The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-06-02
A TERROR To OUTLAWS.
The Sanguinary Record Of q Quak.
or In Arizona.
He Never Murdered . Man But He Had
Killed Many . One In Performing
the Duties At Hls Oflee ~
Sheriff.

Inc OcSC-K0OWn man IN A11ZOO8 tO-
day." traveller remarked who had
jus: returned from that territory, ''is
Commodore Perry Owens, who has
been sheriff Of Apache county, city
marshal of Winslow, and is now one of
the guards of the Wells-Fargo express
across Arizona. He is an Indianian,
who went to Arizona fifteen years ago.
had q long talk with him the other
day as he rode on the train, his Win
chester rife and a couple of navy skies
within easy reach.
"When he learned that was also q
Hoosier," writes a contributor to the
Indianapolis News, land knew his
people, Quakers, who live near Carters-
burg, in that country, we were at once
on the best of terms. When I asked
him if the report was true that he had
removed from active life more men, by
the Winchester line, than any other
man in Arizona he looked panied for q
moment. Then he answered:
I" i was raised Quaker, but out
here, you see, man can't work at that.
1t amt suited to the Arizona climate
have done good deal of shooting,
but it has all been necessary and in the
line of my official duty. never MUIR
dered q man in my life, never. My
good mother, back in Hendricks coun-
ty, every now and then writes me q
letter. She sees these newspaper re-
ports and she misunderstands them.
You ask if I've shot one hundred men?
Well, no. I haven't-that is, unless
you want to count Mexicans. I've
only killed fourteen white men and
wounded ffty-three. Some of them
died after they were wounded, but
that was the fault Of the doctor.
"'You ask what episode of this kind
consider the most exciting in my ex-
perience? These events are all more
or less exciting, but think the live
liest of these affairs took place over at
Winslow, when I was sheriff. had q
warrant for the fellows arrest, and
had written for him to come in and
surrender. He didn't even answer my
letter, which wasn't treating with
proper respect my official position. So
after awhile l went after him. He was
at his mothers house, a double
log cabin. built in L-shape. tied my
knocked on the door I caught q glimpse
of two faces at window ut my back.
The door opened about foot, and the
man was after stuck gun out. let
drive with my Winchester, and as 1
heard him drop fred over my shoul-
der through the window. The second
load caught two, killing one and shat
tering the arm of q younger brother.
I knew there was still another man in
the house, and that it was dangerous
to remain on the porch. Jumped out
into the open ground, and, as did so,
saw a man shcltering himself behind
a blackboard. l ran few steps and
uncovered him. When took account
of stock there were three killed and
one wounded. There were no further
The coroner took charge
of the effects, as didn't think it would
be proper for me to act under the cir
The whole affair took
place inside a minute.
"'I don't drink. don't gamble, and
I haven't ever been favorite with the
women. Most of the fellows who are
shot get it because they want some
woman to think he's a bad man.
They put on Mexican spurs, a SOM
brero, and cut-throat outfit and start
in for trouble. The coroner finds them
with their boots on.
"'I knew young fellow up at Will
liams', q nervy little chap, never said
much, but when it came time for work
he could get his revolver out as quick
as anybody. But he was perfect gen.
tleman. There was only one thing he
was afraid of-that was dying with his
boots on. One day, by some kind OF
could never be explained
he got into difficulty with Mexican,
and the Mexican shot him. We saw he
was hit hard. picked him up and carried
him into saloon. We asked Dan If he
had any last request to make. In
faint whisper-we could barely hear
it-he said: Boys, take my boots of.
As we did so a smile broke over his
face, and he went out like an angel