Arizona republican., 1900-09-06
THE SAFFORD HOMICIDE
The Killing of L III Roach By Hump
 Freeman.

This community was shocked on last Monday morning by the report that
 Hump Freeman and l.. NJ. Reach had 1 QuarreIed early in the morning and that the result was that Freeman had shot
 and killed Roach. says the Sar- ford Arzonian. The affair occurred
 at the home Of Roach. one mile yves of Stafford. It Wa also reported that the dispute was over the result of the dem
 ocrati- primar"s held last Saturday. There were thlcr eye witnesses to all
 of the circumstances leading Up to and including the tragedy. ThCse were O. r. SCarborousa. Will Kane and Max ! Freeman. brother of Hump.
 Wilh.n very short tim after the shooting Justice Hunter has caroneI's jury imraneied. The coroner and jury
 then paired outside the house und r the trees, and Dr. W. F. Lindley Wal
 the first witness. He testified that he had examined the body and found a Sunshot wound on the lefl side of the | body. about two inches above the nip pie. The bullet had passed diag lnaliy through the body. coming out at the right side Of the spinal column and midway between the shoulder blad as. i There was no other wound on the boly. ! This wound had evidently caused death.
 0. C. Scarborough. sWorr-I was an eye witness to the shooting. I was right here at this wagon tongue My
 self, Will Kane and Mr. Roach Were t repairing the tongue of the wagon. ! Hump Freeman and his brother Max
 came up. Hump had watered his
 horses at the we'll, and was washing
 his buggy. Hump and Mr. Roach
 talked about tn election last Saturday.
 After little | heard some sharp wor1s.
 1 heard Mr. Roach sly. ''I have ID re
 spect for anybody who will do that
 way Hump then said something.
 when the old man re .oT,ed. You are q
 d-n liar" Hump then said You ara arothCr.' And they quarre.sd some
 more. Roach then picked up piece of
 board and threw it at Hump. who threw
 it back. Then Mr. Roach said. 'Go and get your gun" and went to the rous- | and got his own gun. Freeman got on a
 horse and went 10 town. The r. Xt l
 heard some one say. Nov, I am
 ready 1 looked up and slW Hump 7 Freeman with a fife in his hands. Nr
 Roach grabbed his sun. Trump firzd
 twice and missed. but at the third
 shot the old man fell. Roach did not
 fire a shot. When he fell his gun fell
 down beside him. I think Reach was advancing at the time. Nothing was
 said after the fiji 7, sh It.
 Will Kane. sWorn-I'nis morning we were fixing the wagon whan Hump , Freeman came in to the well to wash
 his buggy. JUEt then MaS Freeman
 and little boy came up. Mir .ach | went o.them ana talked about the @ ec-
 ton last SaturG-.-. I Co not know wha was said about ,he election. Hump startel toward his own house and had got out CH the railroad track and MT
 Roach came bal. where We wera re-
 pairing the wagon. The Wa gon was about twenty st ps from tha well. Then
 Hump said, MI. Roach. you think |
 was once in a plot To kill you. but I wasn't" Roach said. You were" and
 Tunp rpt0Ited that he was not Rolcl
 said, You are a d-n liar" Trump said
 You are anoth h.r." Mir Roach picked
 up plank and threw it at Hump who
 was about ten steps from him. with the fence between ,h m. Hump started tOWar.s him az trough making an at tempt to get at E.lch Then Mr. Roach turned and sta,.o3 for his own n use.
 saying something aEout a gun. but I cidn' understand it. but he said gun"
 Hump then walked over to his own
 house Then M". Reach came walking
 out of his house with 9 gun. Then m-
 and Nr. Scarborough and Max Free
 man stopped him &1out where tfa- gray horse is standing in front of tn.
 fdte. H-tWeen tle gate anI Ro5ch's
 house We persur.ai h.m to put up his gun &nI have no mere trouble. Taen
 Mr. Roach lays tho gun in the wagon. and We went "1 fixing the tongue of
 the wagon. TdEp came cut of his
 hoUSr and ordered the boy to bring him the horse. His bi.. hers horse WIS
 s-anA.ng nedr-aLuut fifteen feet from the well. Hump was standing in the road at this time. He got on the horse
 and went up the road in a lope to-
 wards S2fford. In about twenty OF
 thirty minutes he came back. We'll
 the ifs, thing I knew I heard lump say. Now you G d-n old S of a b.
 l am ready for you Hump was right cut t-crr on the railroad track. ab b.utI fifty ct. l looked up and saw him on thr l---roal track Wi.h gun Then Il looked .rouni an saw that Mr. Roa ch had G-t his gun from the wagon and had walked three OF four s.eps around from behind th- wagon He did nor walk towards Hump. The gun Was in front of the Wa-on. and he gat it anI Walkci toWarGs the hind wheels. He had got to the first wheel when Tump fired. He had so- to the hind wheel and WAS looking towards Hump. when IumD fred TuynD fired rl,raa cb,+e before he CRoach) fell MT R.a.h neverI fired. Roach had his gun up this way. Hhdi'ating) and it was pointed to- wards ump. He cid not hav- the sun at his shoulder.
 Al the close Of the examination ol l "Wednesday the justice took inc mat CT | under advisement, p-omising to ren- der d decision a. @ c.clych W Gne-dly i evening. The cuolt Was called 10 o. Ger {. the appointed hour and Judg- | Hunt-r announcoI that he would hold