Star Daley

The death penalty by hanging for first degree murder was part of the Arizona Statutes at Statehood in 1912. In 1914, there were 19 ballot propositions including one by initiative petition to abolish the death penalty. The proposition was defeated on a vote of 18,129 for and 19,381 against. In 1916, the citizens again gathered enough signatures to place the abolishment of the death penalty on the ballot. The death penalty was abolished by a vote of 18,936 for and 18,784 against. The death penalty was officially abolished on December 8, 1916. In May of 1917, Star Daley murdered James Gibson at a campsite east of Mesa. After a road chase, he was taken from the authorities and lynched by a group of 50 vigilantes at the scene of his crimes. Daley blamed his mother for what he became. He confessed: “I was raised in or near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. My stepfather who is Red Melvin, is known all over that state as a bank robber. He and my mother, who killed my little brother by putting boiling water on him, brought me up. “They used to make me go out and get girls for my mother’s brothel. On several occasions I helped my father to rob banks, and at the robbery of the bank at Glencoe, Oklahoma, I think I killed a man. I know I emptied a box of shells at the posse chasing us and am pretty sure I got one of them. I pulled off a lot of hold-ups there and was finally sent to the reformatory.” Daley eventually came to Arizona and was working at a ranch near Florence. On a Wednesday evening he attacked the rancher’s wife, but she succeeded in defending herself. He was ordered to leave the farm and stole a horse and saddle and fled into the night. On Thursday night, he came upon the camp of the Gibson’s who were camped in the desert about 23 miles east of Mesa. The Gibson’s had been visiting relatives in Globe and were on their way home to Tucson. They set up camp for the night and were preparing supper when Daley rode into camp. The Gibson’s offered Daley food and water and he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot James Gibson 6 times in the back. Daley indicated that “When he told me his name was Gibson, I thought he was the man who had ruined my sister I shot him in the heart.” Daley indicated that his sister was working at a brothel in Juarez when his sister was ruined by a man named Gibson. It appeared that these Gibson’s only shared a name with the man that had ruined Daley’s sister. Daley then told Mrs. Gibson “…there is no capital punishment in this state, so all I would get is a prison sentence. I won’t stay there long, and then I will come and get you.” Daley then made Mrs. Gibson disrobe followed by hours of “incredible horror.” The next morning, they loaded Gibson’s body into the car and headed toward Mesa. The car ran out of gas and Daley went to get gas. A bicyclist came along and talked to Mrs. Gibson and went and informed the Town Marshall. Daley was captured and taken to the Maricopa County Jail in downtown Phoenix. As the story of the crimes circulated, armed mobs began to gather in downtown Phoenix with the intention of lynching Daley there. The Sheriff decided to send Daley to Florence and slipped him out of the jail and into a car around midnight on Saturday night. Once the crowd realized Daley was gone, “…three cars swung out at a terrific pace started on a mission which they heartily believed would be applauded by the people of the country, and which would avenge at least one woman’s honor.” The chase went through Tempe and Mesa. The chase was going at well above 60 miles per hour and “…everything on the road gave it the right of way.” News reports indicated while the chase was on “…all the while at Florence was gathering the expectant mob – waiting, waiting.” The sheriff’s car was stopped near Florence and the deputies gave up Star Daley without a fight. Masked vigilantes took Daley to the scene of the crime. At about 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, a rope was thrown over the cross arm of a telephone pole and Daley was asked if he had any last words. “Yes, I hope this will be a lesson to all men like me. I am not to blame, it is the result of having a mother who worked in a brothel.” Press reports indicated “It was one of the most coolly handled hangings in the history of the state and there was no disorder.” Star Daley then became the last known man to be lynched in Arizona. That morning, a coroner’s jury was convened in Mesa and went to the site of the hanging to investigate. After hearing testimony from Mrs. Gibson and the lawmen involved, the coroner’s jury ruled “Justifiable homicide, by hanging, at the hands of unknown parties.” The body of Star Daley was cut down after the inquest and buried at the site of the crime. It was reported that “Governor Campbell, who had spent the entire night in an effort to find the crowd which had Daley in custody, arrived in time to witness the burial.” In the general election of 1918, a petition initiative was proposed to restore the death penalty. It was passed on a vote of 20,443 for and 10,602 against. Death by hanging in Arizona was restored on December 5, 1918.

