when he could.

Eventually, the 5’9”, chestnut color hair, grey eyes man found the woman he wanted to marry. Her name was Beatrice Bowen. After marrying, they lived with each other for almost a year, but it soon came to an abrupt end. On November 6th, 1927, Alfred lost his temper with Beatrice. He took his automatic pistol and shot her, she died almost instantly. He then decided to take his own life. He failed when he fired the pistol through the right side of his head, in front of his temple. The bullet exited directly in front of the left temple. Alfred laid unconscious for days in the Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie. After his surgery had been successful, he appeared in court on December 31st. His sentence was a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 in the Wyoming State Penitentiary.

He came to the Wyoming State Penitentiary on January 5th, 1928. His inmate number for identification was #3962. For special identification they recorded his scar from the bullet on his right temple, and a scar on his hair line from the horse that kicked him when he was younger. The now 22 year old man would have a long prison sentence ahead of him.

After only 10 years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary, Alfred was stricken with spinal meningitis, dying at 6 A.M. on  February 27th, 1928. He was only 32 years old, leaving behind his mother, step-father, and his 3 children.

Cited: Files from the Wyoming Frontier Prison

“While I was in the act of making the pies, a feeling or a wish came over me to kill someone and this feeling, I could not resist.” Later
that afternoon Annie and her mother were making a lunch for her father. Annie’s mother asked her to get a pie from the cupboard for his lunch. Annie knew she had grabbed the poisoned one, and put it in his lunch.

As soon as James Hamilton Bruce, age 43, took three bites of the pie, he instantly felt stomach pains. He died shortly after. Some of the poison had gone into James’ liver and stomach and the amount of poison left was sufficient enough to kill five men. She was reportedly immediately saddened by her father’s death and filled with regret.

Annie was the first woman ever convicted of any degree of murder in Wyoming.

Annie Bruce was convicted and sentenced for manslaughter in Evanston, Wyoming on April 15, 1908. Annie was sentenced to four years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary, now known as the Wyoming Frontier Prison. On October 6, 1909, Annie was moved to the Colorado State Penitentiary to continue her sentence because her family wanted her transferred. She was one of the last women to serve time in the Wyoming Frontier Prison.

When Annie was sentenced, her supporters started a petition for her pardon. The petition got more than 630 signers. Annie finally got her pardon on June 6, 1911, Only eight days before her earliest possible discharge date. Annie was born on June 25, 1889. She was Eighteen years old when she was convicted, two months from her Nineteenth birthday and Twenty-One when she was released from prison. After she was released, she moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho on July 5, 1913. There she married Arthur S. Smith and they had two sons and one daughter together. Annie died at the age of 86 on August 13, 1975.

Cited: Petticoat Prisoners of Old Wyoming by Larry K. Brown, Files from the Wyoming Frontier Prison

She fired her weapon, and despite her strong desire to hit her mark, the back of Passwater’s head, the bullet strayed from its’ intended course, grazed the brim of Passwater’s hat, and lodged into the shoulder of another man within the establishment, Louis Peterson. Shortly after the incident, Passwater fled to the Justice of the Peace where he filed a complaint against Annie.

As he sat holding his cards, a young woman named Annie Groves approached the saloon wielding a gun.

Annie Groves and James Passwater had quite the history together, or at least that’s the story that Annie told. At the relatively young age of 19, Groves was working in Encampment as a prostitute, and she and Passwater had done ‘business’ together. Goves then became ill with a venereal disease that she attributed to Passwater. She allegedly attempted to contact him several times, asking for assistance with paying her medical bills; requests which Passwater denied. Groves also accused Passwater of beating her on several different occasions.  After the disease progressed and spread to the point of the development of an large raw sore that destroyed her bottom lip, Groves became determined to extract a pound of flesh, so to speak, from the one to blame. However, her motive to do so did not make it justifiable in the eyes of the law.

Constable J.J. Wirth was given the task of locating Annie and serving her with the complaint; she was taken in to custody shortly thereafter, and preliminary hearing was conducted that same evening, not even 24 hours after her attempt to take Passwaters life. Due to Annie’s financial hardships, a court appointed attorney was assigned to hear her story, and after doing so, she took his recommendation and threw herself on the mercy of the court after a guilty  confession.  The authorities quickly delivered her to the Carbon County Jail to await trial.

