The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1914-11-27
CIRCUS CLOWN DEAD
Of BULLET
WOUND J,
Man Who Is Believed to Have Killed
'Marlcopa Slim Powers Suceumbs
to Wounds Given by Powers.


News of the death OF Patrick Nee
han, employee of the Al G.. Barnes
circus, who killed James G., Powers
"Maricopa Slim" at Maricopa last
week, has been received by Tucson Of
Ificers from Florence, where Meehan
was taken after being badly wounded
in the fight.
The assailant of "Maricopa Slim
has been christened with a number
of names. The name in the official
reports was given as Patrick Meehan,
but no one really believed that this
was his real name. To officers on the
road to Florence he gave the name
of Edward Paridy, the name of fam
Gus clown of the United States, who
has been with all of the best circuses
in the country. Later at the prison
hospital he gave his name as Frank
NJ. Sawyer, aged 80 years. At Yuma
the newspapers, which supposedly got
their information from members of
the circus, which showed in that city
Immediately following the shooting,
gave his name as "Sideshow Black"
Many Stories of Tragedy.
There have been quite as many
stories of the shooting current. The
story told by witnesses and accepted
as the official version was that Nee
han, with other white men, was en-
gagged with negro emylopees in a quar-
rel and that Powers interferred to
protect the negroes, with the shooting
as a result. In this version Powers
as repirted to have ordered Meehan
to throw up his hands, when the lat
ter replied by shooting Powers in the
stomach.
Another version told by Meehan or
Sawyer at Florence,e and which was
also the story told by Tim Sullivan,
another employee of the circus, was
to the effect that Sawyer was shot first
and that he did not know he was in a
light at all until he was shot. After
falling, this version of the fair is to
the effect that Sawyer began shooting
while lying on the ground,with deadly
effect.
Still another version, told by show
people at Yuma, was to the effect that
"Sideshow Black sand 'Maricopa
Slim" were ancient enemies. having
had a quarrel three years ago and
that Slim" heard that Black was COM
ing with the circus to get" him .Ac-
Icording to the story, Slim" met Black
and knocked his hat on, feeling the
lAtter's head to identity him by scar.
When Black turned to go, the account
goes, Powers shot him in the back
Stir Anctser Version.
Still another version of the affair
told4b officers, which has never been
made public up to the present, is that
'Maricopa Slim" had been tipped of
that a negro, charged with rape in
Oklahoma, was travelling with the
show and that a reward of $1400 had
been offered for him. 1t is claimed
that an Indian from Oklahoma, who
was wealthy cattle dealer, saw the
negro in question at Tempe and noti-
fed Slim by telephone, telling him
to wait for the circus train and get
the negro and agreeing that the two
should divide the reward.
In the meantime the trouble be-
tween the negroes and whites started
at the circus train, west of the Mari
copa depot, and the crowd of near
rioters was dispersed by Special De-
tective Roth of the circus. Just as
they we're dispensing Meehan is al
legged to have fired a shot at some
negro, who. feigning death, dropped
.Meehan, then exclaimed to one of his
friends, well, 1 have got one Of them
and 1 will get the other"
Just then "Slim" came up and
hearing the remark, ordered Meehan
to. throw up his hands. The shooting
then started, with the fatal results
that followed.