In late December 1901, J.A.P. Davis received some bad news in his cell at the county jail in Redding, California.  The state supreme court had refused to grant his request for a new hearing, and upheld his sentence of ten years in San Quentin.

Davis was 76 years old.  He was born and brought up in the South, and had acquired an impressive education. He moved west to become a pioneer newspaper man.

Davis had a claim near Whiskeytown, California and on that claim was a barn. J.A.P. sold the barn to one man, got drunk, and sold it again to someone else. You must admit, this is quite a pickle for a man to find himself in.

Forced to solve the problem he created, Davis could think of no better solution than burning down the barn. Problem solved! Just how Davis imagined this might work, it’s hard to know, but he had plenty of time to reflect in San Quentin. He served six-and-a-half years, and was released at the age of 82.