William Cameron who has for several years been known in the
criminal courts of this county, was shot and killed by Josiah
Anderson Monday morning or the afternoon before at Anderson's
ranch about twenty miles from Agua Caliente. The first
information of the killing came in a letter yesterday
afternoon from Harry Loudermilk to Judge Frank Baxter.
The letter was in reply to one judge Baxter had written
and Loudermilk kept himself so closely confined to the
subject matter that he dismissed the tragedy with a single
line and the ate statement that Cameron had been killed by
Anderson. Nothing had been heard of the killing at the
office of the sheriff and for that reason it was thought
that a mistake must have been made.
The Republican sent a telegram last night to Deputy Sheriff
H.R. Wills at Agua Caliente, to which he replied saying
that Anderson had shot and killed Cameron and had
surrendered himself. Nothing was said about the motive
for the killing or any of the circumstances of it.
It is known that Anderson and Cameron have been on good
terms lately, and that Cameron was recently employed on
the Anderson ranch. A couple of months ago, when Cameron
was arrested for the illegal branding of cattle belonging
to Henry Wills, Captain J.S. Anderson came to town and
employed an attorney to represent him at his preliminary
hearing at which he was discharged.
Cameron has been in trouble the greater part of the time
for the last six years and in that time has served a term
in the penitentiary. He has been charged with half a
dozen felonious acts for which he was not convicted.
His criminal career began when he was about sixteen.
His slayer was sent to Yuma about three years ago for
shooting at Captain Mullen with intent to kill. A
stubborn defense was made through two terms of court
and the case was finally carried to the supreme court.
Anderson denied that he had done any shooting but that
on the contrary he had been shot, the evidence of which
he showed a wounded hand.
After a brief service in the penitentiary he was paroled
on the condition that he leave the territory. This
condition was made to prevent further bloodshed in the
neighborhood of Gila Bend and Agua Caliente, where a
feud had been brewing for a dozen years.
Anderson went to New Mexico where he had remained
there until a little less than a year ago when he
received a pardon. There has since then been no
trouble between him and his old enemies. The one
with whom he most likely would have had trouble was
James Kerrick who had left the country. Kerrick had
been convicted of rustling stock and had been
sentenced to Yuma but had been paroled on the
condition that he leave the territory.
The Cameron Killing
September 4, 1902
No word was received at the sheriff's office yesterday
regarding the killing of William Cameron by Josiah
Anderson. It seemed strange that Deputy Sheriff Wills,
to whom Anderson had surrendered himself the day before,
had not informed the office and the only explanation of
his silence was that he had started overland for Phoenix
with his prisoner. The surrender was made at Agua Calente,
which is not on a telegraph line, though the deputy sheriff
could have communicated by telephone by way of Sentinel.
It was also thought possible that he might have taken his
prisoner to Gila Bend for preliminary examination.
MR. DeWITT ADAMS
February 5, 1905
Mr. Adams, a visitor here from Elgin Illinois died
yesterday morning at his temporary home on North Center
Street from the effects of an injury received accidentally
a few days ago in a rather unusual manner.
Mr. Adams was of an advanced age having celebrated his
eighty-first birthday last Sunday. A few days ago he
was standing in the street near Hudson's corner when the
horse, Russel Mack, owned by Dr. Howard Ramsey but driven
by another man came down the street on a walk. Mr. Adams
did not see the approaching horse and either the horse or
a wheel of the vehicle ran into him throwing him down.
His injuries were not supposed to be serious at the time
but he was taken home at once and grew worse until he
passed away yesterday morning.
The dead man was the father-in-law of Attorney H.B.
Wilkinson of this city and it is understood has spent
the last four winters in Phoenix. He was a very genial
man and those who knew him speak of him as having been
for one of his age, remarkably young in appearance and
or an unusually sunny disposition.
February 7, 1905
The funeral of DeWitt Clinton Adams, who died a day or
two ago as a result of an accidental collision with a
buggy in the street, will be held at 3:30 o'clock this
afternoon at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. H.B.
Wilkinson, 550 North Center Street. The body will be
sent to the former home of Mr. Adams, Dundee Illinois
for interment, leaving Wednesday morning via the Santa Fe.
GEORGE ALEVSIOS
May 29, 1905
A telephone message was yesterday received from the West
End neighborhood, about eighteen miles west of the city,
saying that the dead body of an unknown man had been found
on the desert four or five miles west of the school. That
is a particularly unfrequented spot and the body had the
appearance of having lain there for three or four months.
It was stated that no one in the neighborhood had been able
to recognize the corpse. Acting Coroner Burnett sent a dead
wagon after the body and it was brought in last night. An
inquest will be held today.
May 30, 1905
It was disclosed at the coroner's inquest yesterday on the
dead body found in the West End neighborhood on Sunday that
a murder had been committed. When the body was discovered it
was supposed that the man was one of the many victims of the
desert. No one in the neighborhood could identify the corpse.
It was brought in late on Sunday night and an examination
yesterday proved beyond a doubt that there had been a brutal
murder.
The skull had been crushed and crusted blood and matted hair
was found within. The bedding of the man was found under a
mesquite tree about forty feet from the body, which had
evidently been dragged away by coyotes. The name of the man
was George Alevisos. There was found in a tin tobacco box,
a duplicate declaration of intention sworn out before C.D.
Hoover, clerk of the court for Pima County in which George
Alevisos foreswore allegiance to the king of Greece. There
was a metal tag on a key ring on which was stamped the name
of D.C. Thornton. D.C. Thornton is a clerk at the Star
Lodging house. He said yesterday that he did not remember
the man but that he had two of those metal tags made and
has one of them in his possession. He does not know what
became of the other.
Another article was a gold ring with a large seal setting on
which was the monogram P.F.C. That, however, it is thought
has nothing to do with the identity of the man. He might have
been wearing a ring with any monogram but he would hardly have
been carrying around the duplicate declaration of another man.
There were found scattered about the place where the body was
found a lot of 30 Savage rifle cartridges from which hit is
surmised that he had a rifle which had been carried off by
his murderer. It is not likely that more will ever be known
of the case then is now known. The body had the appearance
of having lain where it was found three or four months.
Mrs. J.B. ALEXANDER
August 10, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
A telegram was received here last evening by George W.
Brown, superintendent of irrigation on the Maricopa and
Pima reservations, from J.B. Alexander, who is in Los Angeles,
bearing the distressing news that Mrs. Alexander died on
Monday. The news was a shock to the many friends and relatives
here as it was entirely unexpected though it was learned on
Sunday or Monday that she was quite ill.
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander went to Los Angeles about a month ago
where she was placed in a hospital pending the arrival of an
expected heir. A week ago yesterday a bright eyed girl baby
was born and so far as known is still a healthy and vigorous
child. Everything seemed to progress satisfactorily and Mr.
Alexander having very urgent business at the agency, returned
home Monday he received an alarming telegram from the attending
physician, and left at once driving to Mesa and catching the
evening train south, presumably arriving Tuesday noon to find
that Mrs. Alexander had passed away several hours before. His
message to Mr. Brown announces that he will return next Monday
from which it is presumed that interment will be made in Los
Angeles, where the family made many friends.
Mrs. Alexander was well known and highly esteemed in Phoenix,
which had been her home the greater part of the time for many
years. Besides the infant daughter and the sorrowing husband,
she leaves a 12 year old son to mourn her untimely death.
