General M.E. Collins died yesterday morning at 6 o'clock
at the Dorris Lodging House after an extended period of
ill health and a confinement to his room of some weeks.
He was advanced in years and has been in poor health
much of the time for a long time past, though the
immediate cause of death was an affection of the
stomach. Over a week ago, it was feared his sickness
would terminate fatally and word was sent to his
daughter, Mrs. Hattie P. Hunt of South Pasadena.
She came at once and remained at his bedside until the
end. The funeral services will be held this
afternoon at 2 o'clock in the Presbyterian church
after which the body will be taken to Los Angeles
for interment beside that of Mrs. Collins who
died several years ago.
Marcelus Evans Collins, was one of the best men in this
county and was highly esteemed by all. He had a wide
acquaintance in other parts of the territory, particularly
in Yavapai County where he engaged in mining many years
ago.
He was born in Ripley Ohio April 22, 1832, moving to
Illinois while yet in his youth. He studied law, was
admitted to the bar and practiced quite successfully
for a number of years, finally locating in Chicago.
He engaged there in the real estate business and made
Chicago his home until sometime in the early seventies
when he moved to Yavapai County Arizona. For about
ten years he operated in the Big Bug and adjacent
mining districts, moving from there to Los Angeles
in the hope of bettering the health of Mrs. Collins.
He engaged in the real estate business there for a
few years of his residence coming to Phoenix in
1888. Since that year this has been his home.
Mr. Collins first extensive project was the acquirement
of that tract now known as the Collins Addition which
he had platted and graded. Soon after he associated
himself with M.H. Sherman in its building up and in
the sale of the lots. The first Phoenix street
railway, a horse car system was built largely to
stimulate the selling of this property.
Selling out the greater part of his interest in that
addition, after the location of the capitol building
site, Mr. Collins devoted himself to the platting and
selling of lots in what he named the Capitol addition
and in like manner platting and improving what was
known as the Novinger tract, just west of the city.
The Funeral
December 23, 1905
Funeral services over the remains of the late General
M.E. Collins were conducted yesterday at the Central
Presbyterian church. Pall bearers were Walter Bennett,
N.A. Morford, J.I. Brooks, E.A. Spaulding J.L. Irvin
and L.L. Plank. Last evening Mrs. Hunt, a daughter
of the deceased left for Los Angeles accompanying the
remains and interment will be made in that city.
H.L. CONLEY
Arizona Republican Newspaper
June 4, 1905
H.L. Conley, late Santa Fe agent at Seligman, committed
suicide by shooting at Pointer's Store on the Indian
reservation twelve miles below the city yesterday afternoon.
Information of the tragedy was received by Acting Coroner
Burnett early yesterday evening. He left as soon as possible
for the reservation and ordered a dead wagon to bring the body
to town.
The telephone message stated that Conley left Phoenix yesterday
morning driving a single horse and along in the afternoon he
entered the store and having stood for a short time drew a
revolver and shot himself through the heart. He left what
was described by the message as a confession, the nature of
which was not then made known to the acting coroner. It
related in some way to a man by the name of Summers who was
held by Conley in the document to be connected with Wells Fargo.
Judge Burnett asked Captain Connell, the local superintendent
of Wells Fargo about Summers. He said that there were two men
of the name of Summers in the service of the company though not
here. One of them is a route agent. Captain Connell knew
nothing of Conley.
At first nothing could be learned of Conley here but later
in the evening when J.H. Hopkins, night clerk of the Adams
Hotel came on duty and heard of the suicide he said that he
knew Conley well. He himself had lived in Seligman and saw
the man almost daily.
Judge Burnett returned shortly before midnight and the body
was also brought in. The proprietor of the store where the
suicide was committed said that Conley arrived there at half
past ten o'clock and asked for water for himself and his
horse. He was told that he could have a drink but that he
would have to go on to the Catholic Church where he could
find plenty of water for his horse.
He drove away and some time before half past two o'clock he
returned on foot. He seemed weary and the storekeeper
invited him to have a seat in a rocking chair on the porch.
