Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-08
A QUEER OFFICIAL.
POSTMASTER OF ARIZONA WHO RUNS
HIS OFFICE To SUI HIMSELF.
Held the Papers of His Successor and
the job and Dropped His Wife
Into the River-AwaitfnS
Execution for Murder.

Ehrenburg is the name of 4 postofhce
somewhere down in the wilds of Arizona.
So many complaints have come into the
general postofiice at Washington that In
spector Waterbury Was sent TO investigate.
Arrived at Ehrenburg the postoftice WAS
not very difficult to locate. 1t was one of
1hc poorest of the struggling adobe huts
which constituted the town at the time.
But the postmaster was nowhere TO be
found.
A compadre of his was met after a while
who spoke English '.Hayzoos' would be
back in a few days Inspector Waterbury
was told. The other name of "Hayzoos."
winch in English is Jesus. was Daniel,
which it took a long time TO
elicit. The distance was too long. ana tne
way too difficult to traverse to leave his
mission unaccomplished. so Inspector Wat
erbury sat down and waited the pleasure of
Jesus Daniel.
MaiI Kept for Eleven Years.
After a lapse of five days Jesus arrived at
Ehrenburg in his birch bark canoe. The
quaintancc. He told Jesus Daniel the pur-
pose of his mission. The Mexican gave a
savage rrunt of understanding and gruffly
acquiesccd TO showing Inspector Waterbury
through the postottice. The examination
was at once begun. Shutters were thrown
back, doors unbolted and the two sat down
in the muSty atmosphere. The safe was
first opened. In it INSPECTOR Waterbury
found thirteen registered letters. most Of
which were of an urgent and important ma
lure. which had lain there from two to
eleven years. He found some of the people
10 whom the letters We're addressed and de-
livered them. There were hundreds of let
tiers lying about, many of them directed 10
people who had long been dead. But In
spector Waterbury's great ind was two
commissions from subsequent adminlstra-
tons for men appointed TO succeed Jesus
Daniel as his successor. one OF these men
died in ignorance of his appointment and
the other was kept in ignorance OF 1t by
the astute Jesus.
browns His Old Wife.
When confronted with the pile of docu-
character or ignorance, or all three, Jesus
Daniel just grunted. which said plain as
English could make IT: What now. II you
have discovered it," Inspector Waterbury
saw that there was no use in argument.
The postmaster was of the brute type. too
ignorant or cunning TO volunteer or give
under pressure an explanation.
After the two men had left the postomce
ances who greeted him after their fashion.
From the look of horror which crept over
the faces of all of them Inspector Water
bury ventured a remark as to what caused
HE took his wife up the river and
drowned her. he says" said one of the by
ISLANDERS.
You took your wife up the river and
inspector, as he ooked at the immobile
features of the man beside him.
Yes. / drowned her" ~doggedly replied
bothered me. / asked her to step out of the
boat and get a flower for me that was in
water. When she was out l pushed her in
to the river and got away quick when / see
that she can get up no more Jesus
Daniel is now awaiting execution for muir
der.