On July 5, 1902, William Ross traveled to a farm near Willow City and broke into the home of Thomas Walsh. There, he committed what newspapers called one of the most cold-blooded murders ever committed in Bottineau County. He shot Walsh while the elderly man was asleep, then stole three horses and a wagon before fleeing south.
Ross, described as a thirty-year-old man with “the appearance of a criminal of the lower order,” was married with four children. A posse quickly set out after him, and he didn’t get far. He was arrested in Pearce County and brought back to Bottineau.
Ross was brought to trial just a month after his arrest. The trial was swift, and the jury deliberated even faster. After one hour and fifteen minutes, they returned with a verdict. The defendant remained calm as the jury pronounced him guilty. The defense tried to portray the crime as less cold-blooded than it truly was, but the effort failed. Ross was immediately sentenced to death.
A scaffold was quickly built, and a hangman’s rope was purchased. Ross was scheduled to be hanged on December 12. However, his story was not going to end so quickly. On this date in 1902, a surprise came. The judge in Bottineau received a telegram from Bismarck: Governor Frank White had issued a reprieve for Ross. Ross had knowledge of another murder and agreed to testify in the trial. The reprieve would allow him to testify, and most expected it would be canceled once the trial concluded.
Although he had been stoic during his trial, Ross expressed regret for his actions. He felt sorry for his family, who would be left without a breadwinner. He thanked the officers for their kindness and asked for forgiveness for his wrongs, lamenting that he could not repay his debts. He denied involvement in other crimes, including a train robbery and several other murders, stating, "I have confessed all my wicked deeds." Ross was executed on March 3, 1903.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Bottineau Courant. “A Life for a Life.” Bottineau ND. 8/14/1902. Page 1.
- Bismarck Daily Tribune. “Reprieve for Ross.” Bismarck ND. 12/3/1902. Page 2.
- M.E. Grenander Special Collections and Archives. State University of New York at Albany. “Documentation of the Execution of William Ross.” https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/bk128q17s Accessed 10/17/2024.
