Coroner James Richards returned yesterday from the Phoenix Mine
where he went to hold an inquest upon the body of Manuel Acuna,
the Mexican found dead in the bottom of a shaft.
He arrived at the mine Friday evening, turning back a wagon
which was met on the road, carrying the corpse to Phoenix, a
rough box having been constructed by a carpenter to do in lieu
of a coffin.
A jury of six men was sworn in by the coroner at once and the
inquest proceeded. Evidence was given by the fellow workmen
of the deceased and by his wife. Summing it all up the jury
gave a verdict to the effect that deceased came to his death
from a fall into a shaft and that whether the death was
accidental or self inflicted the fury had no means of knowing.
The testimony of the miners was that Acuna was employed on the
night shift at the mine working in a tunnel. He came off duty
at the usual time, 4 on Thursday morning and came out in the
bright moonlight carrying his picks and drills going down the
path with them to the blacksmith shop to have the tools
sharpened. Only a few feet from the tunnel his hat blew off
and lodged by a rock. When he had placed his tools in the
shop he started back up the path toward the tunnel, several
hundred yards distant to get as he said his hat. That was
the last seen of him alive.
The shaft where the body was found is an abandoned one, 115
feet deep, situated about midway between the company's office
and the tunnel, though no trail leads to it from either tunnel
of shop. The shaft is of the usual construction, with a
considerable mound around it and in the light of the early
morning could not have been overlooked by any wonderer.
The tracks of the Mexican showed that he had gone for his
hat and had then deliberately walked to the mouth of the
uncovered shaft and jumped in. The shaft is eight feet in
diameter and on the opposite side from where the footprints
end a large amount of earth was detached about fifteen feet
down where the falling man had struck. This circumstance
would seem to carry out the theory that he had jumped in.
The shaft was a dry one, contrary to the first report. The
body was found in the bottom with the skull smashed. His
hat lay beside him. The widow states that her husband had
been acting somewhat singularly for several weeks,
complaining of a pain in his head. This she thought came
from the fumes of giant powder and she was quite unprepared
for the catastrophe. The deceased was about 40 years of
age and leaves no children.
David C. Ambler
Arizona Republican Newspaper
December 20, 1890
David C. Ambler, father of D.N. Ambler, of the Harold of
this city committed suicide yesterday morning by shooting
himself through the head. Mr. Ambler arrived in Phoenix
but a few days ago from Graham County where he has been
engaged in the stock business for a number of years. He
came to Phoenix to visit his son and intended to return Sunday.
Mr. D.N. Ambler says that his father has been downhearted
and despondent of late in consequence of certain reverses
in fortune. He has been a party to a law suit with those
whom he has been connected in business and a few days ago a
decision was rendered in the courts of Tucson adverse to his
claims. His son says that his father was subject to gloomy
spells, and has two or three times threatened suicide but
that he never had the remotest idea that he would carry out
the threat. The family, including the old gentleman, ate
breakfast together yesterday morning as usual and there was
nothing in his actions that suggested his contemplation of
the awful deed.
About 11 o'clock three boys named Robert Harper, Jack McCarty
and Taylor McCarty were racing on their horses up the Yuma
Road just below the residence of J.C. Ranklin, when the leading
one noticed something he thought was a body upon the right
side of the road. By this time the other boys rode up and
they all got off their horses to investigate. They stopped
only long enough to see that it was a man writhing in the
throes of death and thoroughly frightened, mounted their
horses and returned to town in great haste. On the way they
met a man by the name of Morrill and after telling him what
they had seen returned with him to the spot. Morrill then
hurried to town and informed Under Sheriff Boyd, who summoned
Dr. Hughes and being joined by J.W. Slankard, the three
called an express wagon and drove out. Sheriff Gray later
summoned a Coroner's jury who accompanied by Justice Sherman
and a Republican reporter, went out in a carriage to view
the remains.
When they arrived a terrible scene presented itself. Mr.
