MILLS VAN WEGENEN
Arizona Republican Newspaper
March 2, 1905
On March 2, while Osborne Richins, stream gauger, was taking
measurements of the flow of the river, a heavy rock broke loose
from the side of the hill and crushed one of the cables of the
little suspension bridge across the Salt at the dam site where
Mr. Richins was working. There were four other men on the
bridge at the time and with the giving way of the cable the
bridge fell to the surface of the river, which was running
very fast at the time. Mr. Richins having the presence of
mind to grab one of the wires running along the side was thus
able to hold on. Two of the men who fell in were good swimmers
and managed to get to the east shore of the river. That another
man was not drowned was due to the heroic work of Mr. Richins.
One of the men who fell off the bridge evidently a stranger,
as he is not known by anyone in Roosevelt, grabbed one of the
wires suspended near the river, which Mr. Richins uses for
gauging, and managed to hold on. At the risk of his own life,
Mr. Richins, who is a man of immense strength reached over
and pulled the imperiled man off the wire on the bridge.
Ah Soo, the Chinese cook at the headquarters camp at Roosevelt,
took the afternoon off for a hunt and crossed the river on the
bridge early in the afternoon. Upon his return finding the
bridge wrecked, he attempted to swim the river but struck the
swift current and all hope for him had been given up when a
rope was thrown to him by some Indians on the north side and
he was drawn to shore. He was in very bad condition from the
result of his terrible struggles in the water and his life
was saved only by the patient work of the Indians.
Mills Van Wagenen
March 5, 1905
Will Galpin arrived here yesterday from Roosevelt and added a
little something to the story of the collapsing of the
suspension bridge on Thursday, the main features of which
were published in yesterday's Republican. Mr. Galpin has a
fairly good idea of what happened for he was one of the five
men on the bridge when it went down. He says the drop to the
water was about twenty feet. He and a man named Palmer are
the two men who saved themselves by swimming and it was
fortunate for them that they were expert in the art. They
were heavily clothed and had on heavy boots and it took all
their strength and headwork to reach the river bank. They
heard Mills Van Wagenen cry for help three times but were
unable to give him any assistance. Just as they reached a
place of safety they looked around and saw his head above
the water for a moment and then he sank from view entirely.
The body had not been recovered when he left Roosevelt. Mr.
Galpin says there has been considerable blasting along the
river below there and many large boulders were lying in the
channel. It is supposed that his body caught on one of
those and is perhaps now buried in the sand and cannot be
recovered until the river goes down or the waters shift the
sand and bring it to the surface. It is the opinion of Mr.
Galpin that Mr. Van Wagenen in the fall, struck the water
on his stomach which might have injured him or at least
knocked the breath out of him so he could do little to
save himself.
March 4, 1905
Mills Van Wagenen, a son of the former postmaster at Globe,
who had been employed at Roosevelt for some time past was
swept off the bridge and carried down the river. He struggled
hard to save himself, but the current was so swift and the
fact that he was not a very experienced swimmer made the
chances of his getting out very doubtful. Every effort was
made to save him but to no avail. His body has not yet
been recovered. One of the five men on the bridge at the
time of the accident only one retained his hold on the
structure.
Body of Van Wegenen Found
March 18, 1905
Deputy Sheriff Cunningham of Phoenix and Undertaker A.L.
Moore of this place went to Mesa yesterday to take charge
of the remains of the dead man who was found at the head
of the Utah canal Thursday morning. The body had been in
the water for fifteen days and was in a terrible
condition. The body will be shipped to Globe as son
as possible where the funeral will be held and the
interment made.
CONCEPCION VILLA
December 18, 1905
A most brutal murder was committed Thursday last on
the Shannon Hill near Metcalf by Jesus Maria Garcia,
who stabbed Concepcion Villa, who was living with him
as his wife, killing her instantly. Soon after
committing the terrible deed Garcia placed the muzzle
of a pistol beneath and fired, the ball passing
through his mouth and inflicting a serious, but not
dangerous wound. Justice Campbell was soon at the
spot and took charge of the wounded man and it was
well that he did, because the Mexican population was
so incensed over the affair that they would probably
have finished the job on Garcia. Realizing that
violence was almost sure to be meted out to the
prisoner, Judge Campbell brought him to Clifton on
the first trial, where he has since been at the A.C.
hospital and is recovering rapidly. Both parents
were from Spain. Jealousy was the cause of the trouble.
A.J. WALDMAN
February 1, 1905
A.J. Waldman died yesterday morning at 9 o'clock at the
sisters hospital of a hemorrhage of the lungs. His death
was a great surprise even to his friends although he had
been ill for a couple of weeks. New York was his home,
the father, Mr. H. Waldman being in the insurance business
there. The young man was a telegrapher by profession and
began working for the Postal Telegraph company fourteen
years ago as a messenger. He went from New York to Los
Angeles and from there to Prescott last summer, entering
the employ of the Posal Company and the S.F. P. & P. there.
After six weeks in Prescott he came to Phoenix about
September 1 and was employed in the Postal office here
constantly till the date of his last illness. He was
about thirty years old and unmarried and was a most
gneial man of pleasing disposition, enjoying the goo
will of all who knew him. The body will be sent to
New York for interment.
The funeral
February 3, 1905
The funeral of A.J. Waldman was held yesterday afternoon
at 2:30 o'clock at the undertaking parlors of Easterling
and Whitney. There was a very fair attendance at the
funeral, for though Mr. Waldman had not been here long
he was universally esteemed by all who knew him. The
services were those of the Jewish faith. Selim Michelson
officiating at the parlors and Harry Friedman at the
grave, interment being in the Jewish cemetery.
JOE WANSKY
Arizona Republican Newspaper
August 22, 1905
Joe J. Wansky, a young man who has made Phoenix his home
for the past six winters died in this city yesterday
morning at 6 o'clock at the Sisters Hospital after an
illness of several weeks. For the past few weeks an
improvement had been noted in his condition and his
death came very unexpectedly. His sister had been
with him since he was taken to the hospital.
Prior to coming to Phoenix the deceased made his home
at Eureka, California where his parents had for many
years resided. His mother had been dead for some years
but it was shortly after the young man here in Phoenix
was taken to the hospital that his father died at
Eureka. During his residence in Phoenix Joe Wansky
made many friends for he was particularly pleasant
and always put himself out to keep others who had
come here for their health from growing lonely.
Part of his first winter in Arizona he spent at the
ranch of Mr. Fields in the Cave Creek district. The
other part of the year he was able to work and was
in charge of the sales department of the Cook Jewelry
store.
The second winter Mr. Wansky bought a ranch north of
town and his health was such that he was able to go
out a great deal. He took a great deal of interest
in golf and was among the first members of the Phoenix
Golf Club. Last winter he made his home in town
living at the Copeland on North Second Avenue.
All who knew him will mourn his death and to the sister
will go out their sincere sympathy. The remains will be
taken to Eureka for interment tomorrow morning.
