GBR Essay/Historic People - Lynching of Joe Simpson Part 2

Great Basin Research

Essay - Historical People
The Arnold-Simpson Affair
Page 2

Jim Arnold was dead. But so was Joe Simpson. The same issue of the Inyo Independent that brought the news of Arnold’s murder, it also carried a seemingly minor little blurb, a telegraph, easily overlooked, buried among the remainder of the newsprint of the page:

SIMPSON IS DEAD "Last evening about 8 o'clock the following dispatch was received by Mr. J.W. Seller, a prominent mining man of Skidoo, who is at Independence on business.

Skidoo, Cal.
April 23rd, 1908.

J.W. SELLER,
Independence, Cal.
Simpson died last night.
J.J. Sheahy."

April 24, 1908 Inyo Independent

The following week, details of the lynching hit the newstands in the region:

SKIDOO FOR JOE SIMPSON.
"Joe Simpson, murderer of James Arnold at Skidoo, was taken from the deputy sheriff Wednesday night by a body of Skidoo citizens and strung up to a telephone pole, where his lifeless body was found the next morning.
After the murder, Simpson was made a prisoner in a corrugated iron building and was guarded constantly by Deputy Sheriff Henry Sellers and his assistant. Sellers was fearful of an attempt to lynch Simpson, but as three days had passed since the murder, it was thought the danger had passed.

Site believed to be the Skidoo Cemetery, where James Arnold is buried. Photo courtesy of Dave Brenner, Death Valley National Park

About 11 o’clock Wednesday night a body of forty armed men appeared at the improvised jail and demanded the prisoner. Seeing that resistance was useless, Sellers allowed the mob to take Simpson, the prisoner being apparently too scared to make much of a struggle. The mob was determined, but quiet and orderly, and taking Simpson to the nearest telephone pole, a rope was fastened around his neck. When asked if he had anything to say, he seemed too scared to reply, and was jerked into eternity.
The body was found at 6 o’clock Thursday morning, a coroner’s jury was empanneled [sic], which rendered the verdict that Joe Simpson came to his death by strangulation at the hands of unknown persons.
The above particulars of the affair were furnished The Herald by Editor McLeod of the Skidoo News, who related another incident in connection therewith. It seems that at the time of the murder, Gordon McBain attempted to shield Simpson and was so persistent that he was finally arrested for interfering with an officer, and was locked in a pool room until such time as he could be taken to Independence for trial. At about the time of the lynching, the door of the pool room was suddenly thrown open, and a voice from the darkness shouted "McBain, run like h---, they’ve got Simpson." McBain was not backward in coming forward. He lit into the night, hitting only the high places in his hasty flight.
Simpson was a saloon keeper and had mining properties around Skidoo. He was preparing to make a hard legal fight for his life, claiming self-defense, and was trying to secure Col. Hoger Wilkenson of Rhyolite and Goldfield to defend him.
The funeral of Arnold, the murdered man, was attended by 110 miners and was the first person buried at Skidoo." -- April 29, 1908 Rhyolite Herald

LYNCHING AT SKIDOO.
"Joe Simpson, who deliberately murdered James Arnold at Skidoo Sunday of last week, was taken from the guard on Wednesday night and hanged to a pole. There was a strong sentiment in favor of lynching Simpson the night of the murder, but the plotters were dissuaded from the plan. Arnold was a prominent and respected citizen of the camp, and his killing was an unprovoked and cold-blooded affair. Simpson wsa [sic] a gambler, hailing from Reno, but a resident of the desert camp for some time. He seems to have been a bad character, a number of offenses being charged against him. Once, some time ago, while he was in Independence as a witness on a case in the Superior Court, he fired a pistol through Gunn's saloon door, for which he paid a fine of $150. The opinion of the Skidoo people appears to be that the lynchers did a justifiable piece of business." -- April 30, 1908 Inyo Register

Though lynching was generally frowned upon even in those times (the Death Valley region was proud of being populated by civilized folk, especially in the case of Rhyolite, Greenwater and Skidoo), in Simpson’s case there was editorial approval.

