Many old timers of this city will recall old Toney Ferris
and as they read the story of his sad ending will no doubt
extend the sympathy that always goes out to the sufferer
who can no longer bear the burden of his pain. The
following is from the Tucson Star:
"Old Toney Ferris is dead. He died at his own hands by
shooting a bullet through his head. The tragedy was
enacted at Hart's Ranch, eighteen miles south of Tucson
on Thursday. A note was received at J.K. Brown's Ranch,
yesterday from Toney informing them where they would find
his body. They went over to the ranch, one mile and a
half distant and found him a corpse, and a pistol lying
by his side. The deceased was 69 years old, and a
native of New York. He has lived in Arizona about
thirty five years. In early days he was a ferryman
at Wickenburg. He afterwards lived in Prescott where
he was prosperous and owned some property. The deceased
had lived in Tucson about twenty five years. He has
for years been afflicted by a cancer on his lip which
gave him much pain and made life miserable. The death
of Ferris is he third suicide committed on Hart's Ranch
during that many years. A.C. Malin, the undertaker
went out yesterday and brought in the remains which
are now in his undertaking parlors.
FRANK W. FULLER
January 19, 1898
Frank W. Fuller, a young gentleman who came here from New York
several months ago, died suddenly yesterday morning of
congestion of the lungs. He had been in delicate health but
while out driving with friends it is thought he was stricken
with a chill. His death is sincerely lamented for he was a
most companionable young man. It is especially regretted in
musical circles for he was a devoted musician and perhaps
the most accomplished violinist that ever visited Phoenix.
Mrs. Frank GABBERT
December 5, 1898
The friends of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gabbart in this city will be
sorry to learn of the death of Mrs. Gabbart, which occurred at
Stockton, Cal. Saturday. Mrs. Gabbart was well known in the city
having resided here several years, during which time her husband
was connected with Kellner's Grocery store. They left this city
for California some time ago.
THOMAS GATFIELD
December 12, 1898
A report was received in Phoenix late last night that Thomas
Gatfield, one of the engineers injured in the head-end collision
near Prescott Saturday had died from his injuries. Passengers
who saw the wreck say that the engines were completely
destroyed. They were new locomotives.
JOHN GEORGE
Arizona Republican Newspaper
July 4, 1898
John George, a Maricopa Indian, died yesterday morning.
He was found by another Indian braced against a tree
south of the Norris place on the road to the lower
reservation. Nearby was his wagon and beside him
was a half consumed watermelon. George was writhing
in the last throes of Cholera. As soon as he was dead,
his discoverer came to town bringing word of the
tragedy. He had been sick for some time.
PASQUAL GONZALEZ
Arizona Republican Newspaper
June 17, 1898
The preliminary examination of J.A. Porterie, accused of
the murder of Pasqual Gonzalez was held by Justice
Johnstone yesterday at the sheriff's office. The defendant
was held to the grand jury on a charge of manslaughter.
The amount of his bail will be fixed today.
The most startling testimony given was that of Dr. Fred
Otz, a veterinary surgeon. It was startling not because
of its importance but because it described a phenomenon
which perhaps nobody ever saw before and which nobody
believed was possible until the doctor said he saw it
with his own eyes. He described the coming up of
Officer Porterie during or immediately after the
encounter between Gonzalez and Policeman Kay. The
officer, he said, drew his revolver from his right
hip. The doctor showed how and it is a notorious
fact that the officer always awkwardly carried his
gun on his left side, for which he had often been
derided by his associates who told him that some time
he would not be able to pull it early enough to save
himself from an immediate passage to the hereafter at
the hands of a quicker and more conventional gun man.
The doctor continued saying the officer held the gun
leveled at Gonzalez for a minute, evidently waiting
for him to die of old age. But growing impatient,
the officer fired. Gonzalez sank upon the pavement and
then the phenomenon occurred. The doctor saw a puff of
smoke issue from his mouth, from which he inferred that
the wounded man had been hit in the stomach and that the
smoke from the revolver followed the ball into that
receptacle after which it sought the easier exit of the
throat and mouth.
