Word has beenreceived that Clarence House died on
January 12 at his home in Praddock, Pa. He was a
victim of lung trouble and spent sometime in Phoenix
being formerly employed as registry clerk in the post
office. He went back t o Pennsylvania and was feeling
considerably better duirng last summer. It was his
intention to return to Phoenix this winter but he was
taken much worse not long ago and decided to patiently
await the end at home. He had many friends here who will
be distressed to learn of his untimely death.
Robert Howard
August 29, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
From a private telegram received in the city late yesterday
afternoon it is learned that Robert Howard, a son of Joseph
Howard, a well known rancher of the Date Creek district was
struck by lightning yesterday afternoon and both he and the
horse he was riding were instantly killed. The young man,
who was about seventeen years old was enroute to Congress
from his home traveling on the Congress trail.
R.J. ICKE
Arizona Republican Newspaper
March 3, 1905
R.J. Icke died about noon yesterday at the Commercial hotel.
He has been employed at one of the ostrich farms for some time
past, the raising of ostriches being with him a special line of
business. He was first engaged in it in South Africa where he
lived for a long time. He came here some years ago with his
wife and children. Mrs. Icke died a years or two ago and the
children were taken back to the family home in England by
relatives. The relatives of the dead man in England have been
cabled advising them of his death with the information that
unless they instruct otherwise he will be buried here beside
his wife as he has sufficient money to defray all expenses.
LUTHER JEWELL
December 15, 1905
The Republican a few days ago received a telegram from
Tucson stating that the dead body of Luther Jewell, a
mining man well known in Tucson had been found in an old
pit near Llano, Sonora. Jewell was a capatalist of San
Diego who a year or more ago became interested in mining
property in that region. The information of the finding
of the body was contained in a letter from Raymond Powell,
formerly employed in the Southern Pacific offices at
Tucson. Mr. Powell wrote:
"The body of Luther Jewell, the mining man who
mysteriously disappeared last June and who was
believed to have been murdered has been found. The
identification is not complete, but there seems to be
no doubt it is the body of the missing man. The
brother of the murdered man, Mr. Fred Jewell, a
prominent banker of San Diego has been notified by wire.
"As you may have fogotten I will give you some of the
details. Last June, Jewell came to Sonora from Alaska
and began looking for mining properties. He was backed
by his brother and a group of San Diego capatalists and
was well supplied with funds. One morning Jewell set
out on his horse alone, saying that he was going to
look at a property that a Mexican had told im about.
The next day his horse wondered back alone and from
that time on no trace had been found of the missing man.
"His brother, Fred Jewell came from San Diego and offered
a liberal reward for any trace of the body. Finally the
brother gave up the search and returned to his home."
The gruesome discovery of the murdered man's body was
made by H. Gordon Glors, a mining expert, who is well
known on the Pacific Coast and by Mr. Barnes of Llano.
Mr. Glors was engaged on behalf of some well known
capatalists, supposed to be Messrs. Randolph and
Lindsay. From the color of the hair and the
arrangement of the teeth, as wel as from the
clothes and varous other articles, Mr. Barnes,
who was acquainted with the murdered man, was able
to identify the remains.
JEROME MINING DISASTER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
April 3, 1905
About four o'clock this morning as shifts of miners were
changing, a cave-in resulting from an explosion occurred
at the United Verde Mine near the old shaft house where the
railroad crosses the property. The cave in forced out the
bulkheads on the 400 foot level, allowing the gases to escape
into the 200 and 250 foot levels where twelve miners were
awaiting the cage to be taken to the top. The gases overcame
the men in these levels. The alarm however was taken in the
lower levels and the miners there gave the fire alarm. In a
very few minutes the levels were clear of gas and the men
hoisted to the surface and taken to the company hospital.
Late this evening five of the men had died and two or three
more are past recovery. All the men dead except one named
Crofut are foreigners. Dead are: Peter Seder, A.J. Halladam,
J.M. Roe, T.W. Crofut and E.R. Ruffin. Injured are: N.
Novonich, B. Garcia, J. Discio, J.P. Roe, B. Caropa, J.
Wilovich and M. Sullivan.
On account of recent heavy rains the surface water found its
way to that portion of the mine where a fire has been smoldering
for several years and the steam thus generated caused the
explosion. The men were suffocated by smoke and steam.
Had the accident happened fifteen minutes earlier hundreds
would have been caught.
B.F. Johnson
November 21, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Saturday evening at 6:30 o'clock the life of Patriarch
Benjamin F. Johnson went out. "Uncle Benji" as he was
called had rounded out the ripe age of 87 years, three
months and fifteen days. His last birthday July 29, he
gave an at home to his children and many friends and
entertained about 300 during the day and at that time
he seemed to have a premonition that his end was not
far distant as he then told his guests that that would
be possibly the last time he would meet many of them
this side of the grave. He had been in ill health for
a number of years, but his mind has been clear and
bright and the past few years he has written quite
extensively of his association with the Prophet
Joseph Smith.
