H.A. MCDONALD
Arizona Republican Newspaper
March 13, 1904
Sheriff Cook arrived in the city yesterday morning with Deputy
Sheriff Frank Zapeda, charged with the shooting of H.A.
McDonald at Agua Caliente on Friday. A telegram was received
by The Republican last night saying that McDonald had just
died. The same information was received at the office of the
sheriff at about the same time. After the shooting, Zapeda
wired for the sheriff to meet him at Sentinel. He did not
say in his message to the sheriff who the prisoner was or
what had happened at Agua Caliente. The sheriff did not
know until he reached Sentinel that his prisoner was Zapeda.
It was not supposed at that time that the sheriff and Zapeda
left Sentinel that McDonald was mortally or even seriously
wounded. Upon their arrival in town, Zapeda was taken before
Justice Burnett for arraignment. Upon his statement of the
circumstances of the case and the nature of McDonald's wound,
his bond was fixed at $500 and his examination was set for
next Tuesday. The bond was furnished by L. Espinosa and M.J.
Brady.
The story of the shooting as told by Zapeda is quite
different from that of the special dispatch. Zapeda said
when he shot he believed he was acting in self defense.
He said that McDonald was the aggressor and the quarrel
had reached a point in which McDonald seemed to be trying
to draw a gun. Then Zapeda said he fired. The bullet
struck McDonald, grazing the back of his neck, inflicting
only a flesh wound. He added that early last month a man
came to Agua Caliente and hung around there for some time.
He was of a disreputable character and was suspected of
being criminal. He showed a great deal of attention to
Mrs. McDonald and Zapeda believed that the attention was
not wholly unreciprocated. There was trouble between Mrs.
McDonald and her husband on account of it, but it was
patched up and the stranger, who had been run out of
Phoenix, left Agua Caliente. In the meantime something
had happened which made Zapeda as an officer curious
about the whereabouts of this man. He suspected that
Mrs. McDonald might know where he was and he wrote to
her at Gila Bend where she was visiting her parents.
He said there was nothing in the letter which he thinks
ought to have given offense to her and he certainly did
not think that she of all persons would want McDonald
to see it. But she sent it to him and the trouble followed.
McDonald is in the saloon business at Agua Caliente. Soon
after McDonald received the letter from his wife, Zapeda went
into the saloon and the matter was brought up by McDonald.
The quarrel and the shooting followed. Mrs. McDonald is a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Noonan of Gila Bend. She
was formerly the wife of a man by the name of Challender,
quite well known through this part of the country.
Zapeda formerly lived in Phoenix but for several years he
has been living at Agua Caliente and Sentinel having charge
of the stage line between those places. He has for a long
time been deputy sheriff in that part of the country.
HARRY McKAY
Arizona Republican Newspaper
August 10, 1904
Harry McKay died very suddenly at the Vendome Lodging House
yesterday morning about 5:30 o'clock. Death is said to be
due to overheating as Monday was a very warm day and more
than usually sultry. Monday evening he retired to his room
rather early. About nine o'clock he sought the landlord's
apartments and told the family he was burning up with a
fever at the same time asking if there was any quinine
available in the house. When informed that there was not,
he returned to his room, and closed the door, a rather
queer proceeding considering the state of the weather.
About an hour later he was heard groaning as if in pain
and a physician was at once summoned to attend him.
He was given every possible attention but gradually grew
worse till morning when the end came.
McKay had lived in Phoenix for several months but had no
family or close friends here and it has not yet been
learned whether he has elsewhere or not. He was
considered a very companionable person, versatile
and of more than ordinary accomplishments, though
he never made himself prominent in this community
and had worked at various and sundry occupations
anything that offered him attractive wages.
There is a story that he was educated as a priest,
but ran away from school and became an actor instead.
However much of truth there may be in the story, he was
possessed of considerable stage talent, as all who
attended the Eastlake Park Theater last Saturday
night can testify. In response to the advertisement
that any amateur who desired to do a vaudeville turn
might on that night compete for a cash prize of ten
dollars, McKay presented himself and did a monologue
that was unusually entertaining and secured for him
most liberal applause. It was his only appearance
here. The suddenness of his death was something of a
shock for those who saw him Monday evening did not
know that he was sick.
M.D. McKinnon
November 21, 1904
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Los Angeles papers mention the recent death there of M.D.
McKinnon who spent a couple of winters in Phoneix,
leaving here for the last time last spring. Mr. McKinnon
was for several years a sufferer with consumption. He
received some benefit from his residence in the valley,
but he went to San Diego last spring to avoid the summer
at Phoenix. He spent several years in South Africa where
he was extensively engaged in buisness. He was there
during the Boer War and went through the siege of
Mafeking. He was about 35 years of age. During his
residence in Phoneix he acquired a great many friends.
WILLIAM MELCZER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
March 29, 1904
William Melczer died yesterday afternoon at his home at
Palo Alto California. The cause of his death was pneumonia
of which he had been ill for something more than a week.
The worst was feared from the beginning and his son, Ralph,
who was in the east, was sent for. He arrived at his
father's bedside before his death. Mr. Melczer was 57
years of age and a native of Austria.
He leaves a widow and three children. The eldest son,
Ralph was graduated from Yale University three years ago
and is now engaged in business in the east. The second son
is in military school at San Rafael California. There are
three brothers, Louis Melzer of Phoenix, Joseph and Emil
Melczer of Philadelphia. Three sisters live in New York.
Louis Melczer was with his brother a few days ago and was
on his way home yesterday when news of his death overtook
him at Los Angeles. He turned back to Palo Alto.
William Melczer lived in Arizona for a great many years.
He resided first at Nogales but came to Phoenix in the
early 1890's and went into the wholesale liquor business.
He had for a long time been engaged in mining in Sonora
and about four years ago he retired from active business
here and devoted himself entirely to his mining interests.
He visited Phoenix for the last time just before the
holidays. Mr. Melczer was a good citizen and was a man
of the greatest integrity.
So far as is known here no arrangements for the funeral
have yet been made, but the house of Melczer, in which he
retained his interest, will be closed today.
MRS. I.L. MERRILL
Arizona Republican Newspaper
January 12, 1904
The many friends of I.L. Merrill, late superintendent of
the Calumet and Arizona properties in the Warren District
will be grieved to hear of the death of Mrs. I.L. Merrill,
at her home in Los Angeles, say the Bisbee Review. The
grim visitor came without a moments warning and struck
down the life which it seemed was just entering into the
full fruition of its accomplishment. Mr. Merrill had
just completed a very handsome residence in Los Angeles
and was the soul of delight at the near approach of what
his esteemed wife had so ardently desired, a home of
rest and peace and quiet, after years of activity upon
the part of her husband, whose active life is so well
known to the people of Bisbee. Just before Christmas
Mr. Merrill left Bisbee to join his family in Los Angeles.
Mrs. Merrill died of heart failure and it seems all the
sadder that after years devotedly spent with her energetic
husband in the rougher experiences of mining camps, and
then removing amidst scenes of surroundings more refined,
she should be cut off in a moment, right at the threshold
of her desires. Mrs. Merrill leaves her husband and two
children, one a boy about twelve and a little girl about
seven years of age.