Annie stood before the Third Judicial District Court a mere two days later, and upon hearing her case, the sentence was handed down  quickly that she was to be taken into custody and imprisoned at the Wyoming State Penitentiary for the term of 1 year of hard labor.  She was delivered to the prison that evening, and while being processed she stated she was born in Kansas  roughly 19 years prior, had a 9th grade education, and wouldn’t disclose the identity of any family members aside from her husband, E.J. Groves, who was living in Encampment.

Annie’s husband quickly went to work to secure a pardon for his wife and after less than five months of her sentence, the request for pardon was granted by Governor Brooks March 2, 1908. After news of her release became public the couple had already fled the state, presumably returning to a former area of residence in Nebraska.

Sources Cited:Wyoming Frontier Prison files, Petticoat Prisoners – Larry K. Brown

His father was 60 years old when Bill was born, and his mother was 37. His mother died when he was nine months old, and Bill was sent to live in a babies’ home. At the age of three he was taken by relatives and was passed from family to family. He was a poor student and spent three years in third grade. He did learn to read and to spend the money he earned on a paper route. As a small boy he was forced to steal lumps of coal from the railroad to burn for heat at home. As a teenager he started riding freight trains, and at seventeen, he rode the train to Montana where he was hired as a ranch hand.

On May 1, 1916 he was sentenced to life in prison, although he never shot anyone during the robberies and did not take money from women and children or servicemen.

Carlisle eventually worked his way into Wyoming and robbed his first train on February 9, 1916. The Union Pacific passenger train was traveling between Green River and Rock Springs when Carlisle, wearing a white mask and brandishing a gun, woke a sleeping porter and ordered him to take up a collection from the passengers. One gun that he carried was a toy glass gun that was intended to be filled with candy. Carlisle escaped from that train by jumping off of the top of a car; the glass gun bounced out of his pocket and broke. Carlisle rolled away from the track, and hid in bushes while the posse was searching for him. He eluded the posse and held up the Overland Limited on April 4, 1916. He again had the porter pass the hat. On April 21, 1916 near Hanna, Wyoming, he again surprised everyone and robbed the passengers on a train. A posse, led by Sheriff Rubie Rivera of Rawlins, was called in and Carlisle was captured the following morning. On May 1, 1916 he was sentenced to life in prison, although he never shot anyone during the robberies and did not take money from women and children or servicemen.

Carlisle was taken to the state penitentiary in Rawlins, Wyoming where he was a model prisoner. He followed all the rules, attended classes, and did whatever job he was given to do and even did more than his share of work.

While he was in Prison he was working in the shirt factory. He was missing one evening, but he was known for working late if he was loading a truck, so his disappearance did not cause alarm. On November 15, 1919, Bill Carlisle escaped by being carried outside of the walls in a packing crate with the regular shipment of shirts. It was snowing when Carlisle stepped out of the box. By now a posse was searching for him. He boarded a train to Creston and took up his “collection”. When he finished he jumped off the train and was shot in the wrist by a member of the posse. He was followed for two weeks by the posse and at one point he could have shot a sheriff but he did not want to kill anyone. Once he was finally caught by the posse, he had a severe infection from the bullet wound. He was returned to prison on December 18, 1919.

“Would I do it again? No, I have given it a lot of thought over the past twenty years; I’ve had it so much better. It makes a man see what he has missed.”

Bill Carlisle was truly one of the last of the cowboy bandits! He also was a gentleman bandit. He was paroled from prison on good behavior in January 1936 and in 1947 he received a full and complete pardon by the Governor of Wyoming.

He married his nurse who took care of him while he was ill, and after his parole they moved to Laramie, Wyoming and opened a motel which flourished partly because of his reputation. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1962 and died there in 1964 at the age of 74.

In an interview with Carlisle before his death, he said he did not know why he committed those crimes. “Would I do it again? No, I have given it a lot of thought over the past twenty years; I’ve had it so much better. It makes a man see what he has missed.” Bill Carlisle died of cancer at the age of 74.

Cited: “The White Masked Bandit” by Bill Carlisle, Wyoming Frontier Prison files

In the middle of the show, he calmly walked up to his victims and opened fire.

The local Cheyenne paper reported that on the night of September 6th, at a forty-niner show in Riverton, Charles Aragon shot and killed two Indian half breeds in the middle of the circus. Aragon was a performer in the circus and played the role of the typical “bad Indian” of fiction. In the middle of the show, he calmly walked up to his victims and opened fire. The two victims instantly fell dead and two bystanders were seriously injured. Aragon attempted to escape form the scene but he was caught and taken to jail. The cause of the shooting had to do with an affair between Aragon and one of the victim’s ex wife.

