News has been received here of the killing at Gleason of John
Cohen by Deputy Sheriff Mart Moore. It is said that Cohen was
about to assist in the escape of a prisoner in the custody of
Moore. The dead man was well educated and a former resident
of Boston. The coroner's jury exonerated the officer.
The Killing of Koen
September 9, 1901
The killing in this camp of John F. Koen by Peace Officer
Mart Moore on the 26th of July last bids fair yet to become
one of the more salient features of the territory's criminal
history. One piece of business, the haunt of Mart Moore and
formerly the most frequented on Gleeson's main street is now
practically deserted and at present the miners are
circulating and numerously signing a petition for removal
of the Ryan and Gleeson Mining Company's physician Dr. L.C.
Toney who has spoken disparagingly of the dead Koen.
Public condemnation includes even Sheriff Lewis and District
Attorney Land. Lewis is bitterly upbraided for retaining
Moore in office many weeks after the deplorable affair,
although aware of this community's animus toward his deputy.
Land's name is never mentioned without scathing comment on
account of his apparent quiescence on what all believe to
have been cold blooded murder.
In view of the circumstances of nothing but brief and
incomplete accounts of the affair having heretofore been
published a resume will be essential to a complete
understanding of the case.
John F. Cohen, better known by his pseudonym of "Hoston"
was the wild but not vicious son of a rich Massachusetts
liquor dealer. He was brilliantly educated but was
enamored of the vigorous and genial companionship of the
miners. He was companionable and free handed and was
universally liked. Mart Moore is described as a frontier
bully, cowardly but anxious to establish belief in his
acquired courage by an easy killing. If such was his
ambition he fulfilled it. When slain, Koen was not only
unarmed but crippled.
On the morning of July 26 "Andy" Garrett, Koen's roommate,
was arrested by Moore for landing various hooks and jabs
upon the anatomy of Justice of the Peace Edney. Moore went
with Garrett to the latter's room to secure such clothing
as he should need on his trip to the country seat where he
was to stand trial. They were accompanied by Koen.
Arriving at the stables where the young men lodged, Moore
and Koen became involved in a dispute which was ended by
Moore shooting the latter through the head.
A Coroner's jury was summoned by Justice Edney, Moore's
friends and an inquest held. Moore made that time worn
plea of frontier killers, "he reached for his gun."
Koen was unarmed and Moore knew it. Prior to the killing
he had been in Koen's company long enough to see that the
latter had no weapon in sight or in reach. Koen's left
hand was bandaged and his right side was turned toward his
slayer, as is evidenced by the course of the bullet.
Moore's victim was too frail physically to offer him
bodily violence and moreover, a fence was between them
when the shooting occurred. Although "Andy" Garrett
and a little girl witnessed the killing the jury asked
for none of their testimony.
The most extraordinary feature of this queer case is the
attempt of Moore and Edney to drive Garrett, the dangerous
witness in any future trial, out of the country. They
agreed to dismiss the case against him if he would leave
the country but instead of leaving he went to Bisbee where
he secured employment. Hearing of his presence there they
sent word to Constable Doyle to arrest him on the original
charge of assault. Doyle declined to act whereupon Doyle's
deputy, one Grover, was induced to place Garrett under
arrest. Grover, so soon as Doyle heard of the affair,
was relieved of his deputyship. Garrett was again taken
to Tombstone but was immediately released with two of the
most prominent of that town's business men as his bondsmen
and upon the trial the case against him was dismissed.
FANNIE E. COLE
September 19, 1901
The funeral of Miss Fannie E. Cole will be held this
afternoon at 4 o'clock in the parlors of the Presbyterian
Church, under the auspices of the Young Peoples Christian
Endeavor Society of which she was a consistent and an
ardent worker to the extent of her opportunity.
SANFORD COLLIER
June 2, 1901
Mr. Sanford Collier died yesterday morning at his
residence a miles south and a quarter of a mile
east of Phoenix Park. He came here last fall with
his family in the hop of regaining his health being
then an invalid. He was a member of the Woodmen of
the World and the Knights of Pythias, holding his
membership in Texas. The funeral will be held this
morning at the parlors of Mohn and Easterling at 10
o'clock.
