Graham guardian., 1914-11-06
DIR. .FL0WERCAUG
Arizona Mine Swindler Is
- -. Landed Behind the Bars
in Toronto

1
familiar with his operations In this
State.
Doe Flower was the crsftiest
swindler this country has ever
known" said George H. Smslley,
an Arizonan. who exposed the $l0,-
900, 900 INNINGS windle in 1899, when
he was mining editor of Phoenix
paper.
He manipulated things so deftly
that some of the most prominent
mining men and editors in the coun-
try were deceived. When my ex-
pose appeared in the New York
Mining and Engineering Journal,
DR., Flowers stock went up ten
points in New York and the Mail
and Express and other papers car
tried fdll page stories denouncing
the expose as the work Of malcon-
tent. The Hartford Courant. the
leading paper Of Connecticut. brand
ed my, story as a lie and said that
DR.. Flowers Spenazuma was the
greatest mine in the world.
Flower had wonderful organi-
zation and he pulled his wires with
such skill that the effect Of my first
story seemed absolutely lost and the
factory girls and widows, whom
Flower trapped by the thousands,
continued to rush into his net.
Il wrote stories for the New
York World and other eastern papers
and kept the wires hot with spec
ials. That my stuff was beginning
to get under Docs hide was APP
parent when he sent his attorney
out to see" me. never knew
there were so many ways to get
money to person until ! encouraged
Docs" special envoy. He had
been trained with special care under
Docs" tutorage and he was the
finished product ofathat adroit
artists skill. Governor N. o. Muir
ply warned me that they would get
me and he held his message to the
eastern people warning them against
Docs" fake mining deal until he
became satisfied that / had nothing
to sell.
The fight to rid Arizonarof Doc
Flower lasted six months. Flower
was a-fghter and resorted to the
vilest means in attempting to-gain
his points. He put up job after,
job and secured the aid of Arizonans,
some innocent victims and others
vicious money, sharks.
He finally gave up Black Rock
after | had trailed the ore packers
and found where they got the ore
that was piled on dumps at Spena-
yuma. Boyd Brooks. city treasurer,
then justice of the peace at Geroni-
mo; Alaska Tom,' a noted character
in Graham county; Bill Duncan.
cowman, and Dory Morris, Of SAT-
ford. and the cowboys who furnished
me with fresh horses while. hunting
the source of Flowers ore supply
on the. strip were the men who
helped me through with my end of
the game with Doc Flower.
Leaving Back Rock, he re-
treated to the Clark district, where
he engaged in extensive operations.
i followed him there and camped in
the pines near his new Ell Dorado.
Climbing cut Of a shaft one mo n
ing rife bullet struck few i,et
from 5me and realized Doc was
getting real mad. With Dory NJ r
ris, | walked over to the man ga"rd
ing the G aims and ,foun that h
was Docs ag, mt al b ,ack Rock, wac
had ordered me off the claims lh"re
several weeks before. He told me
he was shooting at u jack al.hit.
now without q keen realization fl
how jack rabbit feels, was sure
! was the rabbit that fellow was
after. .r,s.a...
The funniest incident connected
with this gigantic swindle was the
hold,up'of the Fasteners who were
brought out bv Doc Flower. Ny
friend, Alaska Tom, was the leader
Of. the ,hold-up gang. Doc arranged
it himself. When the caravan of
rolling Concord stages reached a
certain point Doc was to yell hold.
up and to fire his gun in the air.
The cowboys, under Alaska Tom,
went to the place where the hold.up
was to occur, catching their horses
and themselves, but when they raw
ladies' heads protrudipg from stage
windows, and fluffy maids perched
high on the drivers seat, the punch
ers were so intent in feasting upon
the apparition that they did not
hear Docs signal shot. and his
guests thought he had gone sudden.
ly insane when he yelled 'hold-up'
and there was nothing in sight to |
warrant the warning. Had their
eyes been sharp they might hay
seen a couple of dozen star. eyed
punchers peering from points among
the rocks.
The arrest of Doc Flower, his
plea of guilty. and final incarcera.
ton, is the finis of a long story and
ii carries the same old moral. The
eternal law of compensation works
slowly, but surely, and men must