El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-21
NAR|C0PA SLIM
HOBOES' ENEMY
Flight of Dead Arizona Of
ficers' Brothers Recalls
His Exploits.
By RALPH E. HEBRON.

The career of 'AIaricopa Slim" the
name under which James G. Powers,
the famous Southern Pacific railroad
special agent at Maricopa. Ariz, was
1 known among tramps. hoboes, yegg-
men and the riffraff Of the under
dorld from coast to coast. has been
recalled wildly by the recent spec
tacular flight of his two brothers,
Tom and John Powers. together with
Tom J. Sisson, after the alleged MUIR
der of three Arizona peace officers in
the picturesque Aravaipa canyon.
north of Tucson
'Maricopa Slim was killed the
morning of November 4. 1914, when
the Al G. Barnes circus passed
through the little desert junction. by
an employe Of the circus with whom
he had an alteration, but in the
fight the other man was fatally
wounded, dying a few days afterward
in the state penitentiary at Florence,
Ariz-, where he had been transferred.
Earns 'EVaSs'" Hatred.
The exploits which earned for
'Maricopa Slim" the undying hatred
of the vagabonds Of the United States
were performed while he was a rail-
road officer and deputy sheriff of
Maricopa county For about four
years he remained at this station,
which is the junction of the Phoenix
branch of the Arizona Eastern rail-
road with the Southern Pacific.
through which passed thousands Of
Migrants during the year
In these nomads the name Of Mari
copa Slim" commanded a curious feel
ing of mingled fear. awe and deep
hatred The average hobo beating
his way through Arizona always laid
his plans to get past Maricopa with
out coming in contact with the Of
ficer. II possible. and, If successful.
he always breathed a sigh of relief
when the little sunbaked station was
passed
Wear Scars of Gun.
Tales of the alleged cruelty and
over the country by scores of the
Migrants who had not been so for
tunate and who carried scars, which
they exhibited with a sort of resent
full pride. Most Of these hoboes
charged that they had been beaten
claimed TO be Sims favorite manner
OF handling trespassers who poached
rides on freight trains.
All sorts of fantastic tales were
current through the country Of Mari
copa Sims" methods Whether these
tales were true or not, they were re-
ligiously believed by the fraternity
numerous threats to get" the officer
at some future time.
Railroad officials heard OF the
charges Of cruelty against slim"
but they were wont 10 excuse any
undue severity against hoboes by
saying that anything that slim" did
was called for by the desperate ma
ture Of the rabble he had to deal
with
Many petitions were made to Gov.
George W p. Hunt to revoke Sims
commission as a deputy, but they were
never successful. for it was admitted
that he aided officers all over the
state in catching fugitives and was
a valuable peace officer
Contrasting Views of the Man.
Contrasting views of the character
OF the famous railroad detective might |
be gained by reading two different !
news accounts OF the passing Of the I
officer. In a story published in the /
Tucson Star the account began:
Loyal and faithful to the last. /
special officer James G. Powers, OF /
the Southern Pacific company at 4
better known as Maricopa /
SLIM the most hated. most feared and 1
most fearless Of all western railroad /
police officers. was shot and fatally /
wounded by Patrick Meehan, an en- /
ploye of the Al G. Barnes circus"
Quite different was the view ex- i
pressed in a story Of the affair in /
the Yuma Examiner. written in the !
old fashioned western newspaper /
style. full of editorial opinions Of an /
uncomplimentary nature concerning !
the dead officer:
"Gunman AIaricopa Slim dies with
boots on Got what he had coming
to him for a number of years He
got nine. but the ninth got him." was
the headline Of the story.
Says Fighters Mortal Enemies.
In this story OF the affair, the fight
between Maricopa Slim" and the
clown. called "Sideshow Black" was
as the meeting Of two
men who were mortal enemies The
slayer of '-Slim" was characterized as
1 "benefactor of mankind" and the
account closed with the remarkable
Among the many unfortunates who
nave had occasion to meet with abuse
rom this Maricopa officer and who
/ sigh of relief at the killing OF one,
sret because of the ninth victim OF
killer"
sslims Not OF Indian Blood.
The story that the Powers broth
rs. Tom and John, who are both
nder 80. were brothers of the famous
Maricopa Slim" came from the As
Ociated Press correspondent at Globe.
Is the elder Powers was reported TO
ave married an Indian woman about
5 years ago and the two younger
Joys were half breeds, it is evident
hat the relationship was only that OF
alf brother, as slim" was IS years
-