J.W. Nickum
April 4, 1902
Arizona Republican Newspaper
J.W. Nickum of Portland, Oregon, died at the Sisters
Hospital yesterday morning of tubercular disease of the
kidneys. He came here about three months ago but returned
to Portland to settle up some business affairs. He was
about 42 years of age and leaves a wife and three
children. It is surmised that his relations with his
wife were not regular. He was bitter against his family,
having had a great deal of trouble with his brothers over
family affairs. Attorney X.N. Steeves, who knew him in
Portland said that he once shot at his brother in a
quarrel over money matters.
A few days ago he made a will leaving all his property to
Dr. E.E. Prowell of this city. That was as much of a
surprise to Dr. Prowell as it was to anybody else, for
he had known him only since he came to town. He had done
as much for the sick man as he would have done for anyone
else in his condition and so earned the gratitude of
Nickum who entrusted all his business affairs to him.
Day before yesterday he said he wanted to change his
will slightly. He said his wife and relatives had no
claim upon him and he did not want them to get any of
his money but he would like to do something for his
children. He accordingly changed his will, giving
them half of what remained after the payment of his
funeral expenses, the other half to go to Dr. Prowell.
There is a general opinion that none of the beneficiaries
will profit a great deal by the will for it is supposed
that he was deeply involved in debt. After he had been
here for some time he called upon Attorney Steeves and
wanted to file a petition in bankruptcy. He was told
that he could not do so until after he had been a
resident of the territory for six months. His estate
here consists of $2400 in cash and some personal property.
Nickum was a member of the Order of Eagles and was also a
Redman. Dr. Prowell yesterday telegraphed to W.G. Beck of
Portland who was also mentioned in the will, informing
him of the death but so far has received no reply.
Funeral
April 6, 1902
The funeral of J.W. Nickum of Portland Oregon who died at
the Sisters Hospital on Thursday, took place yesterday
afternoon at four o'clock. Dr. E.E. Prowell received a
telegram from Mrs. Nickum asking him to have the body
buried here. The day before a telegram was received
at the hospital from her saying that she would come to
Phoenix and expected to arrive this morning.
The Nickum Estate
May 16, 1902
The estate of J.W. Mickum of Portland, Oregon which has been
in probate court since his death in this city two months ago,
is now fairly in the probate Court. The hearing of the
petition of Dr. E.E. Prowell, who had been named as executor
of the will, for the admission of it to probate had been
continued from time to time awaiting the arrival here of
Mrs. Nickum, who had announced that she would contest its
admission and had instructed Attorney X.N. Steeves to file
a contest. She wrote that she would be in Phoenix at the
expiration of the term of the last continuance.
She had been cut off in the will. Nickum, before his death
told some of his friends that he had no wife. He said he had
two children but he intimated that there had been no
marriage relation between him and their mother. He
did want her to have any part of his estate and in
his first will, drawn up a few days before his death,
he left all of his property to Dr. E.E. Prowell. In a
second will, signed the day before he died, he left
half of his property to Dr. Prowell and the other
half to his children. He caused a clause to be inserted
providing that if any woman claiming to be his wife
appeared, his executor should pay her the sum of $5.00.
In the latter will Dr. Prowell was named executor of
that part of his estate which imght be found in
Arizona and G.W. Beck of Portland any part of the
estate in Oregon.
Mr. Steeves, when the case came up yesterday, said that
on account of the absence of the contestant and any
instructions from her since the last continuance, he
would move that the contest be dismissed without
prejudice. He said he had gone into the case at the
solicitation of Mrs. Nickum, he had no interest in the
contest and as she had evidently lost any interest she
might have felt, he would pursue the matter no further.
Dr. Prowell said that if the will was admitted to probate
and Mrs. Nickum should come forward and prove herself
the wife of Nickum he would relinquish any interest he
might have acquired in the estate by the will. The
will was then admitted to probate and Dr. Prowell was
appointed executor under it.
Why Mrs. Nickum did not come to Phoenix
May 18, 1902
Mr. X.N. Steeves, attorney for Mrs. Nickum in an action
opposing the admission of her husband's will to probate,
last night received a telegram from the matron of a
hospital at Portland Oregon, explaining why Mrs. Nickum
had not come and why she had not been heard from. She
has the smallpox and with her two children is in the
pest house at Portland. Mr. Steeves also received some
letters for her which had been addressed in care of
him. The letters were sent from Portland, evidently
by someone who knew she had intended coming to
Phoenix and hwo thought she had started.
EDNA OAKS
November 20, 1902
The funeral services in memory of the late Miss Edna I.
Oaks will be held at the family residence, 740 South
Third Avenue at 3 o'clock this afternoon and the
interment will take place immediately afterward.
The services will be conducted by the Rev. Dr. Bagby
of the Christian Church. The death of Miss Oaks
occurred last Monday. She came to Phoenix a year
ago from Illinois with her mother and little brother.
She was ill with consumption when she came and never
made any substantial improvement. During her stay s
he made a large number of friends.
Eugene Packard
May 18, 1902
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Charley Edwards arrived in Mesa City Friday night from
Tonto Basin after a Mexican named Gonzales who is wanted
for the killing of old man Packard near his ranch, Thursday,
about 1 p.m.
It seems from the statements of some of the other Mexicans
in the sheep camp that at about 2 o'clock Mr. Packard came
down to the camp of the sheep herders who were in charge
of the sheep belonging to Mr. R.L. Longmore of Mesa City
and ordered them to pull out. In the altercation that
arose, the Mexican, Gonzales pulled a gun and shot
Packard three times. One ball broke the wrist, the
other entered the right breast and the third went
through the abdomen, killing him instantly. To hide
the crime his body was dragged some distance and thrown
in a crevice of the rocks and covered over, Gonzales at
once leaving for parts unknown.
Charley Edwards happened to be passing that way, riding
the range. He saw the camp fire and noticed the trail
of blood and thinking to find a sheep, followed it and
found the foot of a man sticking out from under a pile
of brush and rocks. He investigated and found that it
was Mr. Packard. He at once communicated with the
sheriff of Gila County and was deputized to arrest
the Mexicans. He found two of the Mexicans that were
there and put them under arrest. they claimed they
had nothing to do with the killing and told Edwards
he would likely find Gonzales toward Mesa, as Longmore
owed him about $100 and they thought he would make
for there and get that before skipping the country.
Edwards left for Mesa post haste, made five changes
of horses on the trip and covered the distance in
about eight hours. So far as can be learned the
Mexican has not arrived there yet and the officers
are looking for him back on the road. It was reported
that he was in love with a Mexican girl living above
McDowell, and it is likely that he stopped there
last night.
