Mrs. D.B. Reinhart, who came here a month ago from Merrill,
Wisconsin to find relief from lung trouble died night before
last. The remains were shipped last night by W.H. Smith and
Company undertakers, to her former home and were accompanied
by her husband, Dr. Reinhart, her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Willey and a sister.
WARREN RYDER
September 23, 1893
A telegram was received yesterday at the office of the Ryder
Lumber Company from Henry W. Ryder, the head of the firm,
conveying the sad information that his little 5 year old son
had been killed in a railroad wreck at Kingsbury, Indiana and
that himself and wife were injured.
Two telegrams were received at the same time. The first read
"In a wreck, all of us more or less hurt." The second read
"Warren is dead, wife's leg is broken, I'm comfortable."
John Beck, the foreman of the company, immediately telegraphed
his brother, who lives at Chicago, of Mr. Ryder's misfortune
and requested him to proceed to Kingsbury without delay.
Kingsbury is a station on the Wabash or Grand Trunk, about
sixty five miles southeast of Chicago. The accident which
occurred early yesterday morning was a collision between a
west bound passenger train and a freight which was standing
on a side track, the switch having been left open by a
careless brakeman.
Twelve persons were killed and a great many injured. Mr.
Ryder with his wife and son were returning from a visit to
his birth place, Yarmouth Port, Mass. After a brief visit
to the world's fair they intended to return to Phoenix
which they left nearly two months ago.
RITA SABEDRA
February 19, 1893
About 6 o'clock last night word was rapidly circulated that
a murder had been committed in an adobe building on Maricopa
Street between Adams and Washington. whether a murder had
been committed or not is even now unknown, but it is certain
at that time a young girl, Rita Sabedra, lay dead in the
adobe and there were many things to indicate that death had
been caused by strychnine. Rumors were numerous and wild
and at midnight had not been resolved into certainties but
enough was believed to be true to warrant the arrest of
Jack Pierce at whose house the girl lay dead. Pierce was
lodged in jail to await the result of a coroner's inquest,
held by Justice Wharton this morning.
Shortly before five o'clock Mrs. Thomas who lives in the
adjoining house heard the girl scream and ran to her.
She found her lying on a brick floor in convulsions. The
young men who were near were called and they picked her up
and carried her into the house.
A little Mexican boy was called in to interpret her dying
words and he understood her to say that she had been
poisoned, that someone had given her an apple. As soon as
she was dead Justice Wharton was notified and he summoned
several physicians.
The whole affair is enveloped in mystery which may be
partially lightened this morning.
Dr. Woodruff was called by Pierce about 2 o'clock yesterday
to treat the girl. He remarked on seeing her that she might
be suffering from either strychnine poisoning or cerebral
spinal meningitis as the symptoms are similar. She was
hypersensitive, liable to be thrown into convulsions by a
touch. Her condition was reduced by hypodermic injections
and the doctor went away leaving word that he would call
again at seven. Before that time Pierce visited him and
told him the girl was dead.
The dead girl was 20 years of age. Her parents live in the
city but she was employed by Pierce to keep house for him
and take care of his 3 year old child.
Pierce is about 50 years old and a gambler by occupation.
His reputation is not good. Two years ago in an altercation
he shot James McNamara and received a shot in return which
crippled him for life. It is also reported that he was
implicated in a shooting in Nevada. His wife died in the
county hospital here and he soon after married a Mexican
woman at Tucson. She soon afterward died.
February 21, 1893
Considerable light has been thrown on the mystery of the death
of Rita Sabedra last Saturday night. It has been shown that
she died of poison and it is little more doubtful that she
died a suicide. A jury of S.G. Wilson, John Scott, Jacob
Perruny, A.A. Harris, Samuel Trasey, and Charles Perry met
yesterday behind closed doors and concluded that death was
by poison. One thing which relieves Pierce of suspicion
is the circumstance that the girl herself bought the poison
the day she died. About 10 on Saturday morning she called
at the Keystone Pharmacy and purchased 15 cents worth of
strychnine on the pretext that it was for coyotes at a
ranch. There is little doubt that the poison was self
administered.
BABY SAMUELS
August 4, 1893
The funeral of the 22 months old babe of Mr. and Mrs. M.V.
Samuels of Maricopa took place in the city yesterday. The
remains were brought over on the early morning train and the
interment occurred in the afternoon. The services were
conducted by the Rev. Jean Vane. The little one had been
ill a long time and its death though gradual as a fading
flower, was none the less prostrating to the sorrowing
mother and father. Mr. Samuels is baggage master of
the Southern Pacific at Maricopa and his associates on both
that line and the Maricopa and Phoenix condole with him and
his wife in their grief.
MISS NANNIE SANFORD
June 7, 1893
Miss Sanford, a niece of D.H. Wallace of Mesa died suddenly
last night at the residence of Dr. Hart. The young lady was
consumptive and in a weak condition, nevertheless she was in
good spirits and apparent good health for several days back.
June 7, 1893
A sad fatality occurred in Tempe last night. Miss Nannie
Sanford, the niece of William Wallace, who owns a ranch and
lives four miles east of Mesa City, came here for her health,
being troubled with hemorrhage of the lungs. Yesterday she
went to Tempe to consult Dr. Hart. He being away she sat
down to wait for his return and while waiting was attacked
by a severe hemorrhage and passed away.
JOHN M. SIMPSON
September 17, 1893
The soul of John M. Simpson, familiarly known as "Rex" went out
yesterday morning at 8:30. Perhaps there had never been in
Phoenix a case which had excited so much interest and stirred
so great sympathy as that of this brilliant young man who had
so much to live for, yet had so little reason to fear death.
There had been only the slightest ground for hope since last
Thursday morning, unless it lay in a desperate surgical
operation. It offered him a single chance for life and he
accepted it. Twenty four hours after the operation came the
dreaded rise of temperature announcing a return of peritonitis.
At 1 o'clock it began to fall and when it had reached 96 the
trained nurse was aware that even the last chance was gone.
He called Dr. Woodruff, the physician, who administered an
opiate, for the patient complained of increasing pain. At
3 o'clock Simpson asked for a looking glass and when it
was given to him he gazed at it intently and turning to his
nurse said, "Cherry, that is the face of a dead man." He
desired that Mr. Swenarton and his wife and Rev. Mr. Vane
and wife be called. They responded and remained with him
to the last. He left messages for his friends but most of
all for his mother.
Arrangements were immediately made for the funeral which
took place at 4 o'clock from the Baptist Church. Though it
was attended by no relatives it may be said that every
attendant was a mourner. The pall bearers were Messrs.
Hanny, Updyke, Harcher, Rehling, Griffin and Leonard. A
telegram was received from his mother stating that she
would arrive here on Wednesday morning.
The deceased was twenty one years of age and lived at St.
Paul Minnesota. At the age of twelve he went into a
railroad office and when compelled to abandon the business
at nineteen he was private secretary to the superintendent
of the Northern Pacific. In the meantime he had educated
himself liberally and had found time to acquire many
accomplishments.
He came to Phoenix two years ago last December with a letter
of introduction to General Churchill from eastern railroad
officials. He was at death's door with lung disease. He
remained until the following June when he accepted a
responsible railroad position in Florida. He was compelled
to leave on account of ill health after a few months and
returned to Phoenix.