Thursday last in the afternoon he was taken worse and
continued to sink until the end came. He was perfectly
conscious up to the hour of his death. He called his
children to his bedside, gave them a goodbye handshake
and his last blessing and passed peacefully away, his
life going out seemingly without pain.
His had been a very strenuous life. Born in New York on
the 29th day of July 1818, when thirteen years of age he
became a follower of Joseph Smith. He was large for his
age and possessed a remarkably bright mind. At the age
of 13 years he came closely associated with the prophet
and from that time to his death acted as his business
agent and private secretary. He possibly was better
acquainted with Joseph Smith than any man now living
and his mind was rich with reminiscences of those
days. He was captain of the first company that left
Nauvoo at the expulsion and in 1849 he came to Salt
Lake City with an emigrant company. He settled in
Salt Lake City first and was colonel in the military
organization that was formed in Utah to protect the
settlers against the Indians. When the provisional
state of deseret was organized he was chosen as one
of the delegates to it and such was the services that
he rendered his state, that he was returned fourteen
terms to the legislature of the territory after it was
organized. Later he settled in southern Utah,
presiding over the settling of that country. While
away on a mission to the Sandwich Islands the Walker
War broke out and his entire property was destroyed
by the Indians. He has a claim now before the
government for the $10,000 destroyed at that time.
In 1883 he with his large family moved to Arizona, first
settling in Tempe and later moved to Mesa, where he had
resided continuously ever since. He had possibly the
largest family, consisting of children, grandchildren
and great grandchildren of any man now living. His
posterity numbered in the neighborhood of 800 souls.
He was beloved by all who knew him.
"COWBOY" JOHNSON
M.M. CONN
MOODESTO OLIVAR
FERDINAND WALTERS ("Catalina Kid")
January 28, 1905
Tucson--One of the worse tragedies in the history of
southern Arizona occurred in the border town of Nogales
at 3:30 o'clock this morning. The Catalina Kid,
(Ferdinand Walters), a gambler, entered the Palace Saloon
owned by M.M. Conn, walked to a poker table and without a
word of warning drew a revolver and opened fire on the
dealer, named Cowboy Johnson, firing two shots through his head.
Walter then turned on Conn, the proprietor who was
making his way towards the door, shooting him through
the head and heart. The murderer then turned his
weapon toward a monte dealer, shooting him in the
back of the head. He fired a shot at George Bendle,
a cattleman and grazed the latter's face and then
turning the revolver upon himself, sent a bullet
crashing through his own brain.
All of the victims died before being able to make
statements. Walters had been in the employ of Conn
but had been discharged a few days before. It is
said he was intoxicated at the time he entered the
saloon. Conn was one of the best known sporting men
in the southwest and a man of family.
The dead monte dealer was named Modesto Olivar and was
a Mexican. Walters who was known in the southwest as
the "Catalina Kid" had traveled extensively. He was
at Skagway Alaska in 1897 and there it is said he was
identified with the "Soapy Smith" gang.
Word of the tragedy was received at Phoenix early
yesterday. B.J. Whitesides of the legislature had a
telegram informing him of the killing which it was
said took place about four o'clock in the morning.
One dispatch said that Walters had been playing cards
and that he arose from the table and started to the
door saying that he had been robbed. He turned before
reaching the door and shot Cowboy Johnson. In the
next shot a Mexican and killed Conn last. Then he
went out on the sidewalk and killed himself. There
is still some doubt as to the identity of the man who
did the shooting. Persons from Nogales do not know
anybody of that name and from what they have learned
they are of the opinion that the shooting was done
by a stranger. A man by the name of Walters, a
desperate character, suspected of holding up a
saloon at Bisbee has been operating in the southern
part of the territory. This Walters was a short man
and came to the territory from Colorado. It was not
known that he was at Nogales.
The reputation of Johnson, who was known all over the
territory was not very good. He was recognized as a
crooked gambler.
Conn had lived in the territory about ten years. He
lived for some time at Tucson where he was engaged in
the saloon buisness. Eight years ago he went to
Nogales. He was highly esteemed by all who knew him.
He was never quarrelsome and in the frequent
controversies which are forced upon men in the saloon
business he usually gave way in order to avoid trouble.
There had been for some time a good deal of complaint
about the management of the games in Conn's place. A
couple of months ago, George Marsh, a retired gambler
who used to deal roulette in Phoneix lost $2000 there
one night and said he had been robbed by Johnson. Conn
was not blamed for taking part in the crookedness in his
house or of profiting from it, but he was blamed for
permitting it.
Walters, who had been running a poker game in Conn's
house was discharged on complaint of patrons of the
resort that Walters had been using marked cards to
win their money. When Walters turned over the game
to another man on Wednesday night he remarked to the
man who took his place that there would probably be
some dead men around there before long.
