The border vidette., 1933-05-06
MOSON TELLS OWN STORY
By Frank M. King

There has been a heap written
and told about the riot they had
at Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. at
the time that great copper camp
was at its height, and the late
Colonel w. G. Greene was boom.
ing things ia his booming way,
after having put Cananea on the
map. starting With one bole in
the ground to the second largest
copper camp in the world. Most
of the stories I have read have
not much truth in 'em. Several
fellows have written stuff to
show what game guys they was
and how they carried the big
fight on their own shoulders. |
know a heap about that affair and
| want to say here and now that
ALL the fghin' and KILN was
done by that game but modest
young feller. Frank B. Moson,
step-son of Colonel Greene, and
at that time general manager of
all Greene's great cattle ranges
and bis cowboys.
| have a letter from Frank on
the subject which I asked for
and which [ know to be abso
lutely true. Here it is like be
wrote it:
Hereford, Arizona, Feb. 26
Friend Frank: Complying
with the req lest sent me through
Stan | will tell you about the
Cananea fracas.
[ got into Cananea about 2 p.
N. and went around to the
Greene house where I made my
home when in town. The house
was all ia commotion. Mrs.
Greene said. "Oh Mo! I am so
glad you came. Have you seen
the mob? They have just pass
ed in front of the house. drunk.
shooting aud waving red flags
about thousand of them! And
Mr.. Greene is up at the mines. !"
! replied by saying: We'll, the
! first thing I am going to do is
get something TO eat"
| About that time Mr.. Greene
arrived with Dwight, the super
intendent, and about a dozen
others. He called me toto the
library aud said: Give each
man gun and box of cartridges
The mob has burnt the lumber
yards and killed Metcalf and bis
brother. They intend to burn
the town aud kill all of US they
can"
By that time everyone in the
room had received his rifls and
box Of cartridges. We went di.
rectly south one block and form.
ed deadline across the street
and there awaited the mob. The
mob was being led by a man on
big black horse and when they
came abreast of US we lined up
across the street at Mr.. Greene's
orders. The fellow on the black
horse spurred his horse and
reached for bis gun. Wild Bill
Jennison lurched at him. Some
one tripped Bill, who fell, and
then the fun began.
The shooting hadn't been go.
ing on long before there was a
long distance telephone call for
Mr.. Greene. Wnen be put up
the receiver be said to me:
Teddy Roosevelt just called me
and says the American soldiers
at Fort Huachuca are being held
IN readiness to proceed to Ca
nauea on short notice. We will
handle this ourselves, though, if
we can, but if the American
troops do come over you can
meet them som where between
here and the border line and
camp them at the old Davdell
place down in the canyon"
The troops were not needed,
however, as the next day Epes
Randolph. the Southern Pacific
superintendent, made up a train
from Tacson and Bisbee and
sent them across the line with a
bunch Of Tucson people and Bis
bee miners. The governor of
Sonora and his personal guard
came into Cananea on the same
train. The fighting was practi
calIy over. however, by this
time. Three whites and one
hundred and ten Mexicans had
been killed.
TWO BIGGEST FIGHTS
Toe two biggest fights took
place when we turned the mob
back the first time and when |
and six other cowpunchers made
our stand on the railroad at the
end of the big bridge between