The doctor was asked if he was as sure of this as of
everything else he had related. He replied that he was
absolutely sure as he had seen it with his own eyes.
When the case comes to trial the defense will probably
rely upon, the fact that Gonzalez was a man who had had
many previous desperate affrays as was shown by the
numerous scars upon his body, evidently knife wounds.
It is also said that a day or two before he was shot he
was making himself obnoxious about a corral in this city.
The proprietor ordered him away and he started but soon
returned with an open knife. The proprietor defended
himself with a monkey wrench which he threw at Gonzalez
who turned and fled.
Burial of Pasqual Gonzlez
June 14, 1898, Arizona Republican
Pasqual Gonzalez, the victim of Officer Porterie's aim,
was buried yesterday afternoon. The funeral took place
from the Catholic Church at 4 o'clock and in all respects
was the strangest ever seen in Phoenix and one of the
largest. Gonzalez had just come here, he was hardly
known and from what little was known about him he would
hardly been marked as a subject of extraordinary funeral
honors. The demonstration could not be said to be due to
his tragic death for other men have died in Phoenix more
tragically. It was not because he was a Mexican for
many a Mexican better now has been followed to the
cemetery by a procession less than one tenth as long.
He had died a violent death consequent upon his alleged
commission of an act of vagrancy. Yet his way to the
grave was preceded by a brass band and 200 Mexican
citizens on foot. His body was carried in a hearse
reclining in an elaborately trimmed coffin covered
over with the flat of the Mexican republic and
probably 400 Mexican citizens in a procession
three blocks long brought up the rear.
FRANK GRAHAM
July 29, 1898
Arizona Republican
About 8 o'clock last night a messenger came in from Murphy's
ranch saying that a man named Frank Graham had died there
suddenly in the afternoon. Justice Johnstone went out with
a coroner's jury and returned this morning after midnight.
The inquest will be concluded today. The jury is inclined
to believe that death resulted from natural causes. Graham
had complained for a day or two that he did not feel well.
He was engaged in blasting rocks and early in the afternoon
he became so weak he had to seek shelter in the shade. He
and another man sat there for some time and ate a watermelon
together after which graham who was growing weaker, started
for the ranch house. He was directed to keep in the shade
and wait at the ditch crossing until someone should help
him across. His companion watched the crossing which was
in plain view but did not see Graham approach it. He went
to look for him later and found him lying on the bank of
the ditch, his feet in the water. He was dead and his
mouth was filled with the melon he had eaten. Very
little is known of Graham. He was about twenty eight
years old and had been employed at the ranch only three
days and had been troubled a great deal with asthma.
WILLIAM GROSS
December 20, 1898
William Gross, better known as "Dutch Bill" was found dead late
yesterday afternoon on the bank of a ditch a quarter of a mile
this side of Alhambra by a boy named Kaufman, while hunting.
The boy really found him dead last Wednesday, but he didn't know
he was dead. The boy then saw him lying on the bank of the ditch,
his blankets drawn up close about his neck and head covered with
a skull cap. Young Kaufman supposed him to be sleeping. When he
saw him yesterday in precisely the same position it did not occur
to him that he was dead. But when headly twenty feet away he
discharged his gun at a bird, the sleeper did not stir, he made
an investigation. As he drew nearer the lying figure he was
assailed by an awful stench. The boy hurried home and told his
father of the ill smelling thing he had found. Mr. Kaufman
came to town last night and notified Justice Johnstone. A
jury was impaneled and it went out to Alhambra. On account
of the condition of the body it was impossible to do more
than formally look at it. Its position and the manner in which
the blankets were drawn around it left no doubt that the man
had lain down to sleep and died naturally in his sleep.
The remains were identified as those of Gross. The coroner
ordered them buried at once and the jury returned to town.
The verdict of death from natural causes will be returned today.
Gross was between fifty and sixty years old. He had lived in
and about Phoenix for many years, being generally employed as
a farm hand. He has no relatives in this part of the world.