EUGENE E. COLLINS
February 10, 1901
Arizona Republican Newspaper
About 5 o'clock yesterday morning a man was found dead in
his room at the Golden Rule Lodging House. He was a recent
arrival and seemingly had no acquaintances except the few
who knew him about the lodging house. The matter was
reported to Coroner J.M. Burnett, who summoned a jury and
viewed the remains which were then taken to the undertaking
parlors.
A careful scrutinizing of his effects afforded but slight
information regarding the dead man and even cast some
doubt upon what his name might be. He seems to have been
going under the name of Eugene E. Conners as he had
letters of introduction in that name from Pat Yaney,
formerly well known here, and a man named Moore,
proprietor of the Lone Star Club Room in Salt Lake City,
to Gus H. Hirshfeld and P.w. Butler, though the letters
were never presented to those gentlemen. He was in the
last stage of consumption when he arrived here and a
subscription paper in his pocket showed that his
friends in Salt Lake City had contributed enough
money to send him to Phoenix where he hoped to be
benefited by the climate.
A little purse was found beneath his pillow but there was
nothing in it and no money was found among his effects.
He had two suits of clothes and a good overcoat. Among
his possessions was a letter that gave rise to the doubt
about his right name. It was written by the foreman of
the Burlington and Missouri river Railway shops at
Lincoln Nebraska and recommended E.E. Collins as a
first class workman and an honest and capable man.
The letter also stated that the bearer had come to
the employment of the writer from the Southern Pacific
Railroad shops at Sacramento where he was also well
recommended. The opinion of the coroner is that
Conner was his right name and that being a railroad
man he assumed the name of Collins after the big
strike, many railroad men having changed their names
at that time in order to more easily secure employment.
The verdict of the coroner's jury was death from natural
causes. His Salt Lake City friends were telegraphed to,
relative to the disposition of the remains.
PAT COLLINS
February 9, 1901
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Pat Collins, poker player and professional gambler, well
known in Phoenix and other parts of Arizona, was killed
in Santa Barbara, in a roughhouse scene on Wednesday. A
special dispatch to the Los Angeles Herald thus describes
the killing:
"A battle royal was fought here tonight at a place on
Anacapa Street kept by a number of Japanese women. The
result is one man dead.
"At 6 o'clock a call came from the place for police
protection. Chief of Police Dan Martin responded,
taking with him E.C. Niles, special officer and engineer
of the Washington fire company. They learned that a
gambler named Pat Collins, well known at Phoenix and
all over Arizona, had been there and went away for a
gun. He had promised to kill all the inmates and the
Japanese women believed he would make good his threat.
"The officers were at the hall door to leave the place
when Collins kicked it open and fired point blank into
the group of officers and women.
"That he missed all is a miracle. The bullet went right
through the bunch. Officer Niles kicked the door shut.
Bang went the desperado's pistol, once, twice, three times
more. The bullets crashed through the panels of the door
and splinters flew in all directions, striking the
officers. The shrieking women fled before the fusillade
and hid in the rear of the building.
"It was shoot or be shot for the officers. Niles fired
twice through the door, while the shots were still
coming from without. At his second shot there was a
stifled groan from outside the shattered door. But
there was no fall and those inside could not tell
what was to happen next.
"Finally Niles volunteered to hold the dangerous position
in the hall while the chief went around the house to
reconnoiter. But at this point Constable Hopkins came
up and a moment later he discovered a crouching form
in the corner of the porch. It was the form of Pat
Collins. He was in a sitting posture and held his
almost empty gun in one hand. A pool of blood told
that he was terribly wounded. Hopkins felt his pulse
and found that the man was dead. Niles second bullet
had had its effect.
"The body was at once taken to the morgue, where may
viewed it and recognized it as that of Collins. All
attempts of the coroner to learn anything of the man's
past have been fruitless. Here he posed as a
well-dressed, happy-go-lucky player and until tonight
was always peaceable and even friendly. He drank
lightly this afternoon and the drink may have started
him on the warpath. The inquest will be held at
10 o'clock tomorrow. It is possible that Officer
Niles may be arrested and at once released."