NOT PRAISE WORTHY BUT EXPEDITIOUS (Editorial).
"There is no justification for the lynching of a murderer from a legal, moral or any other standpoint, but no one can dispute the fact that Joe Simpson got just what was coming to him. It is hoped that this demonstration of popular indignation will be an object lesson to the would-be bad man, who is a little too prominent in several places in the desert. Perhaps the dilatory methods with which the officers of the law have handled numerous murder cases was one of the main reasons why the Skidoovians took the law into their own hands and made short work of the administration of justice. Let us hope that no more lynchings will take place. Such occurrences are not a credit to the country, and yet perhaps they are as much of a credit as the freeing of a cold-blooded, heartless murderer on a technicality after a few months of imprisonment." -- April 29, 1908 Rhyolite Herald

In the case of murder or death, there are the legalities to take care of.

CORONER'S INQUISITION
"In the matter of the inquisition upon the body of Joseph L. Simpson, deceased.
Before Frank G. Thisse, Coroner.
We, the undersigned, Jurors summoned to appear before Frank G. Thisse, Coroner of the County of Inyo, at Skidoo, on the 23rd day of April, A.D. 1908, to inquire into the cause of death of Joseph L. Simpson, having been sworn according to law, and having made such inquisition, after inspecting the body, and hearing the testimony addressed, upon our oaths, each and all do say, that we find the deceased was named Joseph L. Simpson, was a citizen of Skidoo, aged 34 years, that he came to his death on the 23rd day of April, A.D. 1908, in this county, by strangulation at the hands of unknown parties.
All of which we certify by this inquisition, in writing, by us signed, this 23rd day of April, A.D. 1908.
Foreman: A.T. HALL,
F.J. PFLUGER,
MARTIN B. GAVELSTAD,
JOHN FRANKS,
J.J. SHEHEY,
J. ROSS,
SAM L. CLINE,
JOHN H. WILSON,
Wm. G. FOLLANSBEE." -- May 1, 1908 Inyo Independent

Money Order and envelope, purchased by Mrs. F.G. Thisse, wife of Skidoo's coroner and justice of the peace. D.A. Wright collection

Money order and envelope from Mrs. F.G. Thisse, wife of the coroner and Justice of the Peace at Skidoo at the time of the Arnold murder and Simpson lynching. D.A. Wright collection.

Front page of the Skidoo News with the story of the Arnold murder and Simpson lynching. There is no hard copy of the newspaper that I know of, so therefore I can't include this article in with this document. D.A. Wright collection. Courtesy of Eastern California Museum.

It may be possible that some of the towns’ leading citizens were involved in the lynching. Witness the Coroner’s Jury report, in which seems almost to be comical and tongue-in-cheek. Perhaps if we were able to witness this jury impaneled, we might see smug denial in each of the testimonies or possibly see smiles or knowing winks of those queried those in the audience in this reading:

VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY -- ON THE REMAINS OF JOE SIMPSON.
"The following is the complete testimony of the witnesses called before the Coroner's Jury, on holding an inquest on the body of Joe Simpson, found suspended to a telephone pole, a few nights after he had murdered James Arnold.
Testimony in the matter of the inquisition upon the body of Joseph Simpson.
The Jury duly sworn visited the spot where the body lay and it was recognized by all as being that of Josaph [sic] L. Simpson of Skidoo.

