Dominico (or Doninique) Poglianich, in 1926, was tried for the murder of John Harry Wells at a cabin near Pierce, as well as injuring Jack Eaton.

In the book, And Five Were Hanged, by Layne Gelner Spencer, it says that he was the first murderer convicted in Clearwater County. He confessed early on to shooting Wells, but not to murder. The judge gave him a life prison term, He, with the help of an attorney, appealed the conviction and the jury found him not guilty. He left town shortly after.

Poglianich was born in New Mexico of Austrian ancestry. He served in the US Army during the Spanish-American War. He had come to the Pierce area about five or six years earlier and had worked at saw mills and other day labor jobs.

Wells and his family were living in Lewison, but he came periodically to the land he was homesteading near Pierce. The last time he came, he and Eaton ent from town to talk with Poglianich about moving off Wells' property. After they arrived a dispute erupted. Wells was shot through the chest and arm. He died a few minutes later as he attempted to go back down down the trail. Poglianich picked up an ax and attaked Eaton who was cut in the arm. Eason made it back to Pierce before the murder suspect and Poglianich was arrested when he got to town.

Poglianich testified that the shooting was in self defense. People in town were split about what really happened, depending on who they had known better or been friends with.

Spencer says that the Wells cabin is the center of the spacious Cardiff home a short way from Pierce.

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