By an oversight mention of the sudden death of Mrs. Walter
Hill on Saturday night was omitted in yesterday's Republican.
Mr. and Mrs. Hill came to Phoenix about five months ago from
Canada on account of the ill health of Mrs. Hill. Mr. Hill
took employment with the B. Heyman Furniture Company and
prepared to make Phoenix his permanent home hoping that
the climate would restore his wife to perfect health.
Her condition immediately preceding death gave no warning
of its near approach. Beside the sorrowing husband, five
children mourn a mother's death. Funeral services were
held on Monday morning and the same evening the husband
and children left for Toronto with the remains.
SAM HOUSTON
June 14, 1894
Sam Houston, an old cattleman in the Upper Tonto Basin was
killed on Monday by the accidental discharge of a revolver.
JOHN JONES
December 7, 1894
Prescott--John Jones, the miner who was shot by Foreman
David Jones, of the Congress Mine, Monday last, died last night
as the result of his wounds.
David Jones, who did the killing will have his preliminary
examination next Monday.
T.A. JUDD
Jan. 3, 1894
Tucson--T.A. Judd, city clerk and a prominent politician of
Tucson was instantly killed while out hunting Saturday. He
failed to return at the appointed hour and a search party
found him with the back part of his head blown by a gun
shot wound.
KILE infant
October 26, 1894
A three months old child of Mr. and Mrs. David Kile,
living four miles northwest of the city, died on Friday
afternoon of a bronchial affection. The funeral took
place yesterday afternoon under the direction of W.H. Smith
and Company.
HARRY KING
August 1, 1894
Henry King died yesterday morning of consumption after an
illness of several months. He lately returned from McDowell
where he went in vain search of temporary relief. The
funeral will take place at 9 o'clock this morning from
the family residence. The deceased leaves a wife and
child. He was yet a young man and highly esteemed. He
was a relative of Sheriff Murphy and during the early
part of the latter term was a deputy, an office he
filled in a most efficient manner.
CAPTAIN JOHN KING
March 10, 1894
Captain John King, than whom no man in Phoenix was better
known died on Sunday morning at his residence, Third and
Adams Streets. He had been a resident of Phoenix about
fifteen years and had accumulated property valued at
about $16,000. He leaves no relatives. His funeral
will take place at 1 o'clock today from the undertaking
rooms of Randal and Davis.
PIERRE LAFOND
March 14, 1894
Professor Pierre L. LaFond a french Canadian and a music
teacher, cut loose yesterday afternoon from the perplexities
which he found gathering about him. It was done easily and
quickly. A dose of morphine solved the problem which had
been worrying the professor for days. He died a suicide.
The professor betrayed evidences of despondence yesterday
morning and later in the day his mental condition was
intensified by alcohol. Soon afternoon he told his most
intimate friend that he would be dead before nightfall.
He exhibited a package containing white powder which he
said he would take.
The professor occupied a small building on the northwest
corner of Washington Street and Fifth Avenue. The font part
of it was used as a music room and in the rear, he lived,
ate and slept. Immediately north of this building was the
house of his friend, Mr. Bishop who remained with him
constantly after the professor showed him the powder which
he said he was going to take. LaFond begged him to leave
and twice ran into his house, closed the door against his
friend, tried to lock it but the other forced his way
in and tried to take the poison from him. About 4 pm
after an unsuccessful struggle , Bishop ran out to get help.
When Bishop returned he saw traces of the deadly powder on
the professor's lips and moustache and knew that his brief
absence had given opportunity. He ran to the residence of
W.H. Smith across the street and said that Prof. LaFond had
taken poison. Mr. Smith telephoned for Dr. Dameron
who arrived five minutes later but too late. He passed
away soon after 7 o'clock.
Justice Johnstone impaneled a jury made up of W. Nichols,
A. Barry, F.L. Warner, C.C. McQuinn, A.S. Mills, Jack Guinnell,
John Cocker, R. Brown and John Doe.
