Arizona republican., 1921-01-26
JAP RANCHER IS BRUTALLY SLAIN
 NEAR ACRE CITY,; EDDY MUTILATED
Murderers With Axe Kill s. Nakamine AS He Is About To Prepare Break fast-Oficials Search For Two Mexicans

With nine deep cuts from the blade of an axe on the head and arms, the body of Shingi Nakamine, a Japanese gardener living near Acre city two miles east of Phoenix, was found yes terday morning about o'clock lying in garden hot bed about 15 feet from the door of his house Two bloody axes found near the body told the man ner in which the Japanese had been brutally murdered. Officers are search ing for two Mexicans who were chop ping wood on the ranch late Monday night, who are suspected of the murder which recalls the Erhardt murders of last June. The body of Nakamine, who lived alone on his ranch, was found by s. Uyema, a neighbor who went to the Nakamine ranch to borrow some harness.
 Robbery is thought to have been the motive for the crime. A watch chain from which the watch had been torn was found beside the body and all the money had been removed from the pockets and from the house. Officers estimate from information furnished by Uyema and other neighbors that Naka- mine probably had about $500 in cash and money orders about his home. bond for several hundred dollars was not taken by the murderers.
 Fought For His Life
 From signs in the vicinity of the body, the Japanese had put up a game though unequal fight for his life Boards covering hot beds about the doorway were moved about and marks on the ground showed that Nalxan1ine had rolled over several times after he had been battered down with the axes The bloody axes indicate that two per sons attacked the Japanese.
 HM f- cured early yesterday morning while the Japanese was preparing hts break. fast He was attacked, the officers believe. as he stepped from the door of his home with a pan Of rice in one hand and bucket in the other. It ap- pears he was intending to get some water from we'll near by. The pan of rice was found on the ground about 1e feet from the doorway It evidently had been placed upon the ground as the contents had not spilled The bucket was lying near the pan of rice. On the back of the mans head were two deep cuts from the blade of an axe Each of the cuts was deep and
 almost severed the head from the neck. Three cuts were found on the forehead. one on each side and one in the middle. All three cuts penetrated the brain. A deep cut was found on the left cheek
 
 crushed with the back of the axe leav- ing the marks from the cross bar cor rugation on the poll of the axe. The
 left elbow had been cut with a blow and the right forearm just below the elbow was almost severed. 4 deep cut l was found on the back extending from the waist line diagonally across to the left hip. Thus cut was about 10 inches
 long.
 
 Suspect Two Mexieans The effects in the home of the Jap anese had not been disturbed with the exception of a suitcase which Sheriff Montg omery and Leo Troutman found
 near the river. The suitcase contained
 a leather pocketbook which had been
 rifled. Several letters a passport and . a money order for 500 were found in , the suitcase. The contents of the suit
 case were not stained with blood. The axes with which the brutal crime was committed, officers said belonged , to a neighbor of the Japanese. They ! had been loaned to two Mexicans, the
 officers said, whose names are Ramon
 Aria and Francisco Gutierrez. The
 Mexicans had been employed by this
 neighbor in chopping wood on the Nakamine ranch and were last seen 2 late Monday evening. Aria is describe ed as about 25 years old, five feet, six
 inches in height. weighing about 14C pounds and very light compiexioned y He wore a checkered cap. Gutierrez n is described as being about 2E years . old, five feet, five inches tall I2C pounds and very dark with short fCor%t,Yad or paC~ Tttra.N