Arthur Swenerton, duly sworn says:
As I was going to my work at the store this morning I saw something hanging to a telephone post, which looked to me like the body of a man. Going to the spot I fell in with Mason and Ben Eppstein. Found it to be the body of Joe Simpson. It had a rope around its neck by which it was suspended from the arm of the post. I do not know who put the body there.
John D. Mason, duly sworn says:
I was coming down the street this morning, met Ben Eppstein, he attracted my attention to something hanging to the telephone post. I asked Swennerton, who came at that time what it was. He said it looked like crow's meat. On arriving at the spot found it to be Joe Simpson. I knew him at once. Had a rope around his neck, the other end went over the arm of the pole and was made fast to the pole.
Dr. McDonald, duly sworn says:
I made an examination and find that death was caused by strangulation. Yes, I am fully satisfied that strangulation was the cause of death.
Henry Sellers, duly sworn says:
I am a deputy sheriff of Inyo County, California. Joe Simpson was a prisoner in my hands. Las night I was overpowered by a crowd by force and with guns. They took Simpson from me by force.
H. J. SELLERS" -- May 1, 1908 Inyo Independent

The newspapers had little to say about the aftermath of Joe Simpson’s death.

"Sheriff Naylor returned from Skidoo last Saturday evening. Mr. Naylor will report to the Grand Jury all the facts he was able to obtain of the lynching of Joe Simpson at that place." -- May 8, 1908 Inyo Independent

REPORT OF GRAND JURY.
"To the Honorable Walter A. Lamar, Judge of the Superior Court of the County of Inyo, State of California.
We, the Grand Jury, impaneled in the Superior Court of said County of Inyo on the 2nd day of June, A. D. 1908, respectfully report as follows:
... We find the evidence in the matter of the death of J.L. Simpson, and in other criminal matters brought to our attention insufficient to warrant us in taking further action in said matters at this time.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
A.L. KINSLEY
Foreman of said Grand Jury." -- June 5, 1908 Inyo Independent

SUPERVISORS' PROCEEDINGS.
"Monday, July 13th, 1908, 9 o'clock a.m. The Board of Supervisors of the County of Inyo, State of California, met at the above stated time pursuant to adjournment, with all members present. The following General Expense bills were allowed: ... R.E. Macdonald, autopsy, Simpson and Arnold, $75 allowed - 50.00 ... T.G. Thisse, inquest on Simpson and Arnold - 31.50" -- July 24, 1908 Inyo Independent

Above from official Inyo County copy of Joe Simpson's death certificate. D.A. Wright collection. Courtesy of Inyo County Recorders Office.

Simpson’s official Inyo County death certificate has its own little details of the lynching. Joe Simpson had lived in Skidoo and California for two years. He was a white male, no date of birth recorded, but estimated to be 38 years old. The names and birthplaces of his mother and father are marked as unknown. He is listed as being married. His occupation was listed as a cook. April 22, 1908 is the date given for his death, that by "strangulation." The contributing factor in his death was a "rope with a slipknot on it," for "ten minutes." Joe was buried April 23, 1908 and Fred Oakes served as his undertaker.

Legend and later publications tell a different story.

The legend says that Simpson’s body was buried out of town outside of the town cemetery.

The press from Los Angeles, due to transportation what it was in those days, arrived too late to get the scoop and photos. So the town obligingly dug Simpson’s body up and re-hung it for the benefit of the press.

But other sources say that Dr. Reginald MacDonald dug up Simpson’s body for his personal inquest upon Simpson’s remains, what effects that syphilis inflicts upon the human brain. They state that Dr. MacDonald hung Simpson’s body in his tent, possibly to show the manner in which he died. Look closely at the photo of Simpson hung -- the tent material and beams show plainly. Then he opened the skull and proceeded to probe.

After MacDonald satisfied his curiosity, he then took Simpson’s head from off the corpse and dumped the remainder. He boiled the skull, then set it upon an ant hole. Afterward he kept the skull for a memento. After Skidoo was abandoned, MacDonald left for more promising prospects in Los Angeles. In the 1930s two men who lived in Trona ran into MacDonald in a L.A. bar and told them that the company doctor of the American Potash Company had a fondness for desert relics. MacDonald told the men of Simpson’s skull and where he stashed it in his cabin at Skidoo. The men later retrieved the skull and it later became the unofficial "mascot" of the company doctor’s office at Trona, leering down and greeting all comers. The skull has passed from hand to hand, and is still in a private collection today -- "convertible top" (from Dr. MacDonald’s handiwork) and all.

