Bisbee daily review., 1916-01-30
H0MOC|DES INCREASE IN
 COUNTY
While There Has Been Falling Of of Smaller Felonies, Since Dry Law Took Eff feet Murders Increase.
FOURTEEN TRIED IN
 THE PAST 12 MONTHS
Two Killings Have Occurred During the Present Month. Two Acquittals Had During Time Involved.


 TOMBSTONE, Jan. 29.-(SpeciaD. While there may be a falling off in
 the number of smaller felonies in Co
 chise county since the prohibition law
 went into effect this does not apply
 to the number of homicide sthat are
 being committed. During the past 13 months no less than sixteen persons charged with murder, have been be- fore the superior court. Of this num- Der four were homicides committed in 1914, three were arrested during that year, but were not tried until 1915, while the other committed a crime in December, but was not arrest ed until 1915.
 During the past month there have been two homicides committed, but these cases are not included in the sixteen mentioned. There is not an other county in the state that has near the number of murders upon it's re- cord. Of the sixteen there have been convictions in all but three cases. In two of these the juries brought in verdicts of acquittal and in other case a plea of not guilty has been enter ed and the case is to be tried later There were a number of pleas of gull ty in the cases of murder in the second degree and to manslaughter, but these are counted as convictions in the court records and the showing made speaks tryith arnhif nr tho atfnrnnu'c at office and that of the sheriff. The case included in the list are as follows:
 Si West, who was convicted of the killing of Mervin Johnson on New Years day at McNeal and was tried Oh February 26 and found guilty of man. slaughter. He was sentenced to serve a term of not less than two andone- half years to ten years.
 Ben Merriweather and Chas. Dingle, who on February 6, killed Amado Her nandez on the road between Douglas and Forest and who were tried on Feb ruary 6. They were found guilty and sentenced to be hung. The case was appeal and is now before the Supl cllC COuil Ol luiS Sldlc
 Harry McCool, who was tried in March for the killing of Louis Capello, in Bisbee, on February 22, 1914, and was found guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to serve not less than nine nor more than ten years.
 Nicholas Merkovics. who plead gull to murder in the second degree for the killing of Leo Mccormick, -on June 6 at Camp Douglas, and was sentenc- ed to from ten years to life.
 John Kikos. who in December, 1914, killed Leo Giaovich in Upper Brewery Gulch in Bisbee and who escaped, and was captured in February, 1915, at Memphis, Tenn, on March 4 entered plea of guilty to murder in the second degree and was sentenced to serve from ten years to life. He made his es- cape from the penitentiary at Flor ence a few months ago and has not been heard of since.
 w w Faust, who in July killed Ed ward Hale at Apache and who in Oc- tober was found guilty of manslaugh- ter and sentenced to serve a term of not less than one year nor more than five years.
 Edward Scarborough, who on June 2 killed John Clinton at his ranch on the San Pedro river near the Mexican line and who, on December was found guilty of murder in the second dooroo oo1 ,,hoea oaca ;o pnur np on peal to the Supreme Court. He is still confined to the county jail on ac- count of the issuance of a writ of probable cause by the court. An ap- plication was recently made for bail pending the appeal, but it was denied by Judge Lockwood An appeal from this ruling has also been made and will be heard by the supreme court.
 Cal Cox, who was arrested for the same offense as Scarborough, but was acquitted by the jury. In this instance the court instructed the jury to bring in averdict of guilty of murder in the first degree or acquittal. This was necessary, however, on account of the testimony that was introduced in the case and reflects with no discredit on the officer in charge of the prosecu- 1. ton.
 Felix Lopez, who in June stabbed and killed one R. Lugo in Douglas. who was tried and found builty of murder in the first degree and was
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