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Show 0' iv C in touch with me, that in case anytl e company wanted my services, and vv * Company could use but two Special C never asked for employment, nor did for my services above described; also penses, a mere trifle however, not to all told. Returning to Tucson for a few days I cnen started east on a visit to my relatives in Indiana, none of whom I had seen since I was six years of age. My visit lasted two months when I returned to St. Johns, Apache county, Arizona. My election to the legislature practically eliminated me from county politics, and I turned my attention to the Brokerage & Exchange business, in which I did farely well; this included the buying of county warrants at a pretty stiff discount. 187 August 12, 1882, I started the first newspaper at St. Johns, but subsequently sold it to the Mormons, and it was called by them the Orion Era, and then afterwards falling into the hands of gentiles, it was changed to the St. Johns Herald,188 and is still published there. In September, 1884,1 had a little dispute with Sol Barth; he became much excited and grabbed [me] by the throat with both hands; I carried a little penknife in my vest pocket, which I used to clean my finger nails; this knife I happened to have in my hand at the time, and to force Sol to release 187. Fish gives an account of politics during the years from 1879 to 1902 and states that various irregularities and illegalities occurred in connection with county warrants Manuscript, 3:644-651. This is corroborated by the conviction of Solomon Barth But I have no reason to think that Banta was mixed up in any irregularities. See Note 46 for the Barth case. 100o18 A 8' J ^ n t a S U r t e d t H e Arizona P^neer at St. Johns. Arizona Sentinel. August 26 1882. A^ F. Banta started "the Pioneer Press" soon after the occupation of the town-site of St. Johns which started early in October. 1880. The paper was bought by the Mormons in 1883. James H. McClintock, Mormon Settlement in Arizona, p. 180 (Manufacturers Stationers Inc.. Phoenix, 1921) "A weekly paper, called the Orion Era is published here [St. Johns] " Hamilton, Resources, p. 63 (2nd edition) Oregory, American Newspapers, dates the beginning of the St. Johns Herald aa January 15, 1885. He states that the name has varied and does not mention the Orion Era-obviously his listing is incomplete. "The printing press [at St. Johns] which is owned by a company has proved a tax on the shareholders. The 'Orion Era' which is published by the company does not nearly pay expenses." Eastern Arizona Stake, Journal History, December 13 1885 (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City) see Note 10 and Note 199. 116 his hold, I began jabbing him about the head with the penknife. At the same time I had a Colt's 44 double action pistol; this double action was new to me. I had no thought of hurting Sol, nor could I with so little knife, so had no idea of using my gun.- A number of persons were present. Sol's younger brother was present, and he too became unduly excited over the little matter, and coming up behind me, fired a forty-four bullet through my neck. The ball also passed thru Sol's thumb. Immediately I pulled my gun and wheeled about to see who had shot me-did not know that his brother Nathan was present. Pulling gun with right hand I caught my neck with my left hand to stay the flow of blood until I could shoot. My first thought was, my neck is not broken; my second was that the jugglar vein had been cut-was bleeding freely and I could not hope to last but a few seconds, so caught my neck with left hand to stay flow of blood until I could bring my gun into action. One's thoughts are quicker than lightning in emergencies, I know this is true from experience. In a "double-action" Colt the trigger sets well forward leaving much space back of the trigger and between it and the guard; this fact is what deceived me, not being used to one of that kind- never carried one since. Seeing Nathan Barth with a gun in his hand making off, I attempted to fire at him but the gun would not work. Not thing [knowing] about the d--med double-action, I thought some one had been tampering with my gun. Releasing my throat with my left hand, now all bloody, I threw my pistol down into left hand and cocked it with my thumb, I now knew it would go. All this was done in less time than it takes to tell it. I raised my gun to fire but at the same instant the Sheriff and Ramon Lopez knocked the gun so that the ball struck about twenty feet away in the direction of Nathan. Tom Perez was Sheriff and he put me under arrest; paid no attention to the other parties, and did not arrest either one of the Barths. I asked Tom what he meant by this and he said, "There was no danger from those other fellows, so I took you in charge." I refused to prosecute the case, but .C. L. Gutterson, then District Attorney of the county and 117 |
