True Halloween tales of Grant County murder, horse thievery, and execution
By Logan Bagett on Thursday, October 31st, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
JOHN DAY – Grant County Historical Museum’s Curator Kitman Kienzle was on KJDY’s Coffee Time for a special Halloween episode with stories of local of murder and execution, including the 1889 story of Patrick McGinnis.
McGinnis was a convicted horse thief, and while in jail, he was found guilty and hanged for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Robert Lockwood. Kienzle goes over the details on record:
“…Deputy Sheriff Robert Lockwood went to check out the prisoners, because there was a complaint that one of the prisoners wasn’t feeling well. According to the newspapers, he opens the cell, and after he unlocked the cell, two shots rang out. One of those shots hits him, the other one doesn’t. Nobody thinks twice of hearing two gunshots in this Wild West town, right? Canyon City had only existed for a little over, like, twenty-five years.”
Listen to and download the full episode below:
