The body of a stranger by the name of James Hart was
found last Friday a half mile from the railroad track
not far from Pantano, a station a few miles east of
Tucson. It was evidently a case of suicide and was so
pronounced by a coroner's jury.
There was a bullet hole through the top of the head
which had been inflicted by a 44 caliber revolver of
the Webley make, an English type. Several letters were
found on him, which established his name as James Hart.
In addition to these, money amounting to $11.70, a $10
bill and some silver was in his pockets. The letters
gave no clue to where he came from and no infomration
as to his relatives. A card lying on the ground near
the body, which had been torn into small bits, but
which was placed together by the coroner, was found
to be an introduction from Carl Behn, of Tombstone,
formerly with the New York Store in this city to
Superintendent Clausen of the Copper Queen Mining
company, so his occupation in life was probably a miner.
The body was dressed in neat and well kept clothes of
fair quality. A ticket from Benson, dated the 31st,
reading to Maricopa and from there to Phoenix and
evidently issued from Bisbee, showed where he was
bound originally, although he claimed to have been
put off the west bound train at Benson on that date,
as he had evidently been a nuisance while drunk.
When last seen at Pantano, he was quite drunk.
According to the testimony of those who saw him,
his deed is supposed to have been the result of hard
drinking. A watch with a filled cases was also in
his vest pocket and it was said that when he was last
noticed he had a suit case but the latter article
together with his hat, could not be found this morning.
The left hand was badly powder burnt. He looked to be a
man of 45 and it is thought he had been at Prescott
recently, by the tone of one of his letters.
Dave Hawkins
J.F. White
October 4, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
The Tucson Citizen that came yesterday morning contained
an account of a double murder at Silver Bell about 11:30
o'clock Monday night. The victims were Dave Hawkins and
J.F. White. With two companions, W.J. Warren and R.J.
Cochrane, they were returning from a saloon when,
according to the report, they were fired upon by one
of three Mexicans whom they met in the road. Hawkins
was killed instantly and White died the next morning.
They claim the Mexicans fired without warning and without
previous altercation to provoke him. The three Mexicans
fled from the cmap but officers are on their trail and
have good descriptions of them.
Colonel HEDGER
February 1, 1905
The funeral of the late Colonel T.T.Hedger was held
last evening at 6:30 o'clock at the undertaking parlors
of Mohn and Dorris, under the auspices of the Masonic
Lodge, the member of the Elks Lodge also attending in a
body. At the conclusion of the service the body was
placed in charge of six pall bearers of whom V.L. Clark,
L.T. Mansfield, P.K. Hickey and N.G. Clayton represented
the Masons and Judge J.M. Burnett and J.J. Hardwick
represented the elks. It might also be stated that
Messrs. Clark and Mansfield were friends of the dead
man for many years past, having known him in Kentucky
when they all lived there.
The body was taken at once to the Southern Pacific depot,
escorted by the members of the two orders. Mr. Carl C.
Hedger, only son of the dead man, left on last night's
train with the body for interment at their former home
in Georgetown, Kentucky. During his absence, Mrs. C.C.
Hedger and children will stop with the family of Thomas
Elder in this city.
Colonel Hedger came here about a year and a half ago and
during the short time he had been identified with this
community he made a host of friends who have nothing but
kind words to say in his memory. He was comfortably
situated financially and it is understood that beside
his holdings here he had large property interests in
both Wichita, Kansas and in Kentucky.
BABY HENDERSON
Arizona Republican Newspaper
May 20, 1905
The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. D.A. Henderson died yesterday
afternoon about 2 o'clock at the family residence, No. 329
South Eleventh Avenue. The funeral will be held at the residence
this afternoon at 3 o'clock.
Mrs. Hickey
September 5, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Word has been received of the death of Mrs. P. Hickey,
mother of P.K. Hickey and the late Mrs. S.P. Hoefer of
this city. Her death occurred September 2 at Diamond
Springs, Eldorado County, Cal., she being 78 years old
at the time. She had quite a number of friends here,
having visited in Phoenix.
Mrs. S.P. HOEFER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
May 25, 1905
Mrs. S.P. Hoefer died last night at midnight. Mrs. Hoefer
had been a sufferer of heart disease and for a week she had
been quite ill but there had been an improvement in her
condition and there seemed no doubt of her recovery from
the immediate attack. At midnight she asked for a drink of
water and it was given to her by her brother, Mr. P.K. Hickey.
After drinking she fell back into his arms and expired
immediately. Mrs. Hoefer was forty six years of age and had
lived in Phoenix for many years. She leaves beside her
husband, an adopted daughter.
MELVIN HOLTON
Arizona Republican Newspaper
April 11, 1905
Melvin Holton, better known around town by the nickname of
Duke died very suddenly last evening shortly after 6 o'clock,
in the rear room of Goodman's Pharmacy of hemorrhage of the
lungs. Mr. Holton came here about two years ago and secured
employment of the H.H. McNeil Company. He was a printer by
trade and was foreman of the McNeil job printing establishment
at the time of his death. He had lung trouble when he came
here and that probably was what induced him to make this his
home. He has however apparently been enjoying his usual
health lately and being a large man few who saw him recognized
him as an invalid.
Yesterday he remarked to one of his associates in reply to the
observation that he was looking well, that he was feeling even
better than usual. After leaving the printing office in the
evening he went to the drug store and said that he was
beginning to feel sick and wanted some medicine to brace
him up a little. He went into the rear room of the store
at once and sat down and in a few minutes was taken with
the fatal hemorrhage.
Mr. Holton resided at the Irving on West Washington Street
and is survived by a wife and two children, one of them being
quite young. He was always popular with his fellow craftsmen
and with all who knew him personally and indeed was well known
among the printers all over this part of the west. He was a
man of middle age. No funeral arrangements have yet been
announced.
EDWIN HOOD
Arizona Republican Newspaper
March 15, 1905
Funeral services for Edwin Hood, a Mohave Apache Indian boy
were held at Merryman's undertaking parlors yesterday morning.
Superintendent Goodman and a number of the instructors and
scholars from the Indian School were present. Rev. Dr.
Halsey who was assisted in the service by Rev. Mr. Yelvington
spoke briefly. Robin Hood, the father of Edwin was the main
mourner. The Indian school choir with Miss Adamson as
accompanist sang.
HI HOOKER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
March 25, 1905
Hi Hooker, one of the best known men in Phoenix died yesterday
morning about 3:30 o'clock in his rooms on North Second Street
after a long illness. He has not had good health for two or
three years having suffered of stomach and various other
complications and for some weeks past he has been confined to
his bed.
Mr. Hooker was thirty seven years old and was born in
Cleveland, Johnson County ,Texas. He came to Phoenix in
1887 and in December of that year was employed by Ed
Scarborough who was at that time engaged in baling hay
and who was accidentally killed a few years ago in a mine
at Globe. During that time he formed the acquaintance of
Robert Hayes who was his business partner at the time of
his death.
Mr. Hooker's next employment was in the capacity of a clerk
in the Henry E. Kemp Hardware Company which position he held
until the election of Gus Clark as City Marshal. He was then
made city jailer and at the expiration of Mr. Clark's term of
office more specifically about eight years ago, Mr. Hooker was
elected City Marshal. He served in that office for two terms.
Subsequently he was employed by the Melczer Wholesale Liquor
Store and by Hans Herlick, Mssrs. Hooker and Hayes then
bought Mr. Herlick's liquor store and remained in partnership
until Mr. Hooker's death.
Mr. Hooker was always active in the Phoenix Fire Department
until his health failed him and he was a member of the hose
team that won the championship contests in which the Phoenix,
Prescott and Albuquerque departments participated. His only
relatives in this country are a sister, brother and sister-in-law
who reside in Jerome and who will attend the funeral.
