If certain information which reached the sheriff's office
yesterday had been brought in the day before, Reuben Neill and
Herbert Woods, the murderers of Edward Schwartz near Williams
several weeks ago, might have been captured.
The informant, whose name is withheld at his request, saw the
men at the St. John's crossing about eight o'clock Monday
morning. He knew both of them and was not more than 200 yards
away from them when they crossed the river. He had not then
heard of the murder and as son as he learned that the
instructions for their arrest had been received yesterday
from Sheriff Francis of Coconino County he went to the sheriff's
office and told what he had seen. The description he gave of
the horses the men were riding tallied exactly with the
description which had been received from Sheriff Francis.
The man said he did not think much of their presence at the
time. Each was carrying a Winchester. The informant, without
recalling that the ranger law had been abolished, supposed
that Woods, whom he knew to be a ranger, was out on an official
scout. Later he remembered that there were no more Arizona
Rangers and then he wondered what the men were doing in that
part of the country.
W.H. Beaseley, the sheepman, said that Woods was well acquainted
with that region. A couple of years ago he and Woods had hunted
ducks there and Woods was familiar with the crossing.
Both men are familiar for that matter with the whole territory
and they probably reached the Mexican line by last night. In
his instructions Sheriff Francis said they would try to reach
Mexico.
It is thought that they came down past Jerome and the Horse
Shoe Ranch and thence to the Agua Fria which they followed to
its junction. Their natural course beyond would have been by
the way of the Mekol Mine and the Quijatoa.
Neil and Woods are said to have had good records while that of
their supposed victim was not so good. His character was
regarded as shady. He had come into the north country some
months before his death posing as a detective and had been
involved there in several questionable transactions. The
trouble ending in his death is said to have occurred over a
woman.
CHARLES S. SCUDDER
July 3, 1909
Charles S. Scudder died suddenly and alone yesterday a little
before noon at Geare's Central Avenue Dairy. He had been
employed by Charles Schandler, the painter who was doing some
work about the dairy. Though the cause of death has not yet
been determined it is supposed to have been caused by drink
and heat. Besides, Scudder had not been in good health.
Day before yesterday he complained of not feeling well and
yesterday morning about eleven o'clock he told Schandler
that he felt worse and that he would seek the shade for a
short time. Schandler worked on alone until noon and then
sat down in the shade nearby to eat lunch. He had looked
about for Scudder but could not find him. He supposed that
Scudder had gone into the shade and had gone to sleep.
Later in the day he was found lying on his back in a dry ditch
within twenty feet of the place where Schandler had eaten.
There was a bench on the edge of the ditch and Scudder had
been sitting or lying on that and when stricken by death had
rolled into the ditch, where he was hidden by the high weeds
on the bank.
Coroner Johnstone was called up and informed of the finding
of the body and he directed Moore and McLellan to bring the
body in. Deputy Sheriff Jeff Adams went out to gather such
information as he could and to bring back any effects of the
dead man he might find.
Among these was a bottle of beer which had not been opened.
That was put into the bottom of the wagon. On the way to town
the bottle exploded, the top half of it being blown off.
Robert Hamilton, who was in the wagon, fancied that he was
struck a violent blow on the leg, but no part of the bottle
could be found.
Deputy Adams thought that his automatic pistol had got started
and he wondered how soon the bullets would begin ploughing
through him.
The coroner summoned a jury and the body was viewed and the
inquest will be concluded this morning.
Scudder was about forty years of age. His home was in
Deposit, N.Y. He came here about three weeks ago. He
was a jeweler by trade, but his failing eyesight made it
necessary for him to give up that business and for some
time he worked at the cigar making trade. Since his
arrival in town he had been employed by Mr. Schandler
as a helper.
RUSSELL SEATON
December 12, 1909
Russell Seaton the four year old son of Mr. and Mrs. T.C.
Seaton, died yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock at the Sisters'
hospital as the result of a surgical operation. The little
fellow had been ill only three or four days and the sudden
bereavement is sorely felt by the afflicted parents. The
funeral announcement will be made later.
J.C. SEVIER
November 12, 1909
The thread of life had so nearly run out that J.C. Sevier, a
mining engineer, decided to break it and he was found dead
in his room at Montezuma Place of poison yesterday morning.
The body, when it was found by Mrs. White, in charge of the
place, was so cold that it seemed death must have taken place
not later than midnight.
But for a note to George P. Discoll, left by the dead man,
it might have been thought that death resulted from natural
causes. Sevier was an Elk and he addressed the note to Mr.
Driscoll as an officer of that order. Sevier wrote that he
had only $60 left and a gold watch. The latter might be
sold so that the proceeds together with the cash would be
sufficient to pay the last expenses. He gave the address
of a man in San Diego whom he wanted notified of his death,
but he added that it was unnecessary to notify anyone else.
His burial, he requested might be made as privately as
possible.
The note concluded, "It is now eleven o'clock (a time of the
day filled with meaning for every Elk). Goodbye." It is
not known that there are any surviving relatives.
Sevier was between thirty and thirty five years of age.
He was a sufferer of consumption and came to Phoenix about
two months ago. It is supposed that, hopeless of recovery,
he dreaded the coming to the end of his resources more than
coming to the end of life and took his choice. By what
poison he died is not known and no investigation was made
for Dr. Beauchamp at the inquest held by Coroner Johnstone
yesterday morning, said that there were several poisons
among the medicine used by Sevier, which would have produced
death if taken in sufficient quantity. The jury found that
death had resulted from poison self administered.
VICTOR SOBEL SHEAR
April 29, 1909
Victor Sobel Shear, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Shear, died
yesterday at noon at the temporary home of his parents, the
Street Residence, 1622 West Adams Street. It was the end of a
year of ill health, a period of invalidism that in its later
months had been quite discouraging, though hope for his recovery
had not been entirely given up until recently. Mr. and Mrs.
Shear and another son, Joseph will leave tomorrow morning for
New York City escorting the body which will be placed in a
receiving vault pending the construction of a family mausoleum
in one of the large New York cemeteries.
Victor Shear was twenty two years old on March 1 and was a
very promising young man until overtaken by ill health. He
graduated from Phillips Academy of Exeter, N.H. and entered
Yale university in 1907. In his second year he was taken
sick with typhoid pneumonia. He was taken first to
Pleasantville, N.Y. and later to Bethlehem in the White
Mountains of New Hampshire. Last October Mrs. Shear,
Joseph and a nurse, accompanied the sick boy to Phoenix.
He improved and his mother went back to Warren Pa. which
had been the family home for a time, Mr. Shear being one
of the leading business men of the city. A month later
Mr. Shear having disposed of his business, the whole
family moved to Phoenix, intending to remain here
permanently.
Victor seemed to be improving until a month or two ago when
he suffered a relapse.
The three sisters of the young man, Misses Lucille, Ruth and
Mildred will remain here during the sad journey of the parents
and brother to the home land. All will return here after a few
weeks but the final plans of Mr. Shear are not yeat fully
decided upon.
