Hon. Thomas E. Farish accompanied by his son, T.E. Farish, Jr.
reached the city yesterday morning with the body of his son
Holland who had been killed at Vulture the previous morning.
The body was taken to Randall and Davis and prepared for
interment which will take place at 4 o'clock this afternoon
after a funeral service at the undertaking rooms conducted
by Rev. Mr. Pearson.
Just how the unfortunate young man met his death can never
be known, beyond the fact that it came as result of accidental
shooting. when found he was lying on a cot in the office of
the mill with a ghastly hold in his left breast and another
in his back. The ball had passed directly through the
heart. The young man had gone to bed in his usual bedroom
and it was supposed that he afterward arose to look for a
coyote which had been infesting the vicinity of the house.
The supposition is based on the circumstance that a few
days before he borrowed the mill watchman's revolver for
the purpose of shooting the troublesome coyote. It is
thought that he arose and made an ineffectual search for
the animal and afterward concluded to spend the remainder
of the night on a cot in the office. He probably threw
the revolver, cocked on the covering of the cot and then
lay down. In adjusting the covering the revolver was
probably brought into position for inflicting such a
wound as appears in the body and was discharged. This
conclusion is arrived at by the fact that the weapon
was found tangled in the bed clothing.
The deceased was 21 years of age and a young man of
excellent promise who would have been shortly admitted
to the bar.
JOHN FICKAS
June 7, 1893
The funeral of John B. Fickas took place yesterday
afternoon at 4 o'clock from the Presbyterian church
of which he was an honored member. The deceased was
88 years of age and had resided on the coast during
the last twelve years. He was of old Virginia stock,
having been born in Greenbrier County in 1804. When
two years of age his parents moved to Kentucky where
he resided eleven years, when the family removed to
southern Indiana. After many years residence there
he came to the coast and has since resided in
California and Arizona. He leaves two sons in
this city, B.A. and Frank W. Fickas.
C.S. FIELD
May 21, 1893
Flagstaff -- About three months ago E.W. Kilbourne, C.D.
Field and R.A. Ferguson left this place to prospect in
the San Juan country and six weeks ago, while at Bluff
City, the party divided. Kilbourne and Ferguson started
for the Elk Mountains and Field left for this place.
Kilbourne and Ferguson finally returned here and they
have anxiously awaited the coming of Fields. It is
now believed Field was killed by a band of Navajo
about six weeks ago, about forty miles from Tuba City.
The animals and outfit they described answer to those
of Field's. Field was from Boston and his relatives
live there.
LAWSON H. FLOREY
September 9, 1893
The ghastliest corpse ever seen in the city was that of Lawson
H. Florey, who committed suicide in a hovel near M.B. Cox's
brickyard shortly before noon yesterday.
A hole in the head could be seen, among other ghastly details.
The body was found by a neighbor named Jones within ten minutes
after the fatal shot was fired. Justice Wharton was notified
and a jury composed of James Ivy, Frank Gray, J.T. Boyce, C.R.
Goodwin, E. Helms and Thomas Molloy, was impaneled and taken
to the place of death. Dr. Dameron was called to make a
professional examination.
The motive of the suicide is supposed to have been despondency
growing out of continued ill health. Last Tuesday he started
to Hot Springs, Ark. to receive treatment for a chronic disease.
He got as far as Maricopa where he went to sleep and missed the
train.
The deceased was about fifty years of age and unmarried. He
came to Phoenix several years ago from South America where he
had been a contractor and had accumulated a fortune of
$150,000 which was afterward dissipated in various unlucky
ventures. He had lately been employed in the Central High
School Building by Contractor William Cox. He left little
property and enough money to give him a decent burial. Of
his family it is known that he has two brothers living in
Kansas. Sheriff Florey of Leavenworth is a well known
politician in that part of the state and his brother George
Florey, resides in Kansas though just where it is not known.
Sheriff Florey was notified by telegraph of the suicide.
C.E. FOOTE
February 5, 1893
C.E. Foote died last night of pneumonia after an illness
of nearly two weeks. The deceased was well known and liked
by all who knew him. He was bright and intelligent and was
a younger brother of Bishop Foote of Missouri. During his
illness he was constantly nursed by R.E.L. Robinson and
P.C. Bicknell.
J.D. FORD
September 7, 1893
Word comes from Denver of the recent murder there of J.D. Ford,
who was three months ago a resident of Phoenix. Beyond the
statement that the murder was committed by a medical student,
no details have been received here.
He came to Phoenix from somewhere in California, probably San
Francisco, almost a year ago. He held a position as bookkeeper
for Holmes, Gregory and Lindsey for a short time and later with
Trask and Kessler, in a similar capacity. He was an expert
accountant, and no fault was found with his work, but there
was an impression that he was dissipated and he failed to
gain the confidence of his employers. He was a skillful
penman and when he had no other employment he was engaged
in writing visiting and business cards. He had a stand on
Washington Street in front of the Irvine Book and Stationary
Store.