Having then taken another drink of water he did so and
began writing in a little book. He frequently asked for
water after which he resumed his writing. The storekeeper
was called into the store, leaving his little grandson, an
Indian who had just come in and Conley on the porch. Next,
he heard a shot and his grandson cried that the stranger
had shot himself. When the storekeeper ran to him Conley
gazed wearily at him and when the storekeeper exclaimed,
"What have you done?" Conley's head sank on his shoulder
and he was dead.
The following statement or confession found written on a
fly leaf of a pocket dictionary tells the whole story:
"Tom Warden, Seligman, Ariz. "I have been gambling a great
deal lately and a short time ago I was playing in a big game,
got to drinking and when I lost I went back to the office and
got company money which I also lost. I couldn't raise the money
so took more company money to see if I couldn't win enough
with what I borrowed to make the shortage good but it was of
no use. I take a coward's way of paying my just dues. Tell
Mr. Summer, W.F. route agent of the money receipt book is in
the back of the letter file." H.L. Conley.
Only five cents was found in his pockets. There were several
keys and other trinkets. The horse still hitched to the buggy
was found wandering in the brush near the church.
June 6, 1905
The body of H.L. Conley, the man who committed suicide at
Pointer's Store on the Gila River Indian Reservation last
Saturday will be shortly sent to Marion Iowa. It had been
supposed that the relatives of Conley lived at Perry Iowa but
yesterday in reply to a telegram sent by Merryman and Moore,
who have charge of the body, a message was received from
Gordon L. Whipple of Marion, directing that the body be sent
there. Mr. Whipple is a brother-in-law of Conley. Mr.
Whipple wired transportation for the body.
His address was learned from Tom Warden of Seligman, to whom
Conley wrote a statement and confession just before shooting
himself. Mr. Warden is a detective of the Santa Fe Pacific
and upon him would have devolved the business of looking Conley
up if he had not left this world.
Very little more is known of Conley's movements after arriving
in the city on Saturday morning or of his gambling than had
been known before. At twenty minutes before two o'clock on
Saturday morning he ate breakfast at Hoghe's and when he came
to pay for it he was offered a ten dollar bill. He was asked
by the cashier if he had something smaller and he replied that
was all the money he had. However, after going through his
pockets he discovered a half dollar. He then asked what time
the Wellington closed and was told it would close at three
o'clock. He said that if he wanted to see anyone there he
would have to hurry.
He could not have been gambling before breakfast for he had
just arrived in the city. He could only have been at the
Wellington for a few minutes for soon after leaving Hoghe's
he appeared at the Anheuser where he lost $25. He went away
but returned and won $40. He finally left the Anheuser about
six o'clock and returned to the Adams Hotel where he bought
and read a morning newspaper and about seven o'clock left
for the country.
REFUGIO CONTRERAS
August 23, 1905
As a result of a drunken row in which a woman and three
Mexicans figured, Refugio Contreras, age 35 was shot and
killed at Maricopa on Monday afternoon. Two men are at
present in the county jail at Florence awaiting the result
of an investigation of the affair and the woman, the wife
of the man who was killed, is at Maricopa, nursing several
wounds received in the fray.
Conflicting stories are told by the men under arrest but
in a statement the dying man accused Francisco Fernandez
of being his slayer. Cota, also known as Jose Cista, Charles
Wilson and Jose Maza, an Indian, is accused by Fernandez of
being the instigators of the quarrel and the guilty parties.
The circumstances point to a verification of the statement
of Fernandez for a gun of the same caliber as the one which
killed Contreras was found in his possession when arrested.
The dying statement of the man it is argued by the
authorities, is not of a great deal of value since he
was shot in the back and could not under ordinary
circumstances have seen the shot fired. The arrests
were made by Constable Smith of Maricopa.
The closest place a coroner could be secured was Tempe and
the body of the dead man was taken to that place. However,
Justice Neilson was out of the city and Justice Burnett of
this city was notified. He left here for Tempe yesterday
and empanelled a jury consisting of F.R. March, Phil Fogal,
Roy Martin, J.E. Sturgeon, Ernest Schmidt, and F.E. Rich.
What evidence it was possible to obtain was taken and a
verdict rendered that death came to Contreras as the
result of a gun shot wound, the weapon being in the hands
of parties unknown.
