Lee Perry, a miner, was fatally shot in Brewery Gulch at 2
o'clock Saturday morning by Arthur LeRoy, the proprietor of
a furnishing store in the gulch, near St. Elmo. Perry had
been seen prowling around the house and on being asked what
he was about, gave no answer, where upon he was shot by
LeRoy through the back of the neck, below the base of the
skull.
Perry was considered of excellent repute by the
mining fraternity. He was forty two years old and had no
family. LeRoy was driven frantic when he learned who he
had shot. The coroner's jury has turned in a verdict that
Perry came to his death by a "gunshot wound inflicted by
LeRoy." A complaint of murder has been made against LeRoy,
he being out under a $5000 bond. The hearing will occur
June 24.
GEORGE A. PHILLIPS
May 19, 1909
George A. Phillips, for a short time a lodger at the Dorris,
was found dead in his room about eight o'clock. The dead man
and the door near where he lay were covered with blood, death
having followed a hemorrhage. He had evidently risen from bed
and when weak from loss of blood, tried to stagger back to his
bed. He had been dead about two hours. It was found from papers
among his effects that his home was in Philadelphia. A birthday
card from a niece indicated that he was forty seven years of age.
An inquest was held by Coroner johnstone resulting in a verdict
that death was the result of natural causes.
FRANK W. PIERCE
March 9, 1909
During the past week two deaths have occurred at the territorial
asylum for the insane. Frank W. Pierce who was committed to the
asylum from this county on Dec. 2, 1902 died Sunday from
peritonitis. At the time of his commitment nothing was known
of his people and very little about himself. He had been a
wanderer about the city for several days when he was taken
up by the authorities. He was buried in the asylum cemetery
Monday.
LOUIS POSKA
April 7, 1909
Louis Poska, who came here from Denver about three months ago,
accompanied by his wife, hoping for an improvement in his
health, died Tuesday at their temporary home in the Brill
Addition. The body will be taken to Lincoln, Nebraska by
the bereaved wife for interment this morning. Lincoln is
the family home, though two years ago they moved to Denver
where two daughters now reside, trying that climate also for
the benefit of Mr. Poska's health. A son, who is a practicing
physician resides in Montana. The dead man was 60 years old
and is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows.
MRS. W.A. PRUITT
August 26, 1909
Mrs. W.A. Pruitt for some months a resident of Tempe, died
suddenly night before last at 9 o'clock. Though the deceased
has been in ill health for some years and came here seeking
relief, it was not anticipated that her condition was at all
critical. She had been more than usually ill, however, for
several days previous to her death.
Mrs. Pruitt came here from Kansas City last November,
accompanied by her son, Clyde. She left Kansas City the
March before, spending the time between that and her arrival
in Tempe in Denver. She resided here for some time on West
Seventh Street, but lately has been occupying the Goodwin
rooms during the absence of the Goodwin fmaily. She had
recently rented a home in Goldman Addition for the winter,
planing to remain here for some time to come. The remains were
last evening shipped to Kansas City for interment accompanied
by the son.
DON PUGH
Feb. 7, 1909
Kelvin--The departure of the body of Don Pugh was attended by
very touching details. Mr. Pugh, the deceased brother arrived
from the east in time to attend the services at Kelvin. Mr.
Bruce rendered a few fitting remarks on the past life of Mr.
Pugh. There was a large assemblage of friends present and a
large group accompanied the body to the depot and thence to
Phoenix.
SAM PURCELL
June 25, 1909
Samuel Purcell, who has made Phoenix his home for many years,
and who was long connected with the Singer Sewing Machine
Company, died Monday, June 21 in San Diego.
PEDRO QUIROZ
July 29, 1909
The Arizona Star relates the following Pima County grievance:
"For many years particularly Cochise County, have made it a
point to dump their dead and dying onto Pima County and it is
high time htat a stop is put to this practice." This was the
statement made by the district attorney to a Star representative
yesterday in discussing the murder of Pedro Quiroz, a Mexican
section hand at Sybil, Cochise County, Sunday as told exclusively
in the Star.
Mr. Dick continued: "Whenver there is a murder or any other
violent death on the Southern Pacific Railroad, the bodies are
always brought to this county for disposition. There will no
inquisition into the death of the man Quiroz because the
tragedy was committed at a point out of Pima County's
jurisdictions and it is up to the Cochise County authorities
to handle the case."