He left Phoenix for Denver about the middle of June and was
not heard of afterwards until yesterday when news of his murder
was received.
Ford was perhaps about 35 years of age, of light complexion and
quiet manner. He had formerly been employed as bookkeeper by the
wholesale house of Holbrook, Merrill and Stetson, San Francisco.
He got into municipal politics in that city in 1889 by becoming
chief clerk in the morgue and there his downfall began. When he
lost that "snap" his habits had become unfitted by "public" life
for private employment and he degenerated into an itinerant
penman.
He had comparatively few acquaintances in Phoenix but
personally he was well liked by those few, who will hear
of his untimely end with regret.
CARRIE FORSTER
August 2, 1893
The funeral service of Carrie, the 2 year old daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. M.J. Forster was held at their residence at 2 o'clock
pm yesterday, Mr. M.D. Morton officiating. He spoke for a few
moments consoling the bereaved parents and relatives. The
procession was a lengthy one, showing the respect the parents
are held by the people of Mesa.
ELLA FRANKLIN
January 30, 1893
Died, on the evening of Sunday, January 29, Mrs. Ella
Franklin, wife of Fleming Franklin. Mrs. Franklin was
born in Illinois and came to the Salt River Valley with
her husband eleven years ago. She was one of the best
known persons in Phoenix and her death creates sorrow
in a large circle. She leaves behind a husband and an
8 year old son. The funeral took place yesterday
afternoon. The remains were interred in the Masonic
Cemetery.
JOHN FRY
July 1, 1893
John Fry, an old resident of the county was killed by Sam Gray
at Fry's Station on the Black Canon Road, fifty five miles
north of the city at 11 o'clock on Thursday. Information of
the killing was brought to the city by Gray himself early
yesterday morning. He went to the sheriff's office immediately
after his arrival and waited until the arrival of Under Sheriff
Walker and was locked up.
The story of the killing and the circumstances which led to it
was yesterday told by gray to a Republican reporter. The
prisoner is a native of Ireland, about 40 years of age and
well along with consumption. Said he:
"Last spring I was on my way to Prescott, thinking that a
higher altitude would be better for my disease. I stopped
at Fry's Station for I was acquainted with him, having often
met him while I was on the stage route. I told him where I
was going and how much money I had, $60. He proposed to me
to stop with him and said I could do well if I would put in
a small stock of liquor in one corner of his store. I didn't
like to risk it as it was every cent I had in the world, and
if the business should turn out bad and I should get worse
and have to go to the county hospital, I would commit suicide.
Fry persuaded me it was no risk and I finally let him have
the money as he was going to Prescott to buy some goods for
his store. He was to buy ten gallons of whisky for me. When
he came back I found that he had taken out a government
license in his own name and had bought a stock amounting
to $150. I was dissatisfied but didn't say anything for a
day or two as he was drunk. At last the liquor began to
made a great deal of trouble and there were so many gun plays
that I determined to get out .I talked with him and begged
him to give me back my $60 and let me go. At last he agreed
to if I would wait until we had taken that amount in. In the
meantime the boys told me never to leave without my money for
if I did I'd never get it. So I concluded to stay but as
fast as we'd take in cash Fry would make use of it. One
morning he gave me $30 and told me a peddler was at the
station on his way to Prescott; I could go wit him and he'd
send me the other $30 soon. I believed him and went away. I
stopped at the station a long time afterward on my way to
Phoenix but he didn't have the money but promised to send
it to me. I needed it bad and wrote to him twice but go no
answer and gave it up.
Last week he was in Phoenix and I spoke to him about it
again. He still didn't have the money but said if I would
come to the station he would let me have ten gallons of
whiskey. Before he went away he said he didn't owe me anything
that I had persuaded him into the business and he had lost
money on it.
Last Tuesday I got a wagon and a driver named Graham and
started to the station. We got there about 11 o'clock on
Thursday and I went in and Graham sat outside in the wagon.
We had some words and all the time he kept working his gun
and started toward me. I fired the shot and he squealed
again and I fired once more and he fell."
After relating the details of the tragedy Gray said that he
considered fry a dangerous man, always ready to resort to his
revolver and said that two or three weeks ago the old man ran
his son away from the saloon.
Gray came from Denver two years ago for his health. He has
worked as stage driver between here and Prescott when his
health would permit and at other times he has resided in
Phoenix doing odd jobs about the court house. He is well
liked and is not regarded as a man who would commit a
willful murder.
The dead man is well known in Phoenix and now has two married
daughters residing in the city. He came to the Territory
several years ago from Ohio and was the father of Frank Fry,
whose killing by a man named Wagner, near Phoenix is well
remembered. This last affair took place in Yavapai County
and Sheriff Murphy yesterday morning notified the
authorities of that county of gray's detention.