The surveys of Arizona

On race weekends, it is the Hillside seating on turn four of Phoenix International Raceway. During the festivities, a few people climb to the top of the hill and probably wonder about the origins of the concrete cross that rests there. Fewer still appreciate that this point could have been along the border of Mexico and the United States, and signifies the point where almost all private parcels of land in Arizona are surveyed from. In late 1851, a group of surveyors climbed the hill, undoubtedly admired the view of the pristine Salt River Valley, and built a circular monument with an eight foot base made of rocks lying nearby. The monument tapered upward eight feet to a four foot diameter on top. A center wooden pole, six feet high was marked “United States and Mexico Boundary Commission, 1851.” The monument was set by Andrew B. Gray, United States surveyor and Lieutenant A. W. Whipple leading a large survey crew. The monument was set to fulfill the agreement known as the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty of 1785. In January of 1867, William Pierce again climbed the hill with his 7 member survey crew. His crew crossed the Gila River that was over 200 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep to get to the point that would become the intersection of 115th Avenue and Baseline Road. His field notes indicate “I proceeded to perpetuate this corner (the center of the monument) as follows: I squared the post and marked it as a TP (township) corner.” Pierce had a contract for the first rectangular survey in what would become Arizona. His job was to set up township lines for the rectangular division of the land into 36 square mile townships so that they ultimately could be sold to settlers. His contract was “for the survey of certain lands in Arizona for the sum not to exceed seventy-five hundred dollars.” Pierce’s first order of business was to establish a line 36 miles to the east, or 6 townships. Much of this would later become Baseline Road, named after the baseline they were establishing for future surveyors. Pierce and his crew were able to establish this line in five days using rudimentary equipment including a solar compass, a chain of 33 feet made up of 50 links and a covered wagon and horses as transportation. They had to measure levelly over uneven terrain, had to cross the flowing rivers, and had to cut there way through the brush and obstacles they encountered. Their efforts took them from 115th Avenue to Power Road in five days. Pierce described the area: “Salt River, at this season of the year is a large stream…which renders it especially valuable for irrigation. I consider this valley…as containing some of the best agricultural land I have yet seen in the Territory, and would recommend that it be subdivided at an early day.” Pierce probably could never imagine the thriving metropolis that would occupy the land some 140 years later as he chained across Phoenix, established in 1870, Tempe, established in 1870, and finally Mesa, established in 1878. Pierce then returned to the initial point and began a survey of the Prime Meridian for Arizona, a line that was to run 96 miles, or 16 Townships, north of the Initial Point. For the next few weeks, Pierce worked carefully to set up the backbone of the structure that would be used to establish the greater Phoenix area. In late February of 1867, Pierce asked for and received a release from his contract due to an expected Indian uprising and fearing for the safety of his survey crew. Over the years, the Initial Point fell in disrepair through age and vandalism. Even though more than 62 million acres of Arizona had been surveyed from this point, it was largely forgotten. In 1984, a statewide group of surveyors took it onto themselves to refurbish the monument as it appears today. In trying to reflect on the history of this truly remarkable point, they placed a plaque on the monument that reads “Dedicated to all land owners in Arizona by the Arizona Professional Land Surveyors.”

