The Florence tribune., 1899-07-15
The Camp Verde Murder.
lFrom the praaoott CanrIer.l

District Attorney Ling returned from Camp Verde yesterday morning at o'clock. From him the reporter gleaned the following correct account of the double murder at that point last Sunday evening About 10 p. n. stranger walked up to the store; R. Nj. Rodgers, c. D. Wingfeld, Capt. Boyd, Lew Turner and Dick Hopkins were seated on the porch engaged in con- versation. The stranger sat down and chatted for half an hour, keeping well in the dark most of the time. Rodgers got up, closod the front door of the store, barred same on the inside, came out through room used as sitting room and asked the stranger if he could do anything for him. The stranger replied, "You get back in there, Mackl" Rodgers turned back into the sitting room and ran through the store into the back room where the guns and the safe were. The stranger followed him to the back room and fired, the bullet entering the back Rodgers neck. He fell to the floor and expired. Wingfeld was in the bedroom when the shot was fired. He ran out through the sitting room onto the porch, the stranger following about four feet behind him and fired. The bullet struck Wingfeld short space above the Small of the back. Wingfeld fell mortally wounded and died about o'clock the next morning. When Wingfeld fell the stranger stood between Capt. Boyd and Wing field. The other two men ran away at the first shot. Boyd started toward Wingfeld, when the stranger said, q might as well kill all you s--s of b-s," and fred at Boyd, the bullet going through the right leg, two inches above the knee. The stranger then walked of Lhe porea, made DO attempt to rob. but went on to his horse. which was tied about one-eighsh of mile from the store, in a soatheely direction. He threw two shells from his pistol as he walked. wh ich shells are now in pos session of officers. His horse is shod only on one foot. The trail of the horse leads in the direction of Tonto Basin, at all times on the main road A posse was in pursuit by daylight Monday morning. At $40 p. m.. Tues day no word bad been eeeived from posse. Now comes some evidence lead. ing up to the probable cause of the murder. Two weeks ago, some Apache Mohave Indians, camped near Ft. Verde, lost some ponies and went to Rodgers and Wingield for advice. Rodgers wrotea note for the Indians to the justice of the peace at Jerome The Indians took the trail, after see ing the justice, captured two men and recovered their ponies. During the examination of the two men before the justice, the fact was brought out that Rodgers had written the note. One of the men named. Oscar Wade, after his discharge, stated that he would get even with Rodgers. Later on, a1 acquaintance of Wade, who knew hin in Globe and Jerome, received letter from Wade, written at Flagstaff, 1T
 which letter Wade stated that Ii,
 would be in a canyon near Camp Verde
 with easy money to divide. It il
 thought that Wade is the man for tn,
 reason that he singled out Rodgers ant
 Wingfeld to be his victims, sho
 Rodgers first. He did not shoot |,
 kill in shooting at Boyd, as he stoo'
 within a few feet of Boyd when h
 fired. The only news heard from tn
 posses was brought in by sam Parker
 who stated that he met the second an,
 third posses twenty miles from Cam l Verde following the trail Of the hors
 with three unshod feet. The mur
 derer is described as follows Is abou
 S2 years old, five feet ten inches higt
 dark moustache, brown hair and eyes
 short growth of dark beard, fine voice
 quick, nervous eye, weighs r pounds, wore a white hat and dar . clothes. He worked in Globe eigf
 months ago and is said to be wante in Texas for murder. He had eigl hours the start of the first posse an was unable to get change of horse : before he reached Strawberry. I'll trail showed that he galloped h horse for 30 miles. The posses, hea, ed by Sheriff Munds, are made up cowboys who know every foot of u country for a hundred miles ever way. The whole population of u 9 Verde Valley turned out to the e neral of the murdered men. Re ! Thompson preached a very eloqueI 2 sermon.