Charles Aragon was hanged on the Julian Gallows at the Wyoming Frontier Prison on May 14, 1930 at 12:27 a.m. He was 25 years old.

Sources Cited: Wyoming Frontier Prison files

Being divorced from his wife, Delford had no choice but to write home to his mother and family in Oklahoma. Delford Edwards was sentenced to 5 to 7 years in prison. Once Mrs. Allie Edwards had received the older brother’s letter, she made it Delford’s younger brother Earl’s mission to see if there was any way the family could help, but events lead the two brothers to a much worse, and crazy situation.

Earl Edwards #6568

26 year old Earl Edwards, younger brother of the car stealing Delford, was sentenced on May 28, 1948 for sneaking drugs into the State Penitentiary.

While visiting Delford at the prison, he discovered his troubled brother was sick. So on May 15, 1948, Earl took it upon himself to assist Delford’s illness. He was arrested that day on the charge of attempting to sneak dope into the Wyoming State Prison. Earl had attempted to help his brother Delford by smuggling a “Vick’s Nasal Inhaler” inside a jar of peanut butter.

“The raiders then opened fire upon the wagon and continued to shoot as long as the sheep men kept up their resistance.”

According to an account by Brink told to a jailer and Stanley Hudson. “The men who were thought best fitted for the job, among who was Sabin the old cow man, and Brink, were detailed to attack the three men while the others went across the creek to get the sheep herder at the second wagon. The raiders then opened fire upon the wagon and continued to shoot as long as the sheep men kept up their resistance. After the firing ceased, Brink secured a five gallon can of kerosene oil from under the wagon, splashed its contents against the end and the sides of the wagon and set fire to the oil.” Joe Allemend was shot while leaving the wagon by Brink.” the other man inside the wagon was dead. The third man who had been asleep in the teepee at the side of the wagon had gotten out of bed and stood up only to fall dead under the hot fire of repeating rifles in the hands of the raiders. Bowlegs asked Sabin where his prisoners were. Sabin said, “I guess they’re all dead”. The raiders then decided that they had done enough for one night and soon after separated and went their respected ways”.

In March 1909, Herbert Brink, Tommy Dixon, Milton Alexander, George Henry Sabin, and Ed Eaton were brought to Trial in Basin for participation in the killings. Two others, Charles Ferris, and Albert Keyes turned state’s evidence and were not charged, Brink was convicted of first degree murder, Alexander and Sabin were convicted of second degree murder. Dixon and Eaton each plead guilty to arson. While serving his time here at the WSP, “Sabin had started a baseball team and Seng was the catcher. They had a first rate team. They had good uniforms and everything necessary to the sport. Seng was hung on the twenty fourth of May. The ball team didnt amount to much after they hanged the catcher.  On December 25, 1913, while working on a road gang, Prsioner Sabin was able to escape because the guard with him permitted him to roam about the town of Basin, money in his pockets, and among friends.

Sources: Wyoming Frontier Prison files, Sweet Smell of Sagebrush, Hungry Men May Become Desperate Men, The Fence Post newspaper website, and Bed and Breakfast Inns and Ranches of Wyoming, Ten Sleep website.

“He was a tough looking character and was even tougher than he looked.”

Edmonson was not a friendly man, and his appearance gave no illusion to kindness. One inmate’s description of him was such: “He was a tough looking character and was even tougher than he looked. He possessed an evil mind and a calloused.” (The Sweet Smell of Sagebrush)

During his stay at the Wyoming Frontier Prison Edmonson did his best to be as difficult as he could. One example of his difficultness could be seen in his refusal to work. According to the Sweet Smell of Sagebrush he was the one man among the one hundred and fifty prisoners there who boasted of never having been made to work. All efforts to make him do so only added to his determination to avoid the workshop.