As for the rope and noose that was used to lynch Joe Simpson, a noose and section of rope that is displayed at a museum in a remote corner of the Mojave Desert, the restored Goffs, California school, is reportedly the same that upon which bore the weight of Simpson's lifeless body. A photo of it can be seen HERE. A newspaper article about the school museum, with mention of this noose, is HERE. Dennis Casebier, owner and restorer of Goffs, is a respected author and historian.

After Simpson died, there was no further mention of the lynching and little about Simpson himself. However, there does come to light a little glimpse of Simpson’s wife. Simpson’s death certificate gives the first clue that Simpson was married. Did his wife live in Skidoo with him? Or was Simpson a rogue, living the life of a fun loving bachelor, possibly the cause of his case of syphilis? The June 11, 1908 Inyo Register sheds some light. And it also downplays later legend that Simpson was a penniless drunk:

"It is said that Joe Simpson, who was lynched at Skidoo, left a considerable fortune and that if his wife, whereabouts unknown, will communicate with A.V. Carpenter or John W. Seller, Skidoo, Inyo County, California, she may learn something to her advantage."

However, the New York Times beat the Inyo papers to the punch, and also proved that Simpson was not simply a penniless bum, with this June 3, 1908 piece:

SEEK LYNCHED MAN'S WIDOW. -- SKIDOO CITIZENS WILL SEE THAT JOSEPH SIMPSON GETS $25,000.
RENO, Nev., June 2. -- Friends of Joseph Simpson, who was lynched at Skidoo for shooting a saloon man, are trying to find his widow. It is stated that he left more than $25,000 and that his wife will receive it if she will apply for it.

In August, 1908, the Owens Valley and other newspapers give the name of Simpson’s wife, her place of residence and their relationship.

WANTS HUSBAND'S ESTATE.
"Mrs. Nellie Freeman Simpson, widow of Joe Simpson, who was lynched at Skidoo last April for the wanton murder of James Arnold, is about to begin action to recover at least a share of her husband's estate. He left a will giving all his property to his partner, Fred Oakes." -- August 6, 1908 Inyo Register

"Mrs. Nellie Freeman Simpson, wife of the late Joe Simpson who passed away suddenly at Skidoo in April last, has been at Independence for the past two weeks searching records and obtaining information in regard to the Simpson estate. She left yesterday morning for her home in Portland, Oregon, where she has resided since her separation from Simpson some years ago." --August 7, 1908 Inyo Independent

The newspapers are mute regarding the outcome of Nellie Simpson’s action. With these articles, Joe Simpson’s memory faded from Inyo County. For a while.

Inyo Magazine. Collection at Laws Railroad Museum.

Interestingly enough, C.B. Glasscock and C.E. Kunze, the dynamic duo who had published the eccentric newspaper / magazine, the Death Valley Chuck-Walla at Greenwater, and were currently publishing the Inyo Magazine at Bishop, published a two part article in the October 15, 1908 and November 1, 1908 issues of the magazine under the title "MURDER IN CAMP: A TRUE STORY OF A MINING CAMP." Reading the articles, it greatly appears that the author based a fictional story on the Simpson-Arnold affair at Skidoo. The names of the characters were changed as well as the name of the town. However, events, circumstances and dialogue in the magazine article was much the same as published accounts in the Inyo County newspapers:

"‘Have you have anything against me, John?’ ‘No, Jim, I have nothing against you,’ answered Turner. ‘You lie! You have!’ snarled Brayton. ‘Your end has come! Prepare to Die!’ And with a word he jerked from his pocket a heavy revolver."

Other than Simpson’s name showing up in the newspaper in June, 1909 on the Delinquent Tax List, the life of Simpson was snuffed out on this earth and silenced in the published record until later authors began to recount the legends.

Skidoo itself has largely disappeared from the landscape. If not for a Park Service interpretive display with photos, few would realize that human life once came, saw, built, loved, murdered and died here at a place called Skidoo.

Skidoo 1907

Skidoo 2002

More Skidoo Photos

Revised: 06/10/2007