Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-26
Dimes MAN If
TRIED TO KILL
PIONEER BEFRIENDS FORMER
ROAD AGENT
SECURES RELEASE OF MEXICAN
FROM PRISON
Fourteen Years After Desperate Fight
in Desert, Combatants Eat
Together in Los
Angeles

Fourteen years after a hand-to-hand
struggle on the desert, in which each
sought to take the life of the other
Major C. J.. Doran of Prescott, Ariza
and Francisco Valdez, former bandit
and stage robber, dined together at
the Hotel Nadeau last evening. VAL
dez served a term in the penitentiary
after the attempted holdup and was
pardoned by President Roosevelt after
intercession in his behalf by Major
Doran, when he went to washington
to oppose joint statehood.
When Francisco heard yesterday
that Major Doran was in the city he
called at the hotel to see him. The
Arizonan did not recognize Francisco
as the bandit with whom fourteen
years ago. he had a desperate encoun-
ter and whose pardon he brought about
because the highwayman had spared
his life after the fight.
When Francisco made himself known
the Arizonan, although nearly 10 years
old, gave him such hearty handclasp
that he WINGED. But he returned 1t,
and as it was near the lunch hour
Major Doran insisted that Francisco
take lunch with him. which he ala.
Eat Lunch Together
Thus the two might have been seen
at lunch. now laughing together, now
talking earnestly and seriously.
And behind it all there is story
which rivals many tale or nctlon'
and presents in concrete form the char
acter of Javert, the unrelenting agent
of the law, who, rather than prosecute
good man, jumped into the Seine.
Major Doran has not only helped a
convict, but he has paid debt to the
man who spared his life, and has as
sisted in redeeming the highwayman,
who is now engaged in an honorable
business, that of exploring mining
property.
Mai. Doran has had a wide experience
in Arizona. He was elected sheriff of
Pinal county served as one of the
county supervisors and was council
man for four years, in the territorial
legislature. At the time of his encoun-
ter with Francisco (by which name ne
calls the former road agent the latter
did not know he was dealing with the
most implacable foe of lawlessness IN
Pinal county or the territory of Ari-
iona.
"Had he known this, at the time"
said Maj. Doran yesterday, Francisco
would have punctured me"
Mai. Doran related the story of his
experience with his luneheon guest
but refused to use any but the name
bv which his friend was christened.
To-day he said to me: My life is not
my own; it belongs to you, and as 1t Is
yours I shall devote it to good deeds
so that you will never be ashamed to
admit that my life is yours. He eX-
pressed this in Spanish, and more beau
tifully than it can be told in English ="
The major then told of the stage
holdup. On October 5, 1895, he started
from Florence, in Pinal county, Ariz.,
for Casa Grande, a distance of twenty
four miles. The stage left at noon and
he was the only passenger. The stage
had reached a playa, or dry lake about
half way on the trip, and the road be-
ing smooth he picked up an old paper
and was reading the account of hold
up in Lake county Cal.
Major Is Overcome
The stage came suddenly to a stop
and a man on horse, masked and
armed, covered him. He gave up four
silver half dollars and then the stage
driver was forced to give up what
money he had. The bandit dismounted
and forced Maj. Doran to cut open the
mail bag When the mail bag was
opened and it's contents emptied on the
ground the bandit remarked that it did
not look valuable. Maj. Doran, though
his right hand was useless, due to an
accident, scattered the mail with his