Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-08-15
LIVELY TIMES. Tragic Events in the Early
 Days of Clifton.
 THE LOT JUMPERS. Incidents in the Career of Some
 of the Desperadoes.
THE LOT JUMPERS
Law and Order Estab1tshSd-Bust' ness and Business Men-The First
 Newspaper in Graham Go.

The town of Clifton is situate at the junction of the San Francisco rlver and Chase creek, about half a dozen miles ibove the mouth of the former. The Arizona Copper Go. own considerable proportion of the town site. The clam
 # the company was contested in the early settlement of the place, and lot jumpers became quite common. The Arizona Copper Go. appealed to the courts for recovery of the lots. The lot jumpers were defended by Col. A. G, P. George, for which offense he suffered grave indignities and almost martyrdom. The event is so intimately associated with the history of Clifton, and so well reflects the spirit of the times through which she passed, that, without further apology. I herewith reproduce the Cliff ton Clarion's account of it as follows:
 Tt seems that about 2 o'clock in the morning Col. George happened in the vicinity of the bridge when half dozen masked men grabbed him and threw hlm forcibly to the ground and gagged him. They stripped him and covered him with tar from head to foot, after which they took him by the legs and hauled him over the rough gravel and stones and otherwise abused hIm, until he became unconscious, when they left.
 Just before the break of day he came to. and realized his unpleasant situation. He made an effort to rise to his feet and walk, but his physical strength was not equal.to the task, 80 he managed to creep to the hill, about 200 yards distant from the bridge, when suddenly he espied four masked men coming toward him. This nerved him up so that he got onto his feet and ran to thicket, in which be hid, being followed by the men, who passed on all sides of him, but failed to discover his hiding place on account of the dinness of the morning. Being thus baffled in securing their prey they ad- bandond the search and took their de- parture.
 Seeing bis way clear once moro he managed to pass around the hills at the rear of the buildings and reached his room just before daylight in a rather precarious condition."i
 For thls offence two of the culprits, O'Neil and Weyl, were afterwards ap- prehended and each sentenced one year in the county jail.
 The first death sentences passed in Graham county were at the first term of court on three Chinamen, Pc Ah Dock An Jim and An Queen, for the murder of several of their countrymen at the Longfellow mine. In those earlier pays open murder, assassination, and ''ac- cidental" shooting ran riot. Men were often shot down without any apparent cause-sometines by unknown parties, which scarcely occasioned surprise, or more than passing comment. The shooting of John Ryan was case in question. The killing of Mart Cav by Michael Hollowren. occasioned by Gaw's attempt to rob latter, is recalled by some of the resi- dents of Clifton. The coroner's Jury in this case was impapeled before Justice James Sias, who still fills that office, be- sides managing blacksmith and wagon shop, of which he is the proprietor.
 Billy Delaney also contributed his mite towards enlivening the early days of Clifton, having made his man "bite the dust" on more than one occasion. The "Clarlon" records the following startling event in his career at Clifton: "While Constable Moss was accompany ing Billy Delaney around town for the purpose of securing bondsmen to the amount of S2,5O0, under which he was held to await the action of the grand jury for killing Henry Sawyer, he made his escape through the back widow of a room IF the rear of Johnson's saloon, and skipped the town. It seems that the constable permitted him to go to the room to change his clothing before starting out to see the parties whom he thought would go on his bonds, the constable remaining in the saloon, near the door of the room, and few minutes later, on entering to see if Billy was ready, he could not be found. The con- stable then went to south Clifton where he was informed that Billy had passed through on horseback about ten min utes before. armed with a large six shooter, which he held in his right hand, and that the horse was going at light ming speed. in the direction of the Glla." The conclusion is that some one was on the lookout to assist the outlaw, and | when he CT tered the bsckroom, rode the 1 horse to the rear, helped hun escape | through the window, mount the horse, 1 and then give him the revolver with | which to defend himself. Billy's lawless | career was, however, suddenly termin- | ated at the end of rope in Tombstone | some months later.
 On account of the frequency of such | events as above cited Clifton had at one | time attained a very unenviable noto- l riety. Almost every camp of any note | on the Pacific coast has tasted of similar | experience. which eventually nerved the l law and order element to administer an | effeotual remedy. Many of those who | participated in the establishment of | order out of chaos still compose a DOT | ton of Clifton's inhabitants, and, in | most respects, they stand the proud | peers of the most inte .ligent and refined | citizens of the United States. Clifton, | passing through its baptism of fire, has come out purified, and there Is now no | community of It's slze within the borders | of our great country where life and | property may be regarded as mora se- cure. The names of a number of such | I have ln former letters given in con- nection with the affairs of the A. c. Co. | and the D. c. Go. and in other capacities. |
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