Arizona republican., 1907-07-01
YUMA APACHE
MEANT DEATH
Sub.Agent Gill Shot to
Save His life
Austin Navajo Had Invaded
His Residence I'm Search
of Victims.

Justice Johnstone and Deputy Sher-
iff jeff Adams returned yesterday
from Fort Mcdowell where they were
called by the shooting the afternoon
before of Austin Navajo a Yuma.
They found the circumstances slightly
different from what had been convey
ed by the telephone message the even
ing before. Tne Indian had been kill
ed by Sub Agent w. ii. Gill whose life
and the lives of whose family were at
stake when the fatal shot was fired
Tor the Indian meant murder and was
pursuing his purpose with persistency.
As had been stated the shooting was
the result of an attempt by the gov
ernment to eject from the reservation
certain Indians who had been gam
bling. The offense OF the Indians had
first been reported by the sub agent
TO Superintendent Goodman who in
turn referred the matter To the Indian
office. Orders came for the removal
Of the offending Indians and the or
der was read to an assemblage of them
by Mr.. Gill. Navajo's wife was among
the prescribed Indians. When the or
der had been read, Navajo rose smil-
ingly and went out That smile meant
mischief and Indians who knew the
character Of Navajo at once warned
Mr.. Gill of his danger. He went 10
his house and soon after that the In
dian appeared with a rifle. He fired
the first shot into the store which
stands about sixty feet from the res
idence of Mr.. Gill. An old Indian
Sakarabah who was in range of the
shooting sought refuge behind one of
the buildings but before he could get
out OF the way a bullet struck him in
the leg below the knee passing through
the, bone.
Navajo then fired a bullet into the
kitchen of the Gill residence the ball
puncturing a copper water boiler. In
the meantime Mrs. Gill and her little
daughter had taken refuge in the west
room of the building, huddled in a
corner. Mr.. Gill and another Indian
were awaiting in the east room and
Navajo made a circuit OF the building
ceering In at the windows. Seeing no
one to shoot at ne entered the building
at the east room. When he was heard
at the door Mr.. Gill and the Indian
with him retired to the middle room
where there was a shotgun loaded
with bird shot. He waited until Nav
ajo in his search for victims opened
the middle door. Then Gill fired the
report of the gun being punctured with
the sharper report of NavajO's rifle.
The Indian who had received the
charge in the face fell and in a few
minutes died. He had been wearing
l.. hn
floor beside him. Though the Indians
face was filled with shot. the glasses
were curiously not broken. Several
shot We're found in a picture frame
back of where Navajo had stood.
on the arrival of the authorities the
house of the sub agent was strongly
guarded by Indian policemen and it
was feared that he was being held a
prisoner a circumstance which would
have showed bad feeling among the
Indians but il turned out that the
policemen were guarding the sub agent
against possible schemes Of revenge
by the friends OF the dead Indian.
Ii was conceded by the Indians that
the sub agent had done the only thing
that remained for him to do. but one
Of the most faithful of the Apaches,
one who had frequently been befriend-
ed by Mr.. Gill told him that his use
fulness at Mcdowell had been brought
to an end by the tragedy. What the
Indian meant is supposed to be that
the life of the sub agent will be in
danger while he remains there.
Acting Coroner Johnstone conducted
an inquest, the members of the jury
being Don Rothrock. Clyde Wilson.
Dr. w. l. Shawk, j. F. Asher. Leonard
Hay and ]. ID. Adams. The verdict
found that the shooting could not have
been avoided. Dv. Shawk who is con-