JAMES TODD
Arizona Republican Newspaper
July 3, 1902
Died, Tuesday, June 17, James C. Todd, aged 72 years.
"Uncle Jimmy," as everyone knew him had been sick but a
few days and at first it was not thought that it would
prove serious, but a hard cold soon developed into
pneumonia which his system was unable to stand. Mr.
Todd was born in Miami Ohio and had been a resident of
Wickenburg for nearly seven years, having come here in
1896 with Henry Cowell with whom he had been since
coming here. Funeral services were held the next day
and interment took place in the new cemetery north of
town. Mr. Todd leaves a host of friends and a sister,
Mrs. Henry Cowell to mourn his demise. Everyone will
miss "Uncle Jimmy."
JOSIE TRAPPEE
September 16, 1902
A most cowardly shooting which terminated fatally, occurred
in Winslow about 1:30 o'clock last Monday morning in the
section of the town known as the "Flats". Josie Tappee,
one of the inmates was called to the front door of her
apartment about the time mentioned and just as she started
to open the screen door a shot was fired at her, the bullet
piercing the wooden framework of the screen and striking
the woman in the lower edge of the left jaw. It was then
turned from its course, and passing downwards and inwards,
made a small hole in the windpipe and embedded itself in
the upper part of the spine, inflicting a terrible wound.
Drs. Tillett and Brown were summoned and did all that
medical skill could devise, but they soon saw that the
woman's condition was hopeless. About 10 o'clock in the
morning they performed an operation in an endeavor to
extract the bullet, but they were unable to reach it,
and only succeeded in removing some wooden splinters
which had found lodged in the jaw.
The woman lingered in great pain for nearly two days, never
fully regaining consciousness after the operation. She
died about 6 o'clock on Tuesday evening, without having
been able at any time to make a statement regarding the
shooting. Dr. Sampson, the county physician, conducted
a post mortem examination and found the bullet, which
is now in the possession of the coroner. Coroner
Mahoney commenced an inquest at 10 o'clock Wednesday
morning. The jury held long sessions for three
successive days working faithfully with the
assistance of the coroner and District Attorney
Burbage to ferret out the assailant. Their report
was completed yesterday and charged Marie Little,
alias "Nosey," with the crime of killing Josie
Tappee. The woman was immediately arrested and
placed in the charge of Sheriff Secrist.
GODFRIED TRIBOLET
December 8, 1902
Gottfried Tribolet died at the sisters hospital yesterday
afternoon. He had been ill for some time but the immediate
cause of death was pneumonia. He was a native of
Switzerland, a brother of S.J. Tribolet and was 60
years of age. He had lived in Phoenix eight years.
The funeral will take place at 3 o'clock this afternoon
from Easterling's undertaking rooms. The services will
be conducted by Rev. C.V. Cowan of the First Methodist
Church.
P.L. TURNER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
July 2, 1902
P.L. Turner, a Bisbee mining man died Friday at Avalon,
Catalina Island, under peculiar circumstances. He went
with his wife for a row on the bay. When a hundred feet
from the shore, returning, he stood up in the boat to
change his seat. Suddenly he fell backward into the water.
When help reached him he apparently was dead though
floating. After working over him for an hour, the
physicians gave up and gave the opinion that he died
probably from heart failure.
More on P.L. Turner
January 5, 1902
The telegraph dispatches of last Saturday stated that a
Bisbee mining man named P.F. Turner visiting Catalina
Island had fallen out of a row boat and drowned.
Inquiry failed to place him among the Bisbee people
as no one by that name was known here. When he met
his death Turner was with a woman supposed to be his
wife. The woman who passed as his wife stated that
he was subject to epileptic fits and that one of these
was probably what caused his swift and awful end. Now
it is discovered that the man's real name was Percy F.
Miel of Los Angeles and the reason for his false
registration is more or less a mystery to his friends
in Los Angeles.
A.T. VAIL
February 5, 1902
Arizona Republican Newspaper
The charred remains of A.T. Vail, a pioneer rancher, was
found in the ruins of his house at Aravapai Canyon, eighty
five miles from Tucson. The supposition is that the house
was burned down by Apache Indians who roam around in that
section.
It is believed that the Indians killed Vail, looted the
house and burned it. The Indians are much dissatisfied
on account of the government cutting off their rations.
HAZEL VAN KIRK
Arizona Republican Newspaper
July 4, 1902
Hazel Van Kirk, the two year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
E.F. Van Kirk, who live about three and a half miles north
of Alhambra, was drowned yesterday evening in a tank which
had been made for watering stock. The child had been
playing with a little brother in the neighborhood of the
tank and the mother was near by. After a little time the
baby was missed and the search for her ended in the pond.
It was thought that she had been in the water about twenty
minutes. A telephone message was sent to town for Dr.
Dodsworth but the child was already dead.
The tank like all those water holes for stock, was probably
not more than two or three feet deep in the deepest part
and the sides are sloping so that the baby must have
walked into the water. She was a bright child for her
age and a very beautiful one. The tank in which she
was drowned was near the house and had just been made.
The water had been turned into it only a short time
before the little girl was drowned.
Funeral of Hazel Van Kirk
July 5, 1902
The funeral of little Hazel Van Kirke was was drowned on
Thursday evening at the home of her parents north of
Alhambra, took place yesterday afternoon from the
undertaking rooms of Mohn and Easterling. The services
were conducted by Rev. Mr. Cowan of the First Methodist
Church. There was a large attendance for the tragic
manner of the child's death had attracted by many.
The parents were heartbroken for their baby had been
snatched from before their eyes. The mother had just
turned her back when she heard her little son crying.
He was too young to tell what was the matter and Mrs.
Van Kirk supposed that he had been hurt. The little
boy finally made known the cause of his grief but it
was then too late to save his sister.
CHARLES THOMAS WALSZ
December 2, 1902
Thomas Walsz, a ranchman who lived on the Gila, fifteen
miles north of this station was horribly murdered sometime
on Sunday night. Word was brought here this morning that
his house had been burned and that he could not be found
in the neighborhood. Deputy Sheriff Williams went out to
Walsz's place this afternoon and found the body in the
ruins. Walsz had been shot through the heart. The
theory of the officer is that the house was burned to
destroy evidences of the crime. That the fire was
prevented from doing so was due to the falling of a
chimney across the body, saving it from destruction.
The motive for the murder was undoubtedly robbery for
Walsz was known to keep large sums of money in the
house where he lived alone. He was well known
throughout this part of Arizona where he had lived
for twenty years. He was well to do and unmarried.
He has relatives living near Topeka Kansas. There
is no clue to the perpetrator of the crime but
Sheriff Stout has been notified and is expected
that he will be here tomorrow morning.
A Murder's Trail
December 4, 1902
Albert A. Kendrick of Gila Bend was in town yesterday.
Mr. Kenrick is the first man to come from that part of
the world since the murder of Charles Walsz. He said
that the murder must have been committed on Saturday
and that Walsz was probably getting supper at the time
he was killed. The door of a storehouse which he
usually kept locked was open as if he had gone there
after something to be used in the preparation of a
meal. It was found also that he had taken some
feed to a lot of chickens at a house some distance
from his residence. He had used a wheelbarrow.
There was also found a strange track made by a
sharp pointed shoe. Mr. Kendrick, E.G. Caruthers
and Deputy Sheriff Williams followed that track
until night when it was lost in a cow path.
