James G. PHILLIPS
October 2, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
After lingering between life and death since he was
picked up on the river nearly dead Saturday afternoon,
Mr. Phelps died late Sunday afternoon. Nothing more
has been learned regarding his relatives or his past but
in hope that something may turn up in a few days, the
body is being held. Undertaker A.L. Moore was over from
Phoenix Sunday evening to take care of the remains.
Remains Interred
October 4, 1905
Undertaker A.L. Moore of Phoenix was here yesterday
attending to the disposition of the remains of Mr.
Phelps who died Sunday afternoon. It was learned that
he had a mother living in San Diego, California and
she wired instructions to have the body buried here.
It was also learned that his name was not Phelps, but
James G. Phillips. The funeral was held yesterday
afternoon and the remains interred in the Double Butte
Cemetery.
J.H. POMEROY
December 21, 1905
J.H. Pomeroy passed away yesterday morning at 7:30 at
his home in Mesa after an illness of several weeks.
He had been a sufferer for years with rheumatism and
other complications internally, causing loss of sleep
and considerable distress, but it was not until six
months ago that he began to look upon his symptoms
as serious and the necessity of attention to them.
He began treatments under first one physician and
then another, sought relief at the coast, in the
mountains and finally getting worse, he went to Agua
Caliente and remained there for three weeks. He was
there during the recent rain, which was against him
and he came home much weaker than when he went away
although he was loud in his praise of the treatment
accorded himself and wife by the proprietor there.
Soon after returning he took to his bed and has hardly
been outside of the house since. He suffered terribly
from sciatic nerve trouble up to within a few days of
his death.
A wife could not be more faithful than Mrs. Pomeroy who
has been with him almost every hour night and day during
his illness and is now almost prostrated with grief. He
was attended through his illness by Drs. Hawley and Jones.
His funeral will be held in the tabernacle today,
December 20 at 11 am.m, J.M. Horne will presiding.
Mr. Pomeroy was one of the most prominent men on the
south side, having come to Mesa from Idaho in 1877 and
had been city clerk of Mesa for twenty years and
justice of the peace of the Mesa precinct for fourteen
years.
In 1894 he was elected to represent the county in the
legislature and served his term with credit both to
himself and to his constituents.
Mr. Pomeroy was born in 1853 in Salt Lake City,
fifty two years ago next February. He leaves a
widow and six children to mourn his loss. Mr.
Pomeroy was a friend of everybody and was of the
best men in southern Arizona. He was a kind and
loving father and a friend that would always be
found the same.
Funeral
December 23, 1905
The funeral services over the body of Hon. J.H. Pomeroy
were held in the tabernacle yesterday. Bishop Horne
presided and stated that he had known the deceased
for twenty seven years and during that acquaintance
he had been compelled to recognize the great part he
had played in the development of the Mesa country.
Mr. Pomeroy, he said, had for the last fifteen years,
been the legal advisor and friend of the people of
Mesa and he doubted if anyone there had been sought
after for counsel as had Mr. Pomeroy. Mrs.
Ottille Phelps rendered a beautiful solo. The
benediction was offered by W.J. LeBaron.
Pedro Pompa
August 9, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
The horribly decomposed body of Pedro Pompa, who disappeared
from the home of his father in the southwestern part of the
city on July 8 was found yesterday. The discovery was made
by Joe Lambay on the edge of his ranch five and a half miles
southwest of the city on the south side of the river. From
the condition of the body it appears that Pompa died soon
after he was missing. The find was made about eleven
o'clock and Mr. Lambay at once came to town and reported
it. The face was unrecognizable but Mr. Lambay brought a
description of the clothing. It was surmised here that the
body was that of Pompa and by the discover's description
the father of the young man knew it was the body of his
son. He went to the place where the body was found and
easily identified it. It was brought back by an
undertaker's wagon and an inquest was held.
Mr. Lambay said that he had passed the body several times
within the last two weeks; he was often as near as four
feet to it but the wind was blowing toward it and he did
not catch the stench. The body lay on the edge of a
ditch so overgrown with weeds so that tit was not easily
discoverable. A week ago Mr. Lambay was running water
in that ditch but he did not go as far down as the body
by about forty feet.
Pompa was a weak minded youth of about twenty three years
of age. At the time he went away there was a great deal
of excitement about fishing in the river and it is thought
that he started out to fish. He carried a pitchfork for
at that time it was a favorite though unlawful fishing
implement. A neighbor saw him going toward the river
and after that he was never seen alive. The whole
country was gone over without a trace of him being
found and it was thought that he must have wandered
on the desert toward the southern mountains and died
of thirst.
But it is not now thought that thirst was the cause of
death. It almost invariably happens that those who die
of that torture divest themselves of all clothing before
the last moment comes. Pompa had removed none of his
clothing. There was besides water in the vicinity.
The young man was subject to epileptic fits so that it
is thought that he was seized with one of these, and
was afterward unable by reason of exhaustion to resume
his journey.
J.E. Price
October 8, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Died at the Union Hotel in Phoenix on Tuesday October
3 at 1:30 p.m. J.E. Price of Buckeye. Mr. Price was born
in Kansas March 3, 1871. He leaves a wife and a four year
old son, a mother and a sister to mourn his loss. He had
been in Phoenix for some time under the doctor's care and
his death was no surprise to his many anxious friends and
yet it seemed to come upon them so sudden.
Mr. Price was a man of sterling worth, one of those men
that make a country and nation better for his having
lived in it. His friends were many as the crowd at the
burial service testified. To know him was to be his
friend and the more business one had with him the warmer
that friendship grew. he was an honest, conscientious
Christian man and a leader in the Sunday school work in
the Palo Verde district.
His body was laid to rest at the Palo Verde church yard
Wednesday at 3:30, it having been conveyed from Phoenix
by Peter Mohn the undertaker. Pall Bearers were: H.W.
Davis, N. Benson, E. Barker, J.W. Parkman, W.B. Bruner
and Mac Brown. They were all near neighbors and warm
friends of the deceased. Another good man gone whose
place will be hard to fill in our midst.
September 20, 1905
There was a most pitiful tragedy here yesterday and the day
before on account of Mrs. J.E. Price leaving home with full
intent to end her life and it was not until yesterday, a
little before noon, that the suspense of her husband and
friends was relieved by her being found safe and unharmed.
About twenty years ago the Price family lost three boys and
a girl in a scourge of scarlet fever all within a few
weeks. The result was that the grief stricken mother lost
her mental balance for some time. She soon full recovered
and has enjoyed good health until recently when her only
son Ralph became sick and went to California to escape
the heat. She stood the worry until his recovery was
assured when a reaction set in and left her with the
idea that if he came home and saw her looking so badly
it would kill him. In her perverted reasoning she
convinced herself that it was her duty, for his sake,
to get out of the way before his return. Following
this idea she stole away from her home sometime between
1 and 4 o'clock on Monday morning. She was missed at
the latter hour and diligent search was made for her
all that day. The matter was not made public until
late in the evening. That night a party of six spent
the greater part of the night in a vain hunt and
yesterday a still larger party was organized on a
systematic plan.
A party of Normal cadets on horseback came upon her a
little before noon on the north side of the river, near
the end of the Santa Fe Bridge, standing in the
Appropriators' Canal in water up to her waist.
She was taken to the home of Dr. Charles H. Jones
where at a late hour last evening she was resting
quietly. She was perfectly rational on all subjects
save the one she thought was her duty.
The matter was kept out of the papers Monday for the
reason that it was wished to keep it from her son and
daughter, Mrs. Charles H. Jones, who are now in
California, but who are expected home later in the week.
