The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1913-05-23
WATSON BOYS NOW
CONFESS KILLING !.
FATHER
Sons Of Douglas Rancher Say He Was
Brute And Was Cruel To All
Members of the Family.
BAIL IS REFUSED SLAYERS
Mother of Boys Appears In Court and
Corroborates Their Story
To Judge.

| 'io"e' oi ooyS appears In Court and
Corroborates Their Story
To Judge.
DOUGLAS, May 14.-Otto and Fred
watson, aged 10 and 21 respectivelv
who were arrested recently and chare.
ed with the murder of thir father. viii
nam watson, ranchman, confessed
To-Day that they committed the crime.
they said their father was cruel to
tnem and their mother. The BOYS
said he was about to pull the trigger
OF revolver aimed at them when
they shot him
otto Watson, as spokesman, said;
Ever since l can remember, nv
rather has treated us all like brutes
He has threatened to cut our throats.
anq pulled knife on us seyeral
times. He threatened to dynamite
the house recently. Not long ago he
threw lamp at my mother 1t burst
against the door and set the house on
hre My brother Fred picked up
10 gallon water cask and put out the
nre. He. couldn't have done it if
he hadn't been SO scared. At the
same time he threw a shoe at INV
mother. That was burned by the fire.
Another time he threatened to cut
our throats with a razor.
One night not long ago, he got the
winchester rife, cooked it and put
1t under his bed. Then he called
me into ther DOM. 1 knew the gun
was there. He reached for it. but 7
beat him to it. After had the gun
l asked him what he wanted. He
asked me to bring him a drink of
water. and 1 did So
He abused my mother when shf
was in delicate condition, he cursed
and threatened her.
One night when we were peddIing
apples, about two weeks ago, 1 told
him Il wanted to go to school. He
accused my mother of wanting to let
Us go to school instead of hefpife
1im work. He backed her into
doorway, put a revolver against her
stomach and punched her with it,
threatening to kill her.
Both my brother and + have scars
IN our heads where he hit us , have
scar on my face where he cut me
With a knife .-~,.<
BISBEE, May 15.-Otto Watson,
lged FL, and his brother Fred, aged
3, were brought to Bisbee Wednes-
lay morning from Douglas and re-
handed in Jail here until the aftec-
loon, when taken to Tombstone BY
Sheriff Wheeler -a..a
The two in thee ounty Jail yester-
lay appeared mere lads, although the
'Ider bore some traces of the bitter
less that had cme to him through
he alleged brutality practiced by the
ather toward the members of his
amily and carried certain hardness
n his face that was absent in that of
he younger boy. Both were nervous
nd. appeared to have increasing
ealization of the horror of the act
hey had committed, even though
hey try to excuse it on the ground
self defense and by the statement
the elder that his fire was direct
d with the intention of only disabling
he gun hand of his father Both
oys, however. looked sufficiently ma
ure to have known better than to
ill in attempt to allay their troubles.
You are old enough to have earned
our own livings, why did you not
cave home,'' was asked, land avoid
II this?"
Neither boy aswered Immediately.
10Th hung their heads The elder
nally said:
Maybe if someone had told US that
efore it happened we would have.
ut the way it was, we just kept
aging around. Mother needed US
nd all the time it was uncertain
nat would happen next, and l guess
9 just thought there wasn't anything
Sc to do but stay
TOMBSTONE, May. 15.-Otto and
red Watson, charged with killing
leir father near their home on Sat
rday, were today denied bail and re-
anded to Jail by Judge Sutter in the
lperior court.
Application for bail was made by
N. French, attorney of Douglas,
ho came to Tombstone this morning
,companied by the mother of the
,ys and brother of the dead man,
so a brother of Mrs. Watson who
me from Alamagordo, N. M, as soon
he heard of the tragedy.
The testimony of the two defend
its was heard by thee ourt and was
actical1y the same story as told by
e elder boy in his, confession at
ouglas before being taken to Jail.
rs Watson and also the brother of
e slain man corroborated the boys
that the family had been badly
eated on many occasions.
After the judge gave his decision
the application, Attorney French
ated that he might later make an
her application for bail when he
'uld be able to produce witnesses
her than members of the family.