Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1904-11-09
KILLING WAS JUSTIFIABLE.
MexiCans Invited Shooting and
 Paid the Penalty.

Burns returned on last evenings train from Ash Fork, where they went to investigate the killing of the two Mexicans at Meath by Thomas Brown and his son, Archie Brown. The testimony taken at the inquest showed that the killing was unmis- takably justifiable and in self defense, and the coroner's jury exonerated them and they were not placed under arrest.
 Not,only was the deed iustifabls, but it is almost a miracle that the Browns, fat:.er and son, were not killed.
 The Mexicaas who were named Bo- nita Garcia and Pablo Olgin, had been hanging around the sheep camps in that vicinity for several days and had been intimidating the herders, and firing into the flocks of sheep and act ing in a general lawless manner.
 MT. Brown and his son had been told of their actions by the herders and went out to warn them away.
 There was one sheep herder at camp besides the two desperadoes and he says that when the latter saw Mir. Brown and his son approaching, they told the herder that they intended killing them.
 When the Browns rode up to the camp the men were seated on a log with their rifles lying across their knees being armed also with six shoot CTS in their pockets.
 Archie Brown, who speaks Spanish told the men that they had been hang ing around there long enough and must leave.
 Garcia replied that no one could run them and at the same time com menced to pump a cartridge into his gun. Archie Brown who was armed only with a six shooter, and who had emptied it of every load except one by shooting at coyotes and jack rabbits on the way out there drew his gun and fired at Garcia the bullet striking squarely between the eyes and he dropped over without being able to get the cartridge in his gun. Before consciousness left him he drew his six shooter and discharged it, but failed to take aim and the bullet went wide of its mark.
 While this tragedy was being enacted and it all happened in less time than it will take to read it, Olgin raised his gun and aimed at Thomas Brown while the latter was trying to get his gun from the scabbard of his saddle. The Browns were still mounted and their animals kept jumping around causing trouble to MT. Brown in get ting his rife in action. When be final ly got it free it was prematurely dis charged, the bullet going into the ground only a few feet away.
 The Mexicans was however not losing any time as he fired two shots at the father and one at the son while the former was extricating his rife. Olgin only had three cartridges in his gun and when he fired the last one, he dodged behind a tree to refill his magazine from supply of cartridges he carried in his pockets.
 While doing this the Browns rode around where he could getsaim at him and fired, the bullet entering his side . and passing clear through him coming out at the opposite side passing through his heart in its fight and the man fell dead in his tracks.
 Though unconscious, the one with the bullet wound in his head con- tinued to breathe for about two hours, dying atfer the arrival of Justice of Peace Gillett and Constable Fo-ey from Ash Fork.
 One of the desperadoes was a power fully built man and had just been dis charged recently from the penitentiary at Santa Fe, New Mexico. The other was quite young man, but there is uO OOuUS JudL they udu uOlH ueClO6Q to return upon a career of crime and their taking off was a benefit to the territory.
 A gentleman who came down on the train relates a circumstance which shows that the Browns did not antici- pate any trouble when leaving for the camn While the father as is tha ems tom among stock men generally, had a rife on his saddle, the son left without any weapons whatever. After they had started his mother called to them and carried six shooter to her son, telling him to take it along as he might need it.
 He took the weapon, but showed how little he expected to be called up