According to the Sweet Smell of Sagebrush: “At first he absolutely refused to go to work and as a matter of course was put in the dungeon. After being left there for a week or more he was taken out and told to go to the broom shop. He did as he was told insofar to as going to the shop was concerned. For the accommodation of the convicts in the shop, two sticks hung in the front of the guards’ station. When a prisoner wished to leave the shop he saluted the guard, reached up, and took one of the sticks and went out. The first act of Edmonson upon entering the shop was to secure one of the sticks. That was the privilege of which a prisoner could avail himself at any time. There were but two sticks and not more than two men could be absent for the factory at the same time. If both of the sticks happened to be in use, the next man would be allowed to sit upon a bench in front of the guard and wait until someone came back with one. Edmonson didn’t come back with his stick and the guard reported him missing to the officers in the cell house. He had thrown the stick away upon reaching the yard and when they located him he was sitting in his cell smoking. He was immediately taken to the dungeon. After about two weeks he was taken out and told to go to the shop and report for work. He went and repeated the performance with the wooden sticks. This was done over and over with the same results. He wouldn’t work.”

Another example of his stubbornness is in regard to the full beard he acquired during his stay at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. One day the warden decided that Edmonson needed to have his beard shaved off, Edmonson did not agree with this observation. “Old Ed stroked his beard as he stood there meditating, well he said, you are determined to make me shave off my beard are you? The guard said yes. Well said the old fellow, I will have to be put in that chair by force and I don’t doubt there are enough guards to do it. But he added, if you shave me there is one thing certain, you will never shave another man. He was taken back to his cell without a shave. They searched his cell and found a huge club made of hardwood and a ten inch butcher knife with its edge ground to razor keenness. He was the only man there with a full beard.”

He was one of the only people to be pardoned on the account of his bad behavior rather than the good. His pardon came with the condition that he leave the state of Wyoming and never return.

With an attitude like his, it was no wonder that Edmonson managed to collect a few enemies during his stay. Once, after witnessing the lynching of Frank Wigfall, he turned in a list of individuals who had been involved. This list went beyond the truth though and listed several of Edmonson’s enemies too. He must have figured that it was a good way to cause them a little grief.

On December 22nd, 1915 Edmonson was pardoned by Governor John K. Kendrick. He was one of the only people to be pardoned on the account of his bad behavior rather than the good. His pardon came with the condition that he leave the state of Wyoming and never return.

Cited: Sweet Smell of Sagebrush – A Prisoner’s Diary, Files from the Wyoming Frontier Prison

Beneath that façade, nearly anyone who had dealings with Mark would vow that he had a short temper and vindictive nature; no one dared cross him.

It was said that the conflict between Mark Hopkinson and Vincent Vehar stemmed from a battle between Mark and the Fort Bridger Sewer board, for which Vehar served as the attorney. Mark owned a mobile home park and wanted to hook up the entire mobile home park to local sewer lines for the price of one hook up, to which the Fort Bridger Sewer Board said no. (Huseas, 2006) From this seemingly mild disagreement about sewer lines, stemmed one of the most incredibly complicated and twisted stories Wyoming has ever seen.

By most accounts Mark Hopkinson was a charismatic and good looking man who was athletic and never had a problem with the ladies. Beneath that façade, nearly anyone who had dealings with Mark would vow that he had a short temper and vindictive nature; no one dared cross him. While most kept a distance from Mark, the youth of Bridger Valley were drawn to his charming personality, wild lifestyle and perceived power over others. Unfortunately Mark was able to convince three young men by the names of Jeff Green, Mike Hickey and Jamey Hysell to consistently “handle” his dirty work. Of all the crimes the four men were involved in; it was Mike Hickey who bombed the Vehar’s home at Mark’s insistence. Mike Hickey, a young man with a drinking problem and a vicious criminal history of his own, testified against Mark, and in exchange was not prosecuted for the Vehar murders.

What unsettled even those who were satisfied with Mark’s sentence were that the actual murderer’s of Jeff Green were never apprehended.

During the Grand Jury hearing just days before he was set to testify, the body of Jeff Green was found. Prosecution, believing that Mark had ordered Jeff’s murder to keep him from testifying, convinced the Grand Jury to combine the cases and try Mark for all four murders in one trial. (Daily Times, Jan. 23rd 1992) Special prosecutor, Gerry Spence was appointed (Spence was a longtime friend of the Vehar family) and a change of venue was granted, placing the trial in Jackson WY. The trail of Mark Hopkinson began September 4th 1979. The prosecution presented 27 witness and over 300 pieces of evidence (Huseas, 2006), however when it came time for the defense to present their case, they rested. When asked by the judge if Mark had made the decision not to present a defense Mark replied “It was to the fact simply that I felt the State hasn’t proved anything… (My decision) was voluntary. I thought the whole situation over and it was my own conclusion.” (Huseas, 2006) On September 25th 1979, the jury having only deliberated for seven and a half hours came back with a verdict of guilty on all counts.  On September 27th after deliberating for nine and a half hours the jury delivered the sentences. Mark received three life sentences, one for each member of the Vehar family, and the death penalty for the murder of Jeff Green. (Huseas, 2006)