LaFond was about thirty two years old, handsome and an
excellent specimen of physical manhood. He came to Phoenix
about five months ago as a teacher of music and dealer in
musical instruments in which business he has a partner in
Denver. trade had been dull and pupils few so that it is
supposed that he had earned even the economical living he
obtained by boarding himself and this is taken without
information as to any other cause to be the motive for
suicide. He came here from Denver and had spent the
summer at the world's fair. He had been in business at
Holyoke, Mass. and other cities in the east. He was a
native of La Bain Du Febvre, province of Quebec where
his parents now reside.
ABANDIO LEON
August 29, 1894
Yesterday mooring in a tent upon his ranch seven or eight
miles southwest of town, H.B. Crouch shot and killed Abandio
Leon. His weapon was a small revolver. The tent had been
set up the day before by Leon, who claimed the privilege
of working the land having been granted permission to do
so by Vol Gentry who contests the ownership of it with Crouch.
The latter accompanied by five men went out to the ranch
for the purpose of warning Leon off. Trouble first
occurred in the tent when Leon, declaring he would not
depart, drew a large knife and threatened Crouch but
dropped it upon being held up by the revolver. A few
minutes later, while Price and one of the Mexicans were
quarreling at the other end of the tent, Leon suddenly
seized a pointed steel bar and again made for Crouch who
fired quickly, sending the bullet into his breast just
above the heart. Before falling, Leon dropped the bar
and started to walk away.
For several weeks past there has been bitter feeling and
many threats of serious trouble over ownership of the
school land in that locality and rights of water. Suit
was entered two weeks ago by Leon and wife against the
Leon Canal Company of which Crouch, Price and Dr. Tuttle
are members. Mr. Crouch moved to Phoenix from the
northeastern part of Arizona last winter. He purchased
a fine home in the Capitol Addition and has always since
his residence here been a gentleman and peaceable
citizen. With his family he returned last Sunday morning
from a six weeks camping trip in the Mogollon Mountains.
News of the killing was brought to town yesterday by a
Mexican named Martinez though Mr. Crouch himself arrived
soon after and gave himself up.
Justice Johnstone impaneled a jury consisting of Doss Wray,
Dan Hart, William Buck, Alex Lucy, W.H. Black and West
Nickles and set out for the scene of the killing by District
Attorney Williams.
August 30, 1894
The inquest upon the death of A. Leon was continued
yesterday by Justice Johnstone. The witnesses
testifying yesterday were Vol Gentry, who disputes
with Crouch the possession of the land, his wife,
Julia Gentry and his son, Vol Gentry, Jr., M.A. Ivy
and J.H. Ivy. There were also W.N. Price, Charles
Bowers, Crouch's stepson, Dan Johnson and Thomas
Dupuy all of whom rode in the wagon with Crouch to
the place of the killing and saw the occurrence.
The most damaging testimony was Mrs. Julia Gentry who swore
that she witnessed the tragedy from the beginning to the
end. When the men came up in the wagon, Leon's brother
was digging a post hole and Leon himself was superintending
work about the shack which was being erected. Crouch and
two other men alighted from the wagon and Crouch approached
Leon and told him to get off the land. Leon replied,
"You get off" and further added that the right of
possession would be contested by law. She says that
Leon was at all times unarmed. Her husband offered
he same statement but said that they could not see
Crouch and Leon all the time.
Price and his son, Sam Gentry, Bowers, and Johnson said that
when they came up Leon went back of the shack and appeared
with a long knife. Crouch had his revolver in his hand and
compelled Leon to drop the knife. Leon passed on to where
a sharp pointed iron bar stuck in the ground and picking
it up made a motion as if to thrust it at crouch. The
latter then fired and Leon turned and walked perhaps 150
feet and fell dead. Thomas Depuy corroborate this
version. J.H. Ivy said that the evening before the
killing he met Sam Gentry, Dan Johnson and Thomas Depuy
and they told him "there would be a killing down there
tomorrow" and that "Val gentry would probably be the
first one killed."
It was expected that Leon's wife would be present but she was
prostrated by the shock of her husband's death and was unable
to appear. Dan Johnson, one of the witnesses was arrested
during the inquest on a peace warrant sworn out by Clothilde
Zunega charging him with having threatened the life of the
defendant.
