Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-12-08
THE PRESCOTT FRAY.
4 Detailed Report of a Disgracsfui Scene
 in an Arizona Court Room.

case of Kelsey vs. McAteer, involving the right to the use of certain waters o
 the Kirkland creek, fer irrigation and
 other purposes, aud which has been
 pending for the past five years.
 Mrs. Kelsey, the plaintiff, IS a widow
 and most estiInable lady, and the
 mother-,n-law of Hon. c. ". Beach. She
 owns a ranch iu Kirkland Valley just
 adjoining that If MeAteer, the defend
 ant, and as stated above, the case which
 opened yesterday was to secure fer the
 plaintiff her rights for the use Of the
 water Of the creek flowing by both
 ranches, without which hers would be
 worthless.
 During the trial aquestion involving the admissibility of certain testimony, arose, heated argument ensued, and | tue lie WIS given. in 8 second Attorney General Churchill md District Attorney Rush grappled, and while they were struggling |. c. HendTou, Rush's part ner, who was assisting ID the fense, threw an ink stand at the Attorney Gen eral, striking him in tha lace During the occurrence Of th5 events leading to the afTray, tue deieudani, F. EIcAtesr, | become almOs: wild with exc. teneut. and springiug 10 his feet,
 HE DREW A LARGE LIRE KNIFE
 And approaching to where the strug- | gling attorneys were, endeayOred to stab the counsel for plaintiff. Before he could acc c,mplish his purpose he was | caught by several of the bystauder=: among whom were c. W. Beach, the son-in-law of the plaintiff; Geo. Tinker, the Attorney Generals private secre- tary; ani Wm. O. O'Neil, court reporter. Endowed with the irresistible strength that demonigcal rage alone cfn give, McAteer threw aside those who euCeav- ored to hold him, and a scene which would rival the horrors Of hell, eusued. Drawing aloit the cruel knife, he rushed at James More, aD old man over 70 years old, and drove it to the hilt in the left side of his victim, who, while endeavor- ing tO escape the terrible blow, piteousiy exclaimed:
 'MAC, FOR GODS SAKE DON'T CUT NE"
 Withdrawing the knife f. n the gap ing wound, be left his victim tO stagger around the room, Ei5 blood be5patteriuc the furniture and walls as fac vaiuly lm- plored for help, and then -.uziins out (. ". Beach, made for uin and, before any one could interfere, stabbed Aim iu the left side oft neck near the carotid artery, with sufficient force Co knock him over the railing dividing the audit- orium from the bar. Wheeling nround, he then ran at Cour. Reporter ON el, who, while acting as peace maker, l ad excited his enmIty by aldeavurIug 70 obtain possession of bis knife. and who had already received severe cut in tue left hand.
 O'Neil backed up against the wall in his endeavor to escape from the infuri- ated man, bnt inst as McAtcer had near ly arrived within striking length of tbe reporter, c. W. Beach, who had partly recovered from the stunning effects of the wound in the neck, drew his revolver, a 3S calibFe Colts, and
 FIRED AT siC'ATEzE
 who, with a half muttered curse, fell at the feet of O'NeIl, hIs intended victim, W hO lOet no time in securing the knife which had done such terrible execution.
 With the report of the revolver reason seemed to assume its sway among the struggling men, and the fierce fighting that had been raging among the attor- neys and their clients, ceased, md all present turned their attention to the wounded men.
 ?. MC'ATEEEs
 The man who, by drawing hls knife and joining -he fray, started the use of more deadly weapons than fists and iakstands, came here from Albuquerque, New Mexico, we understand, some l6 years ago, aud has owned this ranch for a long period. Previous to coming here he had been party to a cutting sfl'rey. in which he cut very seriously or killed his op- ponent, and his reputation here has been that oi man with an uugOvern- able temper when aroused who always went for blood, and always used knife. But a short time ago at Convention here, If We recall urIght, be cut man, or cut at him, and from general opinion of those who knew the man, everyone eX- pected bloody work when hetlak hand in the quarrel. He vas struck under the left shoulder blade, the ball taking a slight downward direction and lUdE- ing against one of the lower rhs, from where It was extracted by Dr. NcCand- less. As 1t passed fully two inches m der the outside skin, there Is every req son to believe that the ball passed through or badly shattered the spine, Gs he IS totally paraiyZed and cold below the hips, complains of intense pain in the abdomen, and IS undoubtedly mortal ly wounded
 J.M MORE
 The saddest feature of inc entire case is the dangerous woUuding Of this old and respected citizen of Kirkland Val ley, honest, traightfo-wGTl; law abiding and industrious. He was a man who was a credit to the community and would not have harmed a fly, and how any man short of q tiend Incarnato C0uld strike him down with a kulie, weapon generally considered Tn ancient times, | the weapon only of tEe gssassiu, seems 1 to us incredible. He lies at the hospital, 1 where he IS receiving the best Of csre. l We learn by the latest reports that there are some hopes of saving him u''Elt.- standing the enoruOus amount ui blood ! lost He was stabbed in the left upper arm and the knife was driven with such l force that it passed entirely through the l arm, severiug the right hracmai artery and causing a wound iu the left breast.
 e.w.BEACH,
 | Is too well known ID this comaanity to | need word from us. He was simply | defending the rights of his own in a | legal way, and after the affray he did not draw any weapon until he had been | attacked and received what WAS sup posed at the time to be a fatal wound, and then he fired but one shot, which plainly shows self defense was all that | was intended or desired. We do not | believe Mir. Beach'F actions need any de l fence before fair minded men, but in ! view Of the fact that he was formerly for | q long time editor of the Miner, and the l additional fact that We always aim 10 | give reliable news, We have sifted the | facts with all the care one would apply 1 to securing evidence. and our statements | can be relied on.
 A very one sided extra has just been | shown us ss we write, and while there IS no time to examine it carefully now, 1t | leads us tostate the fact that a credible witness stated last evening in the l presence of friends Of Ar. Beach that | McAtear had said he would kill Beach if | he won the water case.
 | Mir. Beach received a severe wound on | the lett side of the neck, the knife | barely missing the jugular vein; the | width of the blade almost, nearer to the | front would have let hi- lie out before ! another sun- as it is he is resting easy and no danger is to be apprehended from ! his wound
 
 Who Their Husbands Are. Patti's brevet husband is Sig1or NJ | colini.
 Nilsson is the widow of M. Rozaaud. Gers-er is the wife O' Dr. Gardiner, 1 and has baby 10 months old