Arizona republican., 1907-07-11
GOODNESS OF BALDWIN \ WHEN RE.SENTENCtD
The Upper Gila Valley Being Laid Waste by Numerous Fires.

Safford. July 10.-(Special Corres- pondence to The RepublicaD.-Wh- liam Baldwin, the convicted slayer of a mother and child at Roosevelt last January, was yesterday re-sentenced by Judge Nave to be hanged. 1ne sentence gave the negro but Tour days in which 10 make ready to leave thls world and prepare to meet his creator, as the court set Friday next as the day of execution. The sentence lacked everything of a thrilling nature. and Judge Nave in sentencing him did nothing more than direct that the judgment of the court as it was for merly given. be now carried out on July 12. He did it in such matter of fact way that one would have thought that he was making a very simple ros- tine court order. instead of sentencing a man convicted of Arizona's most ter rible crime.
 But when the sheriff beckoned to Baldwin to follow the escort of off, cers back to his cell, he asked to speak, and the court gave him permls- sion. He then asked the court for thirty days time, thanked Judge Nave for his bravery in protecting him rom mob violence at Globe, said that he had made peace with God, and ex- pressed regret the he had not taken the witness stand as witness at his first trial. In reply, the court told him that there was no doubt that ne did the deed, that d longer delay would not do him any good. and that every help in getting ready for his end would be given him by the officers.
 He was then led back to his cell. going without a tremor. The con- de.nned man. who is fairly well edu- cated, at once began to write letters to his mother. wife. sisters and other relatives who live in Alabama, sent two telegrams to attorneys and others in hopes of getting respite rom the governor. The sheriffs force at Sol omonville is now very busy getting ready for the execution. which has come on unexpectedly quick.
 There has been an alarming number of fires in the vicinity of Stafford and hatcher during the past month, and the towns are very uneasy over the outlook There is no ground for sus- pecting incendiarism, as each one | breaks out in the day time while the people are at home from causes that are fairly we'll known. In all the cases | but one. there has not been any insur- ance on the property. and the losses fell heavily on poor people. The fires in the order have been Sam Young's restaurant in Stafford, Brigham Reeds residence in Layton, David Cluff's residence in Central. Walter J. Win sor's residence in Thatcher. the house | A1Ax- 1 house in Layton belonging to Robert Allen Smith. and yesterday evening the home of Mir and Mrs. Eugene Cur tis, between Stafford and Thatcher went up in smoke, without one thing saved. MT. and Mrs. Curtis have been married but a month, and both were but few yards from the house talk | ing to his father when the flames were discovered. Most of the places that have burned had factory ceilings. and the fire seems to have started in them. | This with the prevailing dry weather that has made everything wooden like so much finder, has made the fires very quick and so fierce that 1t was very hard to save much from the burning buildings so that household ef- | fleets and all have generally perished | in the flames.
 The Gila valley is having an era of prosperity. Hay is ten dollars per ton and the grain is a good price, While everything else is prosperous. The only drawback to the farmers is the
 great scarcity of labor to do the work
 that has to be done.
 A hard rainstorm visited the valley last night. and did some damage as much of the grain has not been thresh-
 ed and is laying in windrows for the
 want of help to put it up in better
 shape. There is much hay that needs
 cutting too, but cannot be taken care
 of. Two dollars per day and board Is
 being readily paid for the common
 Mexican laborers, and those who in-
 dulged in booze on the Fourth found
 dozen who were ready to pay their
 fines if they would only come and
 work for them in repayment of the | fine.