Arizona weekly citizen., 1895-05-11
ABSOLUTELY PURE
The Crltteuden Sh ,oting.
CEI1TENpEN, May 3. IS.

I A@bs SA1lLEN u tLC CoO Oi bl u and justice I want to say fev words ir reply to the statement of the "Hon." R. R. Richardson in regard to the Sprecher. | Barnett trouble at thIs place. What connection thIs case has to the Parks case is a conundrum that Richardson fails to explain.
 According to this authority Barnett never heard of the change Of ownership of the Lyons field, ard therefore it is to be presumed that Barnett should be ex- cused for all his lawless acts past, pres ent and future.
 As matter of fact Barnett was we'll informed officially aLd privately Of tae sale of the field for taxgs to Drew, which sale was made early in December last.
 MT. A. J. Stockton, who was in charge of the field at the time. gave Drew pos session without any protest. Six weeks later Mir. Sprecher bought the field from Drew and entered into possession of 1t without protest from any source. About one month later comes Barnett in the night, and at or before daylight the next morning turns Sprechel' s stock out into he road and locks the gate. Sprecher regained possession, and two or three days later Barnett repeated the off nse, when Sprechsr had him arrested. The case was tried before Judge Black of rubac, and why Barnett was not con- victed the district attorney csn explain.
 Sprecher again took possession of the field, when Barnett had him arrested md tot kO FN,n.nr, md ffia1 InfAra n jury in Justice Meyers court, and des- plte the vigorous efforts of the district attorney to convict, 1t took the jury only ten minutes to acqui5 the defendant.
 Sprecher retained the field until last Sunday, whn Barnett again turned bis stock out early in the morning before anybody was up. On Monday morning Sprecher went to the field and met Bar nett who was camped there, and the statement of eye witnesses is that Bar nett fired at Sprecher before the latter made any advance on Barnett, when Sprecher closed in and took the pistol from Barnett and beat him over the head until they were separated by the spectators who came up about this time.
 Barnett fired two shots, one hitting Sprecher on the fifth rib, woundiDg him more dangerously than was at first SUD- posed. PHILIP A. DoHERTY.
 STILL ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
 CRITTEND N, May 3, 1895. EDITOR CITIZEN:
 As yet there has been no correct statement Of the shooting of young Sprecher by Barnett at Crittenden last Monday.
 The CITIZEN prints letter from R. R. Richardson in which he makes light of the dIsgraceful affair.
 The property in question is 160 acre 6eid formerly owned by one Dan Lyon. Some years 6go, Lyon on leaving Crit senden, rented the field to Powell. Later, Barnett offered Lyon a larger rent and promis d to pay taxes. It was given into his charge. Lyon has not been heard ffom for two or more years and 1t is suppose te was killed in Mexico.
 A MT. Drew purchased the tax title to this field. Drew pastured Sprecher's horses and afterward sold his title to Mir. Sprecher. Barnett several times turned Sprecher's stock out of the field and assaulted Sprecher, who paid but slight attention to him. Some two weeks ago Barnett had Sprecher arrested for trespass. The case was tried in Tucson by jury and Sprecher was acquitted. Sunday. last Barnett came to Crittenden, turned Spreacher's stock out of the field and put his own in. Early Monday morning Spreachers went to re take possession of his field. Barnett came into the field and shot Sprecher who was unarmed and who had made no attack upon him. Barnett shot twice and would have emptied his revolver had not Sprecher seized and held, giving him a good rubbing.
 Deputy Shet;ff Speedy drove to Crit> tenden Tuesday morning, and arrested Barnett (who was trying to play the insane actl and started with him to Nogales 8 few hours before Sheriff Leatherwood arrived in Crittenden on the same errand. Barnett was lodged in jail Tuesday night-Wednesday, Richardson went down to bail Barnett out, but was himself arrested for com plicity.
 Richardson says this trouble grew out of the Parke case. Sprecher and his friends would like to know in what possible maDner he, Sprecher, was con- necte q with the Parke case.
 A CITIZEN OF CRITTENDEN.