The body of Quiroz was buried yesterday by the Parker
Undertaking Compnay of this city. When Coroner Dafton was
notified of the death of the man he announced there would be
no inquest and will make every effort to apprehend Quiroz's
murderer.
Details of the murder remain mysterious. From the condition
of the victim it is believed here that he was riding on the
top of a train when he was shot. Fellow workers of the
murdered man are mysteriously silent concenring any knowledge
of the tragedy. All say that the murder is as much of a
mystery to them as it is to the authorities and they are
at a loss to know whi his assailant could have been.
Jose Appise is held in the county jhail at Tombstone as a
suspect having been arrested at Fairbanks.
E.D. REXFORD
May 20, 1909
E.D. Rexford died yesterday morning at 7 o'clock at his home,
number 233 East Madison Street. He was 74 years old and death
was the result of old age. The funeral will be held this
afternoon at 4 o'clock in the Catholic Church. He came to
Phoenix about twenty years ago and has been employed for many
years by the Ryder Lumber Mill. He has no relatives.
JAMES (or JACOB) RHINEHART
June 21, 1909
James Rhinehart, a nurse employed in the typhoid case at the
residence of W.A. Leake, a carpenter, 1192 East Monroe,
accidentally met his death by mistaking carbolic acid for
alcohol, about 10:30 last night. He had been drinking a
solution of alcohol earlier in the evening.
Rhinehart, who is practically unknown, was hurriedly called
to take the place of a former nurse on the case of typhoid
at the residence. F.J. Barr, for the Odd Fellows had been
unable to get Carl Johnson, whom he had earlier in the day
expected and the latter recommending Rhinehart and at the
request of Mr. Barr had sent Rhinehart.
Mr. Rhinhart had proven efficient throughout the day, but
toward evening had spoken of the nauseating smell of the
room and about 7 had diluted some alcohol from a bottle that
was standing on a sewing machine in the sick room and which
had been used for bathing purposes and drank it. Mrs. Leake
became fearful that perhaps he was an inebriate and might
become too intoxicated to carefully attend the patient during
the night and placed the bottle of alcohol out of the way.
Later in the evening, shortly after 10 o'clock, Rhinehart
again complained of the odor of the sick room and commenced
a hunt for the bottle of alcohol to take, as he said, a
gargle to clean out the bad taste in his mouth. In a back
room of the house was a bottle of carbolic acid on a shelf
that had been used for sterilizing purposes which the
unfortunate man found and drank, unknown to the rest of
the occupants of the house.
He presently returned to the sick room and sat down. Presently
he arose, crossed the room and stepped outside to the hydrant
where he took a drink and then spit and rasped his throat as a
man often does who has been drinking. He returned and showed
signs of drunkenness, sitting down without a word. In a moment
he again arose and slowly staggered to the door.
C.S. Fait, father-in-law of Mr. Leake, noticed that Rhinehart
showed the symptoms of a man who was more than drunk and
followed him outside beckoning Mrs. Leake to following.
Coming upon Rhinehart who by this time was swaying against
the porch pillar, Mrs. Leake detected the odor of deadly
acid on Rhinehart's breath, but too late. Before Fait could
grab him, Rhinehart had fallen to the ground, with an
unintelligible murmur. Though both Fait and Mrs. Leake
tried to force the only antidote at hand,the alcohol
which the poor unfortunate had failed to find, Rhinehart
was dead.
The police were called together with Dr. Beauchamp, the city
physician and Coroner Johnstone summoned, the inquest being
continued until sometime today.
It was impossible to learn anything about Rhinehart, last
night, except he was a nurse of some experience and formerly
lived in Globe.
More on Rhinehart
June 22, 1909
A verdict of death from taking carbolic acid, self administered,
was brought in by the coroner's jury yesterday afternoon in the
case of Jacob Rhinehart who died at the Leake residence Sunday
night.
Though very little is known of Rhinehart, he being a stranger
in Phoenix, it has been found that he came here from
Wickenburg to work at the Home Telephone Company. Miners at
Globe who knew him there with the nickname of "Sleepy Jake"
where he was a regular indulger in intoxicating drinks, say
that he followed the occupation of camp cook. He was a jack
of all trades, his last role being that of a trained nurse.
