The Mena weekly star., 1911-10-19
Mining Engineers Who Found tine Body, Tell Story That Indicates Heroic Defense Made by the
 Doomed Man.
SURVIVED BY WIFE AND CHILL DREN, WHO LIVE IN WA
 BASH, IND.
Arizona Man Sent Inquiries to County Judge Martin, Including Picture of Dead Man--The
 Wife Also Writes.

V. r. itidBWdJ, WHO was qutLc well known in Mena as hustling real estate man, located at Wickes, this county, met a tragic death in Mex ico, about i25 miles south of the boundary line, on or near August i2, about a month after he left Polk county to go to Tuscon, Ariz.
 County Judge w. N. Martin has received letter from k. Bardsoe Bancroft of Phoenix, Ariz., enclos- ing the report of two mining en- gneers who found Ridgway's re- mains and effects, and making in- quiry as to his family and friends. The letter also contained a postcard photo of Mir. Hidgway, taken at Wickes year ago last summer as he was standing by the branches of a heavily fruited peach tree: to- gether with his then partner, Claude Greene. This photo was found in the effects of the dead man in the cave where he made gal- lant fight for his life.
 Judge Martin also has received Ia letter from Mrs. Rena Ridgway, the widow. who with four chil- dren, who lives in Wabash, Ind, the home of Mir. Ridgway up to the time he located at Wickes.
 From the report of the men who found Mir. Ridgways remains, it is evident that when he was attack cd by the Indians he retreated to cave and there alone held the band at bay, and that those who did not fall from his rifle shots became lconvinced that they could not take him and gave up the fight, leaving him, as it seems, fatally wounded. The report of Harry J. N. Fhrock- morton and Stanely W. Harrington, the mining engineers who found the body, is as follows:
 The 0cial Report.
 ''On August i9 we were making a trip for the county to look up some claims, were crossing up through the Assault district, going by the way Of the Yaqui Mona Pass, was about 50 miles north and about 8
 miles east of here. We were going q short distance ahead of the pack
 when discovered a dead boro. As
 this was something unusual, I con-
 cluded7to investigate, and found
 that it had been shot. About this time the pack came up and we
 started on. Going a short distance, lone of the peons discovered a dead peon laying on the side of the flat
 We halted and found another laying
 near spring. Both had been shot land scalped. We stopped and made i camp aid, .., .:l.s.s Hanainslan IL.
 started 10 see what had happened We found dim tra,. leading frun
 lLc spring up small gulch.
 | Founl Dead Indian.
 | We followed this until we came
 near the top of narrow bcnch | about 250 paces from the spring.
 when we found a dead Yaqui. Get lting on top of the bench we found 1.-two more lying close together. Har-
 rington, going to the left, found an Iother one. I went straight on and lseeing sign of camp. turned to the fright and found cave with rock lpiled in the mouth of it.
 Calling Harrington, we climbed lover tirc ruUh into into the the eeasa ea.sa ana found a dead white man there. Wt looked through the cave, but diC lnot find any more bodies. Going
 outside, we made more extensive Isearch, finding four more dead Yal- luis which were scattered in ctr lcIe in front of the cave. On exam lining them we were surprised k , find that five of the eight had beer | shot through the forehead.
 , "As this was unusual, we made a very careful investigation Of the
 surroundings Going back too tht leave we found that all around the lfront of it were spattered balls. Gos ling inside again, we could not find that there had been more than one ] Iman in the cave. while the shooting Ishells were of the same calihrc and fitted the gun that was leaning Iagainst the rock close to the body
 Was Shot Twice.
 We examined the body and found : Ithat it had been shot twice. 0ncs through the fleshy part of the thigh