Bisbee daily review., 1907-07-05
KEPT VIGILANCE SOCIETY FROM
 TOMBSTONE
Comstock, Who Kept Grand Central Hotel During Early
 Days Has Large Fund ofI Stories on Tap.

Sylvester B. Comstock pioneer and one of the most interesting characters in the territory was in Phoenix recent ly. Mir. Comstoek was proprietor of the Grand Central hotel at Tombstone in the earliest and palmiest days Of that greatest of camps in its time and was one of the fairest and most dar- ing of gamblers until that industry was suppressed by the law.
 An old acquaintance stated in his hearing yesterday that he was pos sessed Of a greater fund of thrilling stories of Arizona than any other man now living in the territory. He said that he was possessed of one such story which had earned for him the reputation of bein the champion liar of the territory until he had related all the circumstances of it. He said he had once seen man who had been dead for twenty-four hours sit down on a stool and pose for his photograph. The photograph by the way was taken by H. Buehman still living in Tucson and still engaged in the business of making photographs.
 It came about in this way: Along in the early seventies one Brasselton said by some to be the original high wayman in Arizona was killed in a fight with officers few miles out of Tucson. His back was filled with buckshot and one shot entered his face at the base of the nose. The body of the bandit was taken to Tue son and carried to the court house which is now used for the city hall building. It was held there for twenty four hours when the authorities de- cided to have a photograph taken for the benefit of inquiring friends or rel atiyes who had known Brasselton by some other name. MT. Puehman was sent for and he came with his picture taking apparatus. The bCay of the dead robber was stood up ill one COZ ner of the room in front of the camera. While the photographer was adiHsti.g his box. the crowd was apDalleG % so a movement of the corpsz. Though the feet remained in tte.r position on the floor thc u5y sanz sl0g.y .Iswn relaxed it was thought by tho cX- treme heat of the day. A bystaader who thought quickly seized a stool and placed it behind the corpse which con- tinued to unbend until it came to the stool upon which it sat rather awk- wardly, much like a man not in full possession of his physical faculties, but without any assistance. It then remained stationary and in that shape the picture was taken.
 Mir. Comstock is New Englander. He landed at San Francisco in 1853, little more than a boy, by the way of the Straits of Magellan though he had already seen much Of the world In those days there We're no reform schools and when a boy proved incor- rigible he was Sent to sea. usually with some formality. The selectmen of the town passed upon the degree of his incorrigibility and the length of his voyage was thereby determined. Some times he was sent in a vessel for a short voyage, but if he was extracr- dinary obstreperous he was sent as far as the East Indies. MT. Comstock however, was not regularly committed, but shipped of his own accord after having been unable to agree with the foreman of the carding room of fac tory who had insisted on betting him. There was no ''belting" on the ships. The boy was given lessons in human conduct at the point of pair of heavy sea boots or at the rope's end. He returned from the voyage either eowed for life or 'heIi-hard- ened-'h If the latter, he was capable of becoming useful citizen or a dan gerous criminal.
 MT. Comstock was in Alaska lhore than forty years ago and after that he resided for years in Montana. Ne vada and California until he came to Tombstona He said that he had read in the magazines of the regeneration