Ernest Aepli, eldest son of Peter Aepli died yesterday
morning at 3 a.m. after an illness of six weeks with
typhoid fever. His recovery was almost despaired of
some time ago, but he began to improve and the doctors
spoke very encouragingly of his condition, and for the
past five days he has had practically no fever. But
about midnight Thursday his condition rapidly became
worse. He had a sinking spell and the home is such a
distance from town that before a physician could
arrive death took place. The funeral will be held
this morning at 10 o'clock from the home, eight miles
south of Tempe. Rev. Shaw will preach the sermon.
Interment will take place at the Double Butte Cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Aepli have the sympathy of the entire
community in this their second bereavement. It was
but a few years ago that another son died from the
effects of burns received in an explosion in Phoenix.
ANDY DARNELL
Arizona Republican Newspaper
July 1, 1898
Frank Johnston, the well known cowboy of the Erie Cattle
Company accompanied by his brother, rode into town this
afternoon and gave himself up to the authorities stating
that he had killed Andy Darnell at the 7UP Ranch in
Swishelm Mountains about twelve miles north of Mud Springs.
Mr. Johnston gave the following facts to the reporter:
"Yesterday afternoon as he was hitching up a team of broncos,
Darnell came up to him and commenced to abuse him, calling
him all sorts of names, at the same time flourishing his
six shooter, threatening to kill Johnston. Frank, being
unarmed could not help himself. This morning about 8
o'clock Darnell hunted Johnston up--they were both
working at the ranch--and started to pull his gun from
his belt, saying he would kill Johnston. Frank being
about five steps away immediately pulled his gun and
began to shoot Darnell falling at the first shot. Johnston
immediately saddled his horse and came to town as stated
above. He was released on his own recognition until the
coroner's jury renders its' verdict.
Coroner Williams and an officer left about 4 o'clock for
the scene of the shooting and will return tomorrow.
Darnell was quite well known in this city, having raised
considerable disturbance last Fourth of July by shooting
at C.A. Overlock at the last steer tying contest and
afterward shooting up the town and defying the officers
to arrest him.
Frank Johnston is well and favorably known and has
always borne a good reputation. He was recently married
in this city to Miss Josie Morgan. The Bisbee Orb
Newspaper joins with his many friends in hoping that
he will soon be cleared from the affair.
On Wednesday, the coroner's jury in the case of the
killing of J.A. Darnell brought in a verdict of
justifiable homicide. Frank Johnston was released
from custody and has returned to his duties in the valley.
MRS. MAMIE GILBREATH EDWARDS
June 24, 1898, Arizona Republican
The St. Louis Globe Democrat of Monday last contained
the following pathetic account of the death and funeral
of Mrs. Mamie Gilbreath Edwards, formerly of Fort Whipple,
Az at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri:
The funeral of Mrs. Mamie Gilbreath Edwards, wife of
Lt. Oliver Edwards and daughter of Major Erasmus C.
Gilbreath of the Eleventh infantry occurred at Jefferson
Barracks at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The interment
was in the National Cemetery. The husband and father are
both at Tampa with their regiment.
The regiment went into camp at Mobile and camp life was
monotonous. The chief joys of each, were the letters
that came, laden with love. But the letters stopped,
for the regiment went to sea, sailing for a port unknown
to those who sailed. Then there was grief at the post
for Mrs. Edwards grew worse and her life was despaired.
Then she grew better and when the regiment touched at
Tampa she suddenly grew worse and early Friday morning
she died.
The death and burial of Mrs. Edwards had a peculiar sadness
about it. It was one of those pathetic things of war. Two
months ago, Mrs. Edwards, 20 years old and a bride of a year,
came to the barracks with her husband's regiment. The
regiment was ordered to Mobile with the invasion of Cuba
in immediate prospect. The officers bade their wives
good-bye leaving them in the officers quarters at the
barracks. Mrs. Edwards, a soldier's daughter and a
soldier's wife was brave.
The father and husband were reached by wire at Tampa.
The husband answered. He could not express his grief.
He said he was caring for his father who was recently
injured by accident and was also prostrated by the news
of his daughter's death. They could not come home.
Their country needed them.
Yesterday a white casket banked with flowers stood in
Major Gilbreath's quarters at Jefferson Barracks.
There were only a few present--officers at the post,
their wives and the wives of some of those at the front.
The officers were in uniform. Dr. Johnson of the first
Congregational Church stood beside the coffin. In a
room above the mother and a brother wept.
The pall bearers--Captain J. Knight, Lt. E.M. Supp,
Major Girard, Major Kress, Major Moore and a son of
Captain Mack took the casket and carried it to the
hearse. Carriages were waiting. Mrs. Gilbreath,
her son William and some of her nearest friends
joined the cortege.
TONEY FERRIS
June 2, 1898, Arizona Republican
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.
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.
