"The Dead Is Alive!": How William Jackson Marion Was Hanged For Murdering A Man Who Wasn't Even Dead
On March 26, 1887, William Jackson “Jack” Marion was hanged in Nebraska for the "murder" of his friend John Cameron. Four years later, Cameron returned alive and well
Background
In 1871, William Jackson “Jack” Marion, a 21-year-old resident of Gage County, Nebraska, married a woman named Lydia Jane Finley, a choice that would have dire consequences.
Marion and his friend John Cameron worked as freight haulers for the railroad. The two roomed together in Clay County, Kansas, but were often on the road for weeks at a time. In May of 1872, the two men traveled to Wild Cat Creek in Gage County, Nebraska, to visit John and Rachel Warren, Marion’s in-laws, before heading to another job.
According to Marion, the day before they left Kansas, he signed a contract to buy a team of horses from Cameron for $315. He paid $30 down with the agreement that Cameron would keep the horses until they were fully paid for.
Surprisingly, a few days later, Marion returned to the Warren home with Cameron’s horses and belongings … alone. When his wife Lydia asked about Cameron, Marion said he had bought him out because he had to le…