Papago Saguaro National Monument - Now Papago Park

Shortly after Statehood in 1912, the Phoenix and Maricopa County Board of Trade began an effort to have what is now Papago Park declared either a National Park or a National Monument. Originally, the committee recommended the creation of a “…National Cactus Park…as Yellowstone National Park, the Yosemite National Park, and the Mount Rainer National Park.” The General Land Office (GLO) was not interested in the proposal and replied to Representative Carl Hayden that “…topographic conditions seem to offer nothing but scenery and the National Monument Act of June 8, 1906, does not provide for reservation of public land for the purpose of protecting scenery.” More information was submitted to the GLO including 7 dime store postcards showing Hole in the Rock, giant cacti, and yucca palms. After further review, President Woodrow Wilson signed proclamation No. 1262 in 1914 creating Papago Saguaro National Monument saying it contained “…splendid examples of the giant and many other species of cacti and the yucca palm…are of great scientific interest, and should, therefore, be preserved…” Almost 2,100 acres were included in the monument. In 1916, it was estimated that the National Monument had almost 5000 visitors a year. Commercial pressures were an immediate concern for the keepers of the monument. Local merchants were known to paint advertisements on the rocks within the Monument. Once the National Park Service took over the area, they received requests to develop portions of Monument into enterprises such as a golf course, construction of a community hospital for soldiers suffering from tuberculosis, building a large auto camp ground, an air field, waterfalls, tennis courts, ball fields, and a convention facility in order to make it a “world attraction.” The National Park Service rejected all these proposals. In the 1920’s, oil companies wanted to drill for oil within the monument. These requests were rejected. Meanwhile, James Reed had claimed 160 acres that included Hole in the Rock as a mining claim. More than 20 years prior, Charles Poston, the father of Arizona, had also claimed ownership of Hole in the Rock. Reed eventually wanted to trade his claim for 270 acres. He claimed “…in making this exchange I am practically giving the park to Arizona.” The GLO called Reed “…a shrewd land swindler.” The Department of Justice finally rejected Reed’s claims. By the early 1930’s, the demands of the nearby communities spelled the end of the Papago Saguaro National Monument. The employees of the National Park Service noted there were many unemployed homeless living in the monument. Also, parts of the park were being used as illegal dumping sites. The Papago Saguaro National Monument become one of only three National Monuments ever turned back to local control. The State of Arizona quickly built the Hunt Bass Hatchery which released more than 175,000 bass and perch every year into streams and lakes around Arizona. News reports indicated “Arizona’s newest industry is commercial fishing, the market being New York and even Los Angeles; fish are being hauled 3000 miles across the continent and sold on the eastern seaboard.” In 1932, Del Webb constructed the pyramid known as Hunt’s Tomb overlooking the Hunt Bass Hatchery. Along with the State of Arizona, the City of Tempe, the Salt River Project, and the War Department received lands from the Saguaro Papago National Monument for other uses.

The Superstitions

In late 1931, the Arizona Republic-Phoenix Archeological Commission sponsored an expedition into the Superstition Mountains. The guide for the 5 member team was George “Brownie” Holmes. The team also included: E. D. Newcomer and Harvey Mott from local newspapers; Richie Lewis; and Odd S Halseth, archeologist. Richie Lewis who had been a rodeo star and ran the Tempe Riding Academy provided the horses. The horses were led by Holmes and Lewis for two days to get from Tempe to the Superstition Mountains. Other members of the group drove the two hours from Phoenix to the base camp at the foot of the Superstitions that was described by Harvey Mott as “…the slag dumps of hell.” Holmes led the group into the Superstitions. At the end of 1931, Holmes was considered the leading expert of the Superstitions since he had guided trips into the wilderness for more than 22 years. Holmes led the group through rugged mountains to an area known as Garden Valley which was an abandoned Indian community. The remnants of a stone community house were obvious. The house measured 192 feet long, 97 feet wide and 20 feet tall. Since being abandoned, the house had collapsed upon itself. Pottery fragments could be found everywhere. As the group looked closer, they could easily see the remnants of other houses surrounding the community house. The group estimated there were at least 50 or 60 houses circling the community house. Scattered around the village, they observed at least a dozen metates with manos still in them. Many were worn very deeply by years of grinding grains before the village was abandoned. Throughout the area, rocks had been placed to form a series of check dams to store and divert runoff from storms that swept through the area. The dams stored some water and may have diverted water to small storage ponds. Nearby, the explorers found a garden consisting of a dense growth of cholla cacti along with many prickly pear and other cacti. Around the orchard there were mortars and pestles that must have been used to crush cactus fruit for liquid. The expedition continued on and visited and explored other abandoned ruins. Along the trail, one of the dogs with the expedition found a skull under a Palo Verde tree. Since the expedition was only a few months after the disappearance of Adolph Ruth who was searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine, team members felt they had found his skull. The skull was brought back to Phoenix and examined. Some felt the skull clearly showed signs of a gunshot wound. Several local anthropologists felt the skull resembled distinctive features that were shown in pictures of Ruth. The skull was then sent to the world’s foremost anthropologist at the National Museum in Washington D. C. He reported that the skull was “undoubtedly that of an aged white man.” He concluded that death could have been from a gunshot. Local law enforcement returned to the area. Other remains of Adolph Ruth were soon discovered near the site the skull was found. Since the National Museum experts were not forensic anthropologists, their conclusions were discounted locally. The final finding was that Adolph Ruth died of natural causes. “Brownie” Holmes continued exploring the Superstition Mountains along with mining. In the 1940’s he was injured in a mining accident. Allegedly, he wrote an account of the Lost Dutchman’s mine from information he had collected along with stories his father, Dick, had told him. The Holmes family were pioneers in Arizona and claimed to know the Lost Dutchman, Jacob Waltz.

