Murder in 1903 - Convicted and Hung in 53 days
submitted through the Claire McGill Luce Western History Room
Harney County Library
Burns, OR
In 1903, Harney County’s Sheriff Thomas Allen deputized attorney John Saxton specifically for the task of arresting Harry Egbert on an outstanding Douglas County burglary warrant. Saxton followed Egbert’s trail south and served the warrant without trouble. Egbert asked permission to say goodbye to his wife – and escaped through a window. Saxton followed in hot pursuit, stopping only to deputize Jack West for backup. Nine days later Saxton and West caught up with Egbert at the Fields Ranch near the Nevada Border in Southern Harney County. A gunfight played out, Egbert fled, leaving Saxton and West dead. Listen as Maddie from Crane Elementary tells the story of how quickly the justice system worked in the early days of Harney County.
