Bisbee daily review., 1902-08-06
THE EARLY DAYS
 IN TOMBSTONE
A FORMER RESIDENT CALLS TO
 MIND STIRRING EVENTS
The Camp Sprang Into Existence AL most in a Day-The Vigilance orsanization-Robbery and Mur- der in Bisbee


 former resident of Tombstone fell into a reminiscent mood in Phoe- nix one day last week, and the Ga Zette got from him the following con- corning the early days in Cochise county:
 Tombstone, like many another min ing camp, sprang into existence al most in a day. Tents and rough houses grew like mushrooms. Soon the camp became the headquarters of the great southwest.
 Northern Sonora was too far away to attract the miners. prospectors and cowboys, so they flocked to Tomb stone. The streets of the town were filled night and day with a strangely mixed crowd. Cattle kings, COW punchers, mining kings and penniless prospectors rubbed elbows and help ed to furnish the place excitement.
 There were army officers from ad- jacent posts and marshals and dep uty marshals in plenty, but mere show of authority had no effect in Tomb stone. Robbers and ruffians played a daily gpme of murder, and it was the man who was quickest on the trigger who won out, regardless of the Ques- tions of right and wrong.
 Tn the early days of Tombstone the Apaches were making the south west hot for white men. There was always danger of an Apache raid, and the residents of Tombstone had con- sequently formed an organization of defense in the nature of vigilantes.
 At the sounding of three loud blasts of the mine whistles this home nlx To A stage robbery, a fire or an Indian outbreak was sufficient excuse for assembling the fighters of the camr. and a sturdy lot of men would thus be gathered. all armed to the teeth and ready for any desperate venture.
 The remarkable thing about this organization of Tombstone citizens was the fact that it had a deep rev erence for law, if not for order. It had no use for lynch law. as was ev- idenced in the spring of 1882, when five men were publicly executed for series of atrocious murders. The crimes were committed at Bisbee, 8 miles from Tombstone, in the Mule mountains
 The Bisbee camp had no bank, the miners pay was distributed by merchant who operated a large gen. eral store. At the time of the mur- ders it was thought that the mer- chant would have about s20,000 in his possession, as pay day was close at hand.
 Five soldiers swooped down on the camp. Two of them rushed into the store and demanded the sum of the pay roll. The merchant protest ed that he did not have the money. Furious with disappointment, the sol diers shot him dead and proceeded to shoot up the camp Four women and a child were killed before the men made their way out of Bisbee. When the news of this outrage was received at Tombstone the vigilantes were furious. The mine whistles blew and the organization quickly decided upon . plan of operation. Miners, cowboys and business men started toward the mountains, bent on rounding up the individuals who had killed the women at Bisbee. Within two weeks the men were be- hind the bars of the Tombstone jail. Although the organization of vigi- Iantes was 200 strong. no one sug- gested lynching.
 When sentence was pronounced by the court the crowd made no dem onstration, but on the day of execu- tion the whistles blew for the assem- bling of the vigilantes. The armed men surrounded the scaffold and watched the sheriff as he seated each of the five bandits on the trap and adjusted the nooses.
 Tt is now one of the best mining towns in the southwest, and its busi- ness is steadily increasing. Prosper ity is everywhere evident, and while there is no ostentatious display of wealth, as in the days when men took pains to let the world know they had struck it rich there is every evil dence of a solid business growth