Buffalo Bill

As modern residents of Arizona, people have a difficult time determining the truth from the fiction of the tales of the Wild West. When he came to Arizona in the early 1900’s, “…Buffalo Bill gave an exhibition of western life as it was many years ago and as it is still thought to be in far eastern states.” William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was born near Davenport in Scott County, Iowa on February 26, 1846. In 1860, at age 14, he joined the Pony Express which advertised for “expert riders willing to risk death daily.” During the Civil War, Bill served as a scout and enlisted soldier. In 1867, Cody was hired by the Kansas Pacific Railroad as a buffalo hunter to feed construction crews. In 17 months, Cody claimed to have killed 4,280 buffalo and garnered his nick name in the process. In part, Buffalo Bill’s fame started when he was asked to guide a buffalo hunt for the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia in Nebraska in January of 1872. General Phil Sheridan arranged the hunt which also included General George Custer. Arriving at the hunt, Bill was described as being “…seated on a spanking charger, and with his long hair and spangled buckskin suit he appeared as the feared and loved by all for miles around.” In 1872, author Ned Buntline persuaded Buffalo Bill to star in a play “The Scouts of the Plains” which was based on the fictional “Buffalo Bill” in Buntline’s dime novels. Bill loved being a showman, so in 1883, he created “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.” Bill toured the world with his Wild West show which recreated events of the real west along with the fictional west that was the entertainment of the day. More than 1,500 dime novels were written which contained the adventures of Buffalo Bill. Buffalo Bill brought his show to Phoenix at least twice in the early 1900’s to entertain the people within the growing City. In 1900, Phoenix had a population of 5,544 people and by 1910 had grown to 11,134 according to the United States Census. Buffalo Bill traveled by train with more than 800 people and animals that were part of his show that ran about two hours, rain or shine. Cody used an “Immense Canvas Canopy” to cover the performers and patrons. Admission to the show which included bench seating was 50 cents. Grand Stand Chairs were $1.00. Children younger than 10 were admitted for half price. In the early years of the show, Bill would stage a parade through the town to drum up business. By the time the show arrived in Phoenix in 1908, “…Colonel Cody has found that he can give a far better performance when he does not hustle his people and stock out for a preliminary march around the town…” Reports indicated that Cody did ride through the major streets of Phoenix to “…convince the public that the old scout is still in the harness, ready to appear as he positively will at every performance.” The performers along with the animals walked from the train tracks up Fourth Street to the grounds of the performance which included a cowboy campsite and an Indian village with teepees. Shows were given at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. By 1908, the show included skills in cowboys riding horses and bucking broncos, a game of football between cowboys and Indians on horseback using a ball that was 6 feet 3 inches in diameter, an artillery drill with cannon firing, a train holdup where “…a real railroad train consisting of an engine, tender and combination baggage and passenger coach, puffed across the far end of the arena on a wobbly set of rails. In the attack on the train a safe is blown up at each performance with a huge charge of gunpowder.” Also, the show included the recreation of the Battle of Summit Springs from 1869. Newspaper articles indicated “not only is the battle scene reproduced and that of the duel, but also the mode of the Redman’s living at that period. All the Indians will be seen in their full war paint and feathers.” The show also contained a group of Indians attacking the Deadwood stage coach with the cowboys rescuing the stage in the nick of time. Another feature of the show was a recreation of a buffalo hunt with a small herd of buffalo. News reports indicated “there is plenty of gun-play in the stage holdup, train robbery, buffalo hunt and several other features. The buffaloes are very interesting to see, as they are of the hundred or so bison still surviving.” Buffalo Bill appeared six times during the course of the show. One of the spectators commented, “’Why isn’t he young looking’ said a middle aged woman…’I saw him when I was a little girl and he looked older than that then.’” Bill invested his earnings from the show in film-making, tourism, ranching, and mining in Arizona. However, these ventures did not return a profit for Cody and the Wild West show eventually failed in 1913. Cody’s debts forced him to continue touring through 1916 as an attraction in other shows. He died in Denver of kidney failure on January 10, 1917, at age 71.