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Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Murder of Sheriff W. W. Withers and Other Historic Eugene Cases

The Murder of Sheriff W. W. Withers and Other Historic Eugene Cases

Paperback

Series: Murder & Mayhem

Historical FiguresRegional: Pacific NorthwestTrue Crime

Publisher Price: $24.99

ISBN10: 1467158801
ISBN13: 9781467158800
Publisher: History Press
Published: Jun 24 2025
Pages: 128
Weight: 0.63
Height: 0.30 Width: 6.33 Depth: 8.89
Language: English

Same Crime, Different Time

Oregon gained statehood in 1859, but law and order had a harder time gaining a foothold in the West. Born and raised near Eugene, popular Lane County Sheriff W.W. Withers was shot while investigating a horse theft. The trial for his murder would end in the county's last official hanging. Convicted killer Claude Branton, desperate to escape prison, went so far as to try to hold up the guards with a potato carved into the shape of a gun. The risk of death in the logging industry was high, and even technological advancements like electric streetlights posed a hazard for locals.

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Chambers, Jennifer

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Regional: Pacific Northwest