Wilford Hyrum Halladay

When Wilford Hyrum Halladay was 33 years old in November of 1886, he shot his brother-in-law, Joseph McIntyre Dobson, 27, who had an affair with Wilford's wife, Mary Loraina Beebe Halladay, the older sister of Joseph's wife, Agnes Cordelia Beebe Dobson. He was sentenced to life in prison at the Utah State Penitentiary. According to an article found on Family Search.org, Halladay was seeking a pardon, as shown below. It appears that the pardon was finally granted on July 3, 1891, as described after the article below.

Wilford had also been convicted of grand larceny on January 5, 1883, and was sentenced to a term of five years in the Utah Penitentiary. However, he was pardoned for that crime on July 3, 1886, by the Governor Caleb W. West. He was pardoned for "good and sufficient reasons that had been presented to the Governor which justified to him the exercise of executive clemency in that case."

A newspaper article dated November 19, 1886, reads as follows: HOMICIDE AT KANAB. W.H. Halliday Kills the Seducer of his Wife. Kanab, Utah - Yesterday about 4:30 p.m., Wilford H. Halliday shot and killed Joseph Dobson at this place. Halliday went to Dobson's house and found him asleep on the bed and fired, the first shot passing through his shoulder. Dobson arose and Halliday again shot him through the head, killing him instantly. Halliday gave himself up to the officers and is held in custody. The cause of the shooting was that Dobson had committed adultery with Halliday's wife while he (Halliday) was in the Utah Penitentiary, from which he was pardoned a few months ago.

Pardons Wanted....The Cases of Halladay and Olsen - Statement of Facts.

Applications are now pending before Governor Thomas for the pardon of Wilford Halladay, convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree in the Second District Court, and sentenced to the penitentiary for life, and Edward Olsen, convicted of the crime of murder in the second degree, in the First District Court, and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of fourteen years.

Wilford Halladay served a term in the penitentiary under a conviction for grand larceny. His conduct while in prison was good, and in consideration of some extenuating facts brought to the attention of Governor West, he was granted a pardon. During his imprisonment his wife was criminally intimate with Joseph Dobson, her brother-in-law. It also appears that by means of a power of attorney which Halladay had given to his wife, Dobson had the land owned by Halladay recorded in his name.

After his pardon Halladay went home and had what he calls an understanding or agreement with his wife to the effect that if Joseph Dobson would keep away from his house and she would not speak to him, he would condone her offense. It appears that Halladay had previously commenced suit for divorce in the First District Court, and in the Probate Court of Kane county, which suits were withdrawn.

Halladay sent word to Dobson by Constable L. H. Fuller forbidding him to enter his house or speak to his wife. Dobson disregarded this warning, and during Halladay's absence in Panguitch, went to the house and remained there for two days and one night.

When Halladay returned he asked his wife if she had tried to have Dobson keep away from the house. She answered "yes." Halladay then went to Dobson's house, found him lying in bed and killed him. He claims he had no intention of killing him, but was forced to, Dobson having reached for a pistol in his overalls pocket. He was immediately arrested and tried before Judge Boreman at Beaver. When asked by the Court if he could show any legal cause why sentence should not be passed upon him he said:

I desire to show your Honor, from my private journal, from minute accounts kept there relative to the libertine encroachments of the deceased upon my family, that I have vindicated the duty of husband and father toward my family, and without any vindictiveness toward deceased.

Judge Boreman here interrupted him and said "that the proper place to show up such points was before the Governor." In passing sentence the Judge said:

Inasmuch as the jury had recommended the prisoner to the mercy of the Court he would not go to the full extent of the law. The judgment of the court is that you be imprisoned in the penitentiary to and for the term of your life.

Following is the wording from the pardon when it was granted in 1891:

Know all men by these presents, that whereas, W.H. Halliday was at the May term of 1887 of the Second District Court of this Territory, convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree, and at the same term was sentenced to the Utah Penitentiary for life.

Whereas his pardon has been recommended by many of the jurors who tried him, by the officers and citizens of many of the counties in the southern part of the territory and by the U.S. Marshal because of his good conduct and for exceptional services rendered to the officers of the Utah Penitentiary at the risk of his life and in the enforcement of the discipline of the penitentiary and because of the earnest petition of his former neighbors and of the circumstances surrounding and preceding the commission of the crime for which he was convicted.

Now therefore, I, Arthur L. Thomas, Governor of said Territory, by virtue of the authority in me vested, do hereby and on this date, grant unto the said Wilford H. Halliday, a full and complete pardon for his said offense, and I hereby direct the United States Marshal, or other officer who may have him in custody to let Wilford H. Halliday go free without delay.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the Territory to be affixed. Done at Salt Lake City, this 3rd day of July, A.D., 1891.

In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Tropic, Garfield County, Utah, Wilford Halliday, 46, and his wife, Mary L., 47, were living with children, Pheobe, 18, Jennie, 13, and Rudger, 6. Mary had given birth to 9 children, 6 of whom were still living. Wilford was working as a day laborer. He died at the age of 65 years old in 1918, and his wife, Mary predeceased him in 1909. They were buried together in the Tropic Cemetery in Tropic, Garfield County, Utah.

NOTE: According to Wilford Hyrum Halladay's Find A Grave memorial, his death was August 2, 1917, however, his Utah Death Certificate shows his death as August 2, 1918.

• Residence: Bedworth, Warwickshire, England - 1861
• Residence: Utah, United States - 1870
• Residence: Kanab, Kane, Utah, United States - 1880
• Residence: ED 95 Cannonville, Hillsdale, Orton, Panguitch, Tropic Precincts Panguitch city, Garfield, Utah, United States - 1900