What unsettled even those who were satisfied with Mark’s sentence were that the actual murderer’s of Jeff Green were never apprehended. At the time, Mark was the only man in the in the history of Wyoming to receive the death penalty in a case where the actual murderers were never captured (Casper Star-Tribune March 20th 2004), and the only man in the US since 1976 to receive the death penalty for a crime at which he was not present (New York Times, Jan. 23rd 1992) To this day, there is no record of charges having been filed against the two men who actually abducted, tortured and ultimately killed Jeff Green. (Daily Times, Jan 18th, 1992)

At 12:30 am, 5 minutes before the lethal injection of Mark Hopkinson was carried out, he issued the following statement. (Daily Times, Jan. 23rd 1992)

“I would like this to serve as a dying declaration. Nobody I called from the Lompoc Prison other than Jim Taylor (an acquaintance) had any involvement whatsoever in Jeff Green’s Death.”
“Gerry Spence is a lying manipulating piece of shit.
“The governor could have proved this case against me was a lie.”
“The Attorney General’s office will continue to try and justify their lie.”

Thank you,
Mark 1/22/92

“P.S. I feel sorry for the Vehar family, but you got the wrong man.”

“Forgive them for they know not what they do” (Huseas, 2006)

Sources: Legacy of Fear by Marion McMillan Huseas published 2006, Newspaper Articles from; Rawlins Daily Times published; Thursday Jan. 23rd 1992, Thursday Jan. 30th 1992, New York Times published Thursday Jan. 23rd 1992, Casper Star-Tribune published Saturday March 20th 2004

I’d rather be lucky than good.  Perhaps all the luck had been used up when it came to the Davis family, and certainly by the time Melville appeared.  He was born in Hanna, Wyoming to a Welsh immigrant mining family, who pulled up stakes in Wyoming in the mid 1890’s to switch from mining coal to mining gold around the Cripple Creek, Colorado area.  Annie was the oldest daughter of that Welsh family; she stayed behind with the family she and Frank Rider had begun.

Frank and Annie settled near Fort Steele with their 6 children when Melville, 15 years younger than his 35 year old sister unexpectedly walked up the road.  Melville had been showing escalating bizarre behavior, with it culminating a few days before his Fort Steele appearance in him setting his boarding house room ablaze in Superior, Wyoming.  In the very near future, Annie would be dead.

From newspaper accounts, with Frank at work as a bridge tender for the Union Pacific, 20 year old Melville had tried to kiss his 13 year old niece after being warned by Annie to leave her alone.  When the girl broke away on his second attempt and told her mother, Annie severely scolded Melville.  Melville ran to a bedroom to retrieve a gun, pointed it at Annie and her daughter, and pulled the trigger.  The gun misfired!  Annie yelled at her daughter to run, shortly followed by Annie and Melville.  The girl looked back to see Melville strike Annie with what she thought was a board.  It was not; it was an ax and Annie was almost decapitated.

The following day, a letter arrived addressed to Annie from her father warning her of Melville’s recent actions of setting the fire and cautioned her to be alert for trouble.  The late arrival is a prime example of bad timing, sad luck, and a sorry testament to the reality of the speed of communication at the time.  A manhunt began to find the missing Melville, and he was found near a Fort Steele location where another fleeing fugitive, Frank Wigfall had been discovered just the month before.

Melville was sentenced to life in prison for second degree murder.  His mundane existence was dotted with depression and the occasional threat of suicide for the next 25 years.  On September 28, 1938, the official report read of his removal.  “Melville Davis committed suicide by jumping off the 1^st gallery onto the cement floor, striking his head, which caused his death.”  Melville Davis, prisoner number 1935 was no more.

Across from the Old Penitentiary to the east lies the Rawlins Cemetery, the walls and towers ever watching as witness and sentry.  Melville is interred in this cold place, joining his brother-in-law Frank Rider who died earlier that year in 1938.  And of course, the same cemetery where Annie lies, the subject of many shed tears and whose passing changed lives of her many children and family.

Information from The Rawlins Republican, and Wyoming State Archives