Weekly Phoenix herald., 1883-08-23
HISTORY OF MARICOPA
 COUNTY.
tCoNT1SUED)


 was appointed temporary Sherif and C. H. Gray, M. P Griffin aud , r. A. Shaw, temporary Supervisors, while the first of May of the same
 year was named as the day for the first county election. Accordingly a special election WAS held on that date, at "Hancock's store" and re-
 suited as follows:
 Phoenix was chosen as the coun-
 ty seat. Thos. Barnum was elected
 Sheriff, Geo. E. Mowry, Treasurer; |;
 J. S. Mercer, Recorder; ". A. Han
 cock, Surveyor; R. Stinscn, District
 Attorney; J. Nj. Henderson, Public
 Administrator; J. McEiliot, Coro-
 ncr; and the Supervisors chosen
 were F. A. Shaw, M L. Stiles and
 John A. Young. The Justices of the Peace were Chas. Carter and John A. Young.
 This election passed of quietly. although it had teen feared by the more orderly citizens that there
 would be serious disturbance as | there was considerable local feeling in regard tU the choice of the county seat. The residents in and around Mill City, headed by Jack Swilllng and W. B. Hellings, used every eff fort to have that place choosen, while on the other hand those living in Phoenix and the immediate vicinity were equally anxious to obtain the honor for their own town. Jack Swilling had been breathing forth theatenings and slaughter to all who differed with him, and had hir- ed nearly all the Mexicans in the valley, and was keeping them up at the mill to prevent their being tam~ Dered with before the election Meanwhile they were being dosed ] with bad whisky, and it is not un- natural that the quiet sober men of i the country apprehended some diff, 1 culty and took measures for safety. | Twenty good men were chosen and secretly appointed to be on hand at | the polls in case of any difficulty, | and in the little back room of "Han. 1 cocks store" where the polls were l held, there were thirty loaded rifles, which could be seized in a moment | in the cause of law and order. The | orderly citizens moved around, that day, in condition of suppressed ex- citement, fearing the worst, yet de> termined to prevent any bulldozing.
 The day passed of quietly to the relief of all; but after dark, Jack Swilling allowed hls angry feelings, | at the result of the election, to get | the best of him, and narrowly es- capped lynching. He had left the polls, and was up at the old house of Dennis 6 Murphy, on the Tempe road, when a Mexican who had not voted to suit Jack came along on horseback. The Mexican dismoun:. ed, when Jack, who was standing a little distance from him, deliberate. ly pulled 8 double barrelled shot gun on him, and lodged the contents in his stomach. The gun was for tunately loaded with small bird shot, and they did not penetrate the vitals parts.
 Andrew and Jake Starar, who were still at the polls, heard the shot, and suspecting some foul play immediately spurred their horses in that direction Just as they reached the outskirts of town, they saw in the moonlight on the left hand side of the road the gleam of a gun barr rel pointed towards them. After some parleying they found it to be the Mexican who had just been shot and he told them he was "laying for Jack Swilling." Jake Starar, fear ing more trouble took the Mexican down to his house, and told him to lock himself in and shoot the first man who came to the door. A com- mittee of citizens headed by Jake and Andy Starar, immediately wait ed on Jack Swillipg, and quietly told him that at the very next law. less act he would die like dog, xuifIoY,4 iu60a 1r ;,.r,,
 This treatment had the effect of COW ing him and keeping him compara> lively quiet during the remainder of his stay Tn Phoenix.
 Along in the fall of Fl the first violent death occurred within the town limits. This was the shooting of man called Cooley by Felix, a brewer and saloon keeper, who was doing business in the building known as Mikes brewery, and now occupied by Peter Erik. There seems to have been fatality hang ing over this house, for within its walls there have been several mur- ders committed, one suicide and re- gently one attempted suicide.
 The man Cooley was at the time a Zanjero on the IGrifin ditch. He was bad man, or thought he was, and went into Felix's saloon one af~ terloon to bully him. His language was very violent and insulting. He was going to cut the poor mans heart out, so he said, and after chas- ing him around the saloon succeede e5 in terrifying Felix to such an ex> tent that he jumped behind the bar and seizing rife, shot his assailant through the heart. There were no witnesses to this killing. but Felix testified on his trial that ooley had almost scared him to death, and that he ef1Ot him fecal1za 3f. rvaa afraid |