Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1896-03-21

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To the President aud Memb ers of the
Society OF Arizona Pioneers.
Dear Brethern:-
, | have the honor to present to you g
knife with which l was stabbed by one
OF the participants in break for liberty
made 10y a number of convicts on Octo.
ber 9th, 1887. have duly forwarded
1t by today's exI ress.
Herewith find summary of facts in
connection with same.
Frsternsllv yours,
THOMAS GATES.
NOTES OF AN INTBRvIEw WITH HON.
THOMAS GATES.
(By E. j. TrippeD.
On October 9th, 1887, about 7:3O a.
M. j welt inside the walls to give some
Instructions abort Certain painting
which was needed; as l started to leave
the paintshop 10 60 towards the north
ssllyport, Lopez who was working in the
shOe shop, walked up to me stating that
he bad not been let out Of the corridor
as early as had previously been the Gaze
and that since he was aDxIous to learn
the trade Of shoe making desired to
know the reason; l told him, that i
would see the assistant superintendent
in regard to the matter; about this time,
| we had reached the north sallyport of
the wall, where Puebls, Vasquez and
| Bustamente surrounded me; Pueblo
| grasped me- by the rms and L showed
him back when he jersed out knife
| which had been concealed in his bosom
and hold ng it over my heart, said in
| Spanish, You will die;" then Lopez,
Vssquez and Bustamente drew shoe
knifes and Lopez, who could speak goon
English explained that If [ would escort
them to the ella river brush, lying Oh
the EAST side # the prison and order th.
guards not to fire, they would not b I'm
ME, but that had the power to give
them their liberty and that il failed To
do 50, or it my one of their number was
hurt, l should have to die.
Baes, Padilla and Villa, ordered The
gate keeper who was a &C nvict, to throw
open the gates with which order, he
complied; the trio then dashed over To
the superintendent's house and demand
I'd aims from Secretary Richard Rule;
on emerging from the house, PadilIs as
sauIted Yardmaster +. Frediey, (wh,
was uDarmed) with pick; 10 the strug
gle, the two fell over a steep EN- bank
meDt on the west eide, Fredley being up
permost. Ass slant Superintendent j.
II. Behap, In the meantime closed th
gates. taking the keys from the gate
keeper and then went to the superlD-
teadenls house, to Obtain arms; he then |
passed to the west side of the wall and |
taking a rife from Guard j. Cotter, |
passed on to the assistance of FredleN |
and brought Padilla back.
Baca ran around the north side of the |
superIntendent's house towards the |
Colorado river, but was halted by Guard |
Il, G. Williams, Villa ran down along |
the road on the west side of the wall, |
carrying a bag of provis on and fire was |
opened upon him by Guard W. Ii. Rey- !
mold, who was stationed on the south |
west corner of the wall; the convict slip |
ped over a steep bank. out OF range OF |
fire where be remained until after the |
melee was over when he was brought |
back 20 the prison and found to have |
received two bullets through the should
er and arm.
Puebla who was the leader, searched |
me for weapons, but finding none, or |
dered Bustamante to tie my hands; a |
red scarf was tied around my right wrist |
and not wishing this to be done, said:
"Come on" and we marched out of the
sallyport towards the Office, Vssquez
and Lopez In front, Puebls on my left |
side and Bustamante on my right, the
two latter holding me fast.
The office Is one hundred feet north
of the wall and situated on the bank Ut
the Colorado river; when We reached
point, half way between the ssllypor'
and the office, / struggled With my cap
tors and We finally faced east towards
the water tank stand; Lopez and Vas
ouez. in the meantime, had rushed into
the office, where they broke open MY
desk and took my pistol, which contain
ed i've loads; just al this time, L signal
ed Guard B. +. Hartlee, who was sta
toned on TIE main stand near the north
east corner OF the wall, to fire; Hartlee
asked me ";Shsll fre?" and l answered
Yes" his first shot was at Villa and as
he an around the northwest corner of
the wall; Lopez ran up to me and level
ed the pistol at me, | knocked the wea-
pom to one side with my hand, when il
was diecharge6, the bullet passing
through the fleshy part Of Puebla's arm;
Secretary Rule at this moment ap
peered on the scene and struck
Puebla over the head with the revolver.
stunning him little but not sufficiently
to break his grasp on me; Rule and
LopeZ fired at Zach other at the same
instant, both missing; Rule then rsn
towards mattress which was standing
near the southeast corner of the offic-
building, behind which he dropped
Lopez following; Hartlee ehot LoD. z
down as the latter raised up, shot him
again; he fell and Rule coming up again.
shot Lopez through the arm and went
into the office; Hartlee shot Bustamante.
who first making a cut at me, broke
away and staggering. fell near the north
side of the sallyport; Vsequez who was
Puebla's associate In crime, was the
next to fall at the crack of Hartlee'e
r le and Puebla who had kept me be
tween himself and Hartlee, drove hIs
butcher knife, (the blade icing four
inches long) into my body, near the
neck, on the right side Of the backbone
making the wound about five inches
long and touching the lung; SO badly
was | cut. that when | tried to breathe
the air would pass from the lung
through the oritice OF the wound; Puebla
also turned the knife in the wound. still
prasplpg me, (the knife being still in
my body, he stepped backward pulling
me, his iect pr bah y being to get on
the west side of the Office. where being
out Of range OF Hartlee's fire, he would
be able to escape to the Colorado river;
at this iuncture, Barney Riggs, life
convict, before the firing commenced
seeing me between the two conviots and
believing ne TO be trying TO separate
tn men whom be thought we're fight
inn 06aiEt |
when the shooting commenced, he
lodged around the west SIDE of the
Office and renamed standin g there;
seeing RiRgs, ] ordered bimto get the
pistol from Lopez spd shoot Pueblo
who WAS stsbbing me; he ct once j rked
tie weapon out OF Lopez hand and sha
Puebla near the heart; the shot caused
the latter to pull the knife from the