Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1910-07-17

DOUGLAS. July 16.-(Special. y
The coming of Governor Richard
E. Sloan to Douglas. as the guest of
the city this week, recalls the fact
OF a stirring incident which occurred
simultaneously with his appointment
as associate justice of the supreme
court OF Arizona twenty-one years
ago The incident was the removal
OF Judge W. H. Barnes. who had been
Judge of the old Tucson district, I'M
der Grover Cleveland and remained
on the bench under President Har-
rison until the fall Of 1889. when he
was removed by wire and r. f.
Sloan, then residing at Florence, was
named as his successor.
Judge Barnes. although regarded
as one of the ablest judges who
ever sat on the supreme bench Of
Arizona, had political enemies not
only in the republican party but In
the democratic party in which he
had been prominent and of which he
was acknowledged head in Tucson
and Pima county Barnes had been
one of the enemies of Governor c.
Meyer Zulick and on that account he
had the entire Zulick following con-
stantly on his official and political
trail.
Wham Robbery.
In October. 1889. the United States
court was convened in regular ses-
sion in Tucson and among the cases
to be disposed of at that time was
what has become known as the IA
nous "Wham robbery trial" In the
month of June. 1889, when Major j.
W. Wham, paymaster of the United
States army, was going from Fort
Grant to Fort Thomas. carrying $685.
600 in gold with which to pay the
soldiers at Forts Thomas and San
Carlos, and when going down a can
yon of the Graham mountains a short
distance north Of Cedar springs he
was ambushed by some ten or twelve
highwaymen. who opened fire from
improyised forts on the mountain
side Major Wham and his escort
were stampeded and got away from
the scene of disturbance as fast as
their legs would carry them. with
bullets flying fast in pursuit. One of
the colored soldiers was shot as he
went over a ridge, but was not Sc
riously injured. The robbers broke
the strong box. secured the gold and
disappeared into the mountains A
roundup was going on in the vicinity
and the story of the officials pointed
to cowboys as the guilty robbers.
Eight were arrested and were on
hand for indictment and trial when
court convened in the fall of 1889.
After Judge Barnes.
Every effort had been made by
the enemies of Judge Barnes to Sc
cure the appointment of his success
scr from the day of the inauguration
of President Harrison, but without
success. Ben Goodrich and Mark
Smith, then law partners. had been
retained to defend those charged with
the robbery of Paymaster Wham,
Some OF the defendants were also
known as personal friends OF Judge
i barnes and had been Of some prom
linence in local politics in the ella
valley and Graham county w. X
Mead was then United States mar
shall. also a holdover from the Cleve
land administration. Meade was a
bitter political enemy Of Judge
Barnes and, according to understand
ling at the time. he joined with the
republicans to make a final effort &c
secure Judge Barnes official scalp
before the important trial began
When the grand jury was empan
elled and retired to its room the first
thing it did was to prepare and send
telegram to the department of jus
tice at Washington. recommending
, the immediate removal of Judge
Barnes who was accused Of beins
in league with those who sought the
failure Of the prosecution OF the
Wham robbers. Naturally the gov
eminent was deeply interested in
this case, having employed Colone
VIM. Herring OF Tombstone as as
sistant to United States Attorney
lJeHries. who had recently been ap
pointed to that Office.
The telegram had hardly reached
Washington before Judge Barnes had
Barnes Roasts Jury.
secured a copy of It. He was en-
ragged by the action of the jury and
on being informed of it he adjourned
, the morning session of the court
When court was opened in the after
noon he summoned the grand jurJ
Into his presence. When the jury
arrived he read aloud the telegram
: which had been sent to Washington
; and Inquired of the foreman OF tbs
jury if the telegram which he had
= read was a copy Of the one sent &c
the department Of justice by the
iury The foreman admitted that Il