Dillingham was a straightforward, honest young man, and his office as deputy sheriff was given him under the supposition that he would readily affiliate with the roughs. Lyons, Stinson, and Forbes, who were also deputies, supposed him to be as bad as they were.
On my trip east in 1863, the Overland coach in which I had taken passage was detained a night by snow at Hook’s Station in Nebraska. Ascertaining that I was from Bannack, a young man at the station asked me many questions about Hayes Lyons, telling me that he had heard that he narrowly escaped hanging the previous summer. I narrated to him the circumstances attending the murder of Dillingham and the trial.
“He is my brother,” said the young man, and invited me to go with him and see his mother and sister. I learned that Hayes had been well brought up, but was the victim of evil associations. His mother wept while deploring his criminal career, which she ascribed to bad company.
Later in the winter I received a letter from the father of Dillingham, who resided at North Orange, New Jersey, inquiring after his son. I replied, giving the particulars of his son’s death, and the trial and escape of his murderers, and of my subsequent meeting with the mother of Lyons. In the meantime, Lyons had been hanged.
The father was almost heart-broken at the intelligence of his son’s death, but in his letter, written in a kindly and Christian spirit, he says:
“While the shocking details of the sad narrative are inexpressibly distressing to us, it is a great alleviation to our grief to know that an act of manly virtue and honor was the superinducing cause that excited our son’s murderers in their bloody purpose. Death under such circumstances, so far as it relates to the poor sufferer himself, is praiseworthy in the highest degree, and inspires us with thankfulness to God for our son’s integrity, and with humble trust that it may be overruled in infinite wisdom for our good; and is certainly a thousand times to be preferred by the afflicted survivors, to a knowledge of, compliance with, and successful prosecution of, the infamous scheme proposed. Our hearts truly and deeply sympathize with the sorrowing mother and family of the criminal young Lyons. Truly, indeed, may it be said that only God can assuage the poignancy of such sorrow as must fill their bosoms. May He sustain and comfort them.
“It is satisfactory to know that summary measures were finally, and in a good measure effectually, adopted by your citizens, for ridding their interesting region of country of these worse than savages. Retributive justice is almost invariably sure, sooner or later, to overtake all such heaven-daring outlaws....
“Very sincerely yours,
“W. S. Dillingham.”