Ambler was lying on the ground and gasping in the last
agonies of death. Dr. Hughes and others were standing
around. The son had joined the party going down, and
exhibited great emotion upon seeing his father being too
much affected to give any order. The jury waited until
the doctor had pronounced life extinct, when they ordered
the body removed to the son's residence, a few hundred
yards from where the deed was committed.
At the inquest a number of witnesses were examined testifying
in substance to the following facts. Dr. Hughes testified as
follows: "About 10 a.m. I was summoned by Under Sheriff Boyd
to see a man who was shot out on the Yuma Road. On arriving
at the spot I found Mr. D.C. Ambler lying on the ground with
a 32 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol between his legs with
two empty chambers. I took from his right hand coat pocket
several letters addressed to D.C. Ambler. On one of these
envelopes these words were written: "I done this with my own
free will; I am tired of living." He was alive and
unconscious and breathed for perhaps nearly an hour after
I arrived. I was acquainted with the deceased and judge
him to be about 65 years of age."
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased came to his
death by a gunshot wound self inflicted and that he was 62
years of age and a native of Ohio.
He came to Arizona about nine years ago from Illinois and
engaged in the stock business in Graham County where he has
been since. He had four sons and one daughter. D.N. Ambler
is the oldest and is connected with the Herald of this city.
The other sons are scattered , one living in California, one
in Kansas and one in St. Louis. The daughter lives in Decatur,
Illinois.
The body will be buried today from his son's residence on the
Yuma Road. The funeral ceremonies will be under Masonic
auspices.
December 28, 1890
Dr. David C. Ambler, the tragic account of whose death we
publish elsewhere was for several years a resident of Morenci,
this county, and at one time interested with Mr. Church and
others, of the Detroit Copper Company, in the cattle
business. He had a suit against his former partners the
last term of the District Court of this county, which was
compromised. After that Mr. Ambler spent several weeks in
examining ranches in the Gila Valley, with a view of making
some investments. He had an engagement to meet Judge John
Blake, of this place, on last Monday, but the papers
received from Phoenix on that day announced the fact of
his suicide. He was well known in the eastern portion
of the county.
MRS. MARY BRADBURY
Arizona Republican Newspaper
July 22, 1890
Mrs. Mary Ellen Bradbury died yesterday afternoon at 5
o'clock from the effect of a dose of poison, self-
administered.Her husband, J.W. Bradbury is the owner
of a saloon on Washington Street, opposite the Hartford
Bank. He was summoned home yesterday morning about 1
o'clock by the information brought by his young son,
that Mrs. Bradbury had been taken ill. He got home
about half an hour later and found his wife in an agony
of pain. He gave her a mustard emetic and sent for Dr.
Hughes who lives but a block distant.The doctor was
promptly at hand and assisted by several lady friends of
the family who had been called up, succeeded in easing
his patient. By degrees she told her husband how it
occurred. She had heard evil reports of him through
intermeddling lady friends and had taken the matter
seriously to heart. She swallowed a spoonful of "Rough
on Rats", a small dose, she said with little intention
other than to frighten him. She was sorry she had done
so and expressed affection for her husband. She spoke
of the children and of what would be done with them should
she die and once murmured that she was about to join her
baby boy who had died a year ago.She remained conscious
until noon yesterday when a delirium came on that lasted
until her death, which was accompanied by convulsions.
Dr. Louis Stern was called in during the last few hours for
consultation but the phosphoric poison was too firmly seated
in the blood for any hopes to be indulged in. As she lay
in her coffin last night her face wore a peaceful expression
and showed that she had been possessed of very attractive
features. She was but 32 years of age and leaves two
children. The elder Annie is aged 16 years and Louis is 11.
The family came here about a year ago from Fort Smith,
Arkansas. From all accounts the couple were affectionate
and the family an unusually harmonious one. Mrs. Bradbury
had many warm friends in the neighborhood who speak of her
virtues and good heart. The funeral will take place from
the residence on Jefferson Street, one block south of the
Lemon Hotel at 4 o'clock this afternoon.
