C . Meyer Zulick Conrad Meyer Zulick ( June 3 , 1839 – March 1 , 1926 ) was an American jurist and Democratic Party activist who became the seventh Governor of Arizona Territory . During his term the Indian Wars ended and the territorial capital was moved from Prescott to Phoenix . He is also known for having been a prisoner in Mexico at the time of his appointment . Background . Zulick was born June 3 , 1839 , in Easton , Pennsylvania , to Anthony and Jane Morton ( Cummings ) Zulick . His father was an immigrant from Frankfurt , Germany , while his mother was a Pennsylvania native . Zulick ' s family lived at a private school called Minerva Hall where , supplemented by private tutors , he received his early education . He was trained as an attorney and in June 1860 was admitted to the New Jersey bar . Zulick also campaigned for Stephen A . Douglas in the 1860 presidential election . When the American Civil War began , Zulick became adjutant for the Second Division of Colored Volunteers . He rose to unit command before being discharged as a colonel for a service - incurred disability . Following discharge , he moved to Newark , New Jersey and became the first Surrogate of Essex County from the Democratic Party . Zulick married Caroline L . Nightingale and the couple had one daughter , Lillian Carlotta . Zulick ' s grandson was Naval aviator DeWitt C . Ramsey . President Andrew Johnson appointed Zulick Collector of Internal Revenue for Essex County , while in 1879 he was elected Surrogate Judge of Essex County . Zulick was a delegate to the 1880 Democratic National Convention and campaigned for his party . At the same time he turned down offers for political nominations to be Governor or a member of Congress as he had developed business interests in Arizona and planned to move to the territory . By late 1884 he had moved to Tombstone , Arizona Territory . Governorship . Zulick ' s appointment as Territorial Governor was due mainly to lobbying by Senator John R . McPherson of New Jersey . President Grover Cleveland nominated him as a recess appointment on October 14 , 1885 , with the U . S . Senate confirming the appointment on December 10 , 1885 . The appointment was renewed for a full four - year term on May 5 , 1886 . At time of his appointment , Zulick was imprisoned at Nacozari , Sonora . He had gone to the town in his role as President of the New Jersey and Sonora Copper Mines to resolve a financial dispute . After arriving he found out that under Mexican law he could be arrested and held until the company ' s debts were paid . A rescue mission was organized and former army scout M . T . " Doc " Donovan freed the prisoner during a 2 am foray . Zulick was not informed of his appointment as governor until he had crossed the border back into the United States . Following his rescue , Zulick enjoyed a series of receptions in Tombstone , Tucson , and Phoenix as he journeyed to the capital . The predominately Democratic population and newspapers in turn celebrated the appointment of the first territorial governor from their party . Zulick was sworn in on November 2 , 1885 . The issues facing the new governor included smuggling along the Mexican border , patronage problems , and the recent escape by Geronimo and a group of Chiricahua Apache from the San Carlos Reservation . To address the smuggling issue , Zulick proposed four mounted inspectors be hired to patrol the border , ensuring that duties on alcohol and tobacco were collected and to prevent problems with livestock migrating over the border . The patronage issues were due to Republican appointees from the previous administration refusing to leave their positions until a court decree forced them to vacate . The Apache uprising caused more political problems for Zulick than the border smuggling . Concern over the " hostile " Indians caused most Arizonans to call for action against the Apache . Then , while the U . S . Army escalated military operations against the insurgency , the governor issued a December 23 , 1885 , proclamation telling the territory ' s citizens " not to take the law into your hands to punish the Apaches . " This decree was viewed unfavorably by the population with one newspaper editorializing , " He proclaimed that the citizens of Arizona were lawless ruffians , and in their wrath there was danger that they would hurt a few poor Indians . " Soon afterward Zulick ' s popularity plummeted and he was being referred to as a " trickster of the smallest caliber " and a " failure " . Despite his low approval among the populace , the governor maintained the confidence of President Cleveland and was thus safely remained in office . The territory faced financial problems during Zulick ' s administration . The 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature had left Arizona with a territorial debt of US $ 1 , 101 , 625 . Motivated in part by the excesses of this legislative session , the U . S . Congress on July 30 , 1886 passed a statue limiting territorial debt . Under these restrictions , the 14th Arizona Territorial Legislature appropriated only US $ 44 , 216 . 73 , down from the US $ 294 , 323 . 00 appropriated by the previous session . In addition to appropriations , the session granted the governor ' s request and passed a " Stock and Sanitary Law " requiring the registration of cattle brand s and the quarantine of livestock imported into the territory to check for infectious disease . The session also saw Zulick declare the curse of hostile Indians had come to an end following the capture of Geronimo ' s band . Despite these events , the action Zulick was most associated with in the session was the repeal of a " test oath law " designed to limit voting rights of Mormon immigrants to the territory . After arguing that " A man may be an advocate of bigamy or polygamy , or belong to the church that so believes , but until he puts forth his belief in practice he has offended no law " , Zulick was accused of making a political deal with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to control the territory . The election of President Benjamin Harrison signaled the end of Zulick ' s time as governor . A new governor however was not appointed till after the start of the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature . The first piece of legislation passed during this session moved the territorial capital from Prescott to Phoenix . Zulick ' s support for statehood was shown in Public Act Number 59 , which called for convening a . While this act was passed , the convention was never called as the governor ' s successor , Lewis Wolfley , felt it was an " unwise measure " . The final act of the Zulick administration was appointment for a full slate of territorial officials . Despite the slate being rejected by the legislature in favor of a competing slate nominated by Governor Wolfley , many of those nominated by Zulick refused to leave their appointed posts . This dual set of territorial officials would lead to political trouble for the incoming governor . After office . After leaving office as governor , Zulick moved to a farm near Phoenix where he raised figs , grapes , and oranges . He also purchased roughly 150 mares and raised horses . In November 1890 , he was elected to the 16th Arizona Territorial Legislature . With Grover Cleveland ' s return to the presidency in 1893 , Zulick was suggested as a possible territorial governor . This suggestion was repeated in 1895 as part of the efforts to remove L . C . Hughes from office . Upon retirement , Zulick returned to New Jersey . He died in Asbury Park , New Jersey , on March 2 , 1926 , and was interred in Easton Cemetery in Easton .