Retired Auburn Journal reporter pens book on 1904 Weber family murders

With such a rich history, the city of Auburn is a trove of many treasures that have yet to be unveiled. Known for his passion for history, author and retired Auburn Journal Reporter Gus Thomson dived into the crimes of Adolph Weber in his book "Dolphy: The Weber Family Murders of 1904." "History and writing about it has always been a joy for me," Thomson said. "The Journal years, through my 'Media Life' column and reporting on the many stories with a history angle in the Gold Country, allowed me to share that joy with readers over 32 years." Thomson said he was motivated to take up his pen again after assisting the Rotary Club of Auburn with "Lunch Legends," a book co-written with Bart O'Brien to mark the organization's 100th anniversary in 2024. "The experience catapulted me into writing a book on my own and I haven't looked back," he said. Weber killed his father, mother, sister and brother, burned down the family house in Old Town Auburn and used most of his inheritance to defend himself in court. "Dolphy" is described as "one of the most bizarre true-crime stories in Northern California history" as the book illustrates that night and its aftermath. "There was a rich vein of history to be mined and it turned out that 'Dolphy' can also offer a twisty true-crime tale, courtroom drama and mystery wrapped into 300 pages," Thomson said. " 'Dolphy' is an opportunity to time travel back to Auburn in 1904 and explore hidden corners of the area's past." Thomson honored the memory of the murdered Weber family members on the date of their deaths at the approximate time of the murders. At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, four candles were lit and flowers of remembrance were placed at the ruins of the Auburn Brewery down Brewery Lane in Old Town Auburn. "As a reporter, I covered two death-penalty trials and both left a lasting impact," Thomson said. "They involved multiple murders and resulted in death-penalty verdicts. The empathy I felt then for the victims flooded back as 'Dolphy' came together over the past year. Four lives were lost on Nov. 10, 1904. It was important to keep that at the forefront as I wrote." And Thomson isn't done. "Next up is a new book on the misadventures of Richard 'Rattlesnake Dick' Barter, an outlaw who died after an 1859 gunfight in the outskirts of Auburn," Thomson shared. Book signings for "Dolphy" are scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at Winston Smith Books, 933 Lincoln Way, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at the Placer County Visitors' Bureau/California Welcome Center, 1103 High Street, Suite 150. Thomson said he will also share Dolphy's story at the Friends of the Library Noon Speaker Series on Jan. 16 and at a Placer County Historical Society meeting late next year. "Dolphy: The Weber Family Murders of 1904" is available at Winston Smith Books, the Placer County Visitors' Bureau/California Welcome Center and on Amazon.