Arizona republican., 1897-10-15
HUGHES HAS FALLEN
A Prominent ArizOnan a Fugi.
 tive From Justice
HAD LONG BEEN TOTTERING
Forgery EmbeZzIement and
 Possibly Arson.
The President of the Arizona Leg islative Council at Last DeVoursd bv the Tiger He Had Stroked for Many Years.

Tucson, Ariz., Oct. 14.-(Special.)- Fred G. Hughes. president of the Nineteenth legislative council of A, i- zona, clerk of the board Of supervisors of Pima county and president of the society of Arizona Pioneers, is a fugitive from justice. Two war: a1ts for his arrest, one charging him with forgery and the other with the em- bezzlement of $2,490 from the soc:etE ' of the pioneers, were issued thfs morning and placed in the hands of Constable Joe Mancie,. Hughes left town last night, accompanied by his wife, for his ranch in the mountains near Greaterville, this county. When the officers arrived there today they learned that he had left his ranch at daylight for Mexico. All the office. S are securing the country, but he is be- ieved to be in Sonora.
 The charge of embezzlement is based upon the fact that he obtained the money, and the charge of forgery, upon the circumstance that he forged the names of w. c. Davis and aSabino Otero, upon the territorial warrants drawn against the Pioneers fund. Hughes sold one of the warrants for $1,OO0 to Dick Daw- son, proprietor of the Fashion sa- loon games, last night.
 The issuance of the warrants for his arrest, and his flight are not really denouements of the attempt to burn the court house last Tuesday night. He had previously been sus- pected of crookeiness in con- nection with the funds of the Pio- neers and of irregularities in con- nection with the board of supervisors, His resignation was demanded by the board yesterday. but he refused t. tender it.. ~---
 It is strongly suspected that the was the author of the attempt to burn the court house for the purpose of covering official pecu. a,fons, of which he had been suspected tor more than two years. An expert has been en- ployed to go over the records of the board and it is said a special grand jury will be ordered to investigate the origin of the court house fire
 The family of the fugitive consists of a wife and twelve children, ranging in age from 2 years to 20.
 For more than a generation Fred G. Hughes has been one of the most conspicuous figures in Arizona public life. He is native of England, but has resided in this country since the early 'forties. He came to the coast in 1853 and came to Arizona in 1861 He went to New Mexico and was al- calde of San Marcial in 1868, after which he returned to Tucson and has resided there continuously until his late departure. He has been several times honored with county offices, was five times elected to the leg sla- ture and served as the president of three legislative councils. Whatever he asked for, the people of Ffma county gave him, notwithstanding ii was known of all men that he was an inveterate gambler. He had no othe. striking vices. He never drank to excess.
 For several years he had teen cl rk of the board of supervisors. Two years ago it was rumored that his ac- counts were irregular and Hon c. F. Schumacher, member of the board, sought to have him removed A year ago MT. Schumacher, then also a member of the grand jury and still member of the board, caused to be incorporated in the grand jury report a recommendation for his removal on account of his gambling habits and his neglect of business. The board took no action, notwithstanding the great est publicity was given the report At the general election a little more than month later, he was elected to the council over Hon. Charles R. Drake, and when the new board of supervisors was organized he was again elected clerk. In the legislature lie was the moving spirit in the in vestigation of the alleged crookedness of the board of control during the ad- ministration of Governor L. c. Hughes.
 The fugitive is also said to have been the author of Act No. 53 of the last legislature organizing "The Ari- zona Pioneers Historical Society," and appropriating $3,O0O to be dis bursed according to the judgment of the directors of the society This is the fund he is accused of having plundered. Hughes visited Phoenix for the last time about six weeks ago. The object of his visit was to cash