Arizona republican., 1908-05-08
An Impossible Weapon.

l ue lHeOTA lUdl W dSutI hllitu nIlll- self on an impulse of grief at the rash act of his daughter. seemed plausible and fairly satisfying until later facts developed. It was stated by those at or near the house that four or five shots had been fired. It seemed inn possible for the girl to have done this. The weapon said to have been seen on her breast by MT. Strait was not in sight when the coroper arrived. Mrs. Wagner was asked what became of it and produced a Smith & Wesson, single action Russian model, fl cali bre gun which was turned over to Deputy Sheriff Davis. It was empty, not even a shell being left in it. It was certainty that the girl could not have fired that kind of weapon five times but there was no further com ment at that time. Afer the deputy sheriff returned to town he examined the weapon more closely and its bar rel was dusty evidently not having been fired at all. Suspicion then rest ed strongly on the dead man as hay ing done the deed in some manner.
 The next fact came to light when the undertaken brought to the coroner a
  inch barrel bearing evidence of recent use, and in which were the shells of five cartridges. He reported that he had found this weapon under the corpse of the girl, which had not been lifted from its original position during the stay of the coroner. It is supposed now that Wagner killed his daughter and thrust the revolver beneath her, or that some member of the family wish ing to shield the father. secreted the death dealing weapon and substituted the other.
 A Probable Motive for Murder.
 The theory of murder gains strength as time passes. After returning to town the coroner was told by colored man named Cook that he had been talking to Wagner during the day when he was in town under the influ- ence of liquor and that Wagner had said he had had trouble with Maggie in the morning over the milking of a COW and that when he went home he was going to drive her off the place. Inquiry develops that the girl has complained to friends of the restraints placed upon her by her parents. She seemed quite fond of young man and her parents thought she was too young to receive attentions and discouraged his visits. This made her quite at cross purposes with her father whom she seemed to fear.
 The theory of suicide at first was quickly accepted when the story was told that the girl on one occasion not long ago tried to poison herself be- cause of her unhappiness due to the restraints thrown about her. This, however. viewed in another way only accentuates the differences between her and her father It is known that Wagner was drinking considerably yesterday and his reference to that subject in his frenzied talk to MT. Strait gives color to the idea that he might have done the deed, realized his responsibility and knew that death alone could save him from the moose.
 Personal Characteristics.
 Frank Wagner was an eccentric and an unusual man. He had d violent temper and was given to excessive drinking at times. though most of the time he was d hard working person and for his industry commanded the respect of those who knew him. In his prejudices he was almost insane He fancied enemies he never had and i'm agined that every other nurseryman sought to do him injury. One who knew him in his younger life in Pitts burg. Pa. said he left hors going down the river in a boat that was wrecked when several persons on board were drowned. He never in formed his relatives of his escape nor did he ever communicate with them. Though he was raised a Catholic he formed d prejudice against that church which represents the religion of his wife, who is a Mexican woman. and would not permit his children to at tend it. though he did not try to keep them from going to other churhes.
 An Earlier Murder.
 Wagner was probably a little over 90 years old and has lived in this county twenty years or more. About eighteen years ago he was engaged in ranching near Agua Caliente Hot Springs and a feud arose between him and Frank Fry, a man who was en- gagged in business in Phoenix and also had property interests in Agua Cali ente. one day Fry was riding along the road near Wagner's house when the latter crossed the road near him and turning fired and killed him with a shotgun. There were no witnesses except some Indian squaws and after q long and tedious trial Wagner was
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