BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
JOSSEY
The
The sad death of B.
F. Jossey as detailed in another column, created a most profound sensation upon
this community. It was at first rumored that it was a case of suicide, but as
soon as the facts became known, coupled with the verdict of the coroner's jury,
many who sorrowed over - the untimely death felt much relief, because there
were those who might have coupled the death with the unfortunate complications
In which the deceased had become involved, by his official relations with the
customs service.
The deceased was one
of
He was identified
with the Baptist church, where at his old home in
There are many
people throughout
Courtesy of
Contributor: Don Stowell (46794548)
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B.F. JOSSEY
news of the tragic death
of Chinese Inspector B.F. Jossey
was flashed over the
city. Coming at a time when a warrant
was in the hands of the
United States Marshal for his arrest
and two detectives of
the government were guarding his house,
it looked as though he
had committed suicide. And there was
the report which spread
like wildfire, giving his enemies a
chance to say, "I
told you so; he has confessed his guilt."
But a coroner's jury
went to the home of Jossey and examined
the place where he met
his death. They found that he had
left his bed about
shot gun and walking to
the back yard of his home, started
to hunt for a skunk
that had been killing his chickens.
Mrs. Jossey stood on
the porch of the screened room where
they slept and watched
the form of her husband as it moved
about in the darkness of
the early morning. She heard a
shot fired and calling
to her husband asked, "Did you get
him?". There was no reply but she thought she heard
her
husband groan and waking a
young man who slept in the house,
sent him to
investigate. He found Jossey lying on
his back,
dead, with a hole over
his heart where a charge of bird shot
had entered. The gun lay twelve feet from the body and
there were no powder
burns or other evidence that would
show that suicide had
been committed. It was without
question accidental and this
was the verdict of the
coroner's jury.
A great many people
believe that suicide was planned by
Jossey and carried
out in such a manner as to make it appear
that death was
accidental. Persons who claim to know
say
that the evidence
against both Hoey and Jossey is sufficient
to convict them.
Inspector Jossey
deported hundreds of Chinamen since he came
here from
ex-United States Marshal
Griffith in developing the Copper
Matte Mine near
Texas
Hill oil fields. Mrs. Jossey, wife of the deceased,
is one of the
directors of the Tucson Milling Company.
Jossey was forty
seven years old and leaves a wife and
daughter.
Collector Hoey has been re-arrested on additional counts
and his bond was raised
to $5000 which was furnished.
The killing of
Chinese Inspector Jossey at
averted another
tragedy. He was killed on Tuesday
morning.
He had made an
appointment with W.B. Fain of
him at
certain property owned by
Fain at
who was charged with
implication in the murder of Mrs. J.J.
Burns
by Constable William Alexander near
Though he was
acquitted at Prescott, lately the father,
Samuel H. King and
the brothers Frank and Sam King have
held him responsible for
the killing so that there has
been a well defined
belief that more blood would be shed.
Frank King, who is
engaged in the brokerage business in
depot for him. Fain having heard of Jossey's
death,
abandoned the trip.
On Wednesday Frank
King received a telegram from
informing that his father was
probably fatally hurt.
The dispatch
conveyed no other information and Mr. King
sure that a meeting
between his father and Fain would
be fatal to one or the
other, believed that they had met.
He left at once for
Powell of Yuma, who
was visiting him. At Maricopa he
bade a friend who had
traveled with him from
goodbye. Said he, "if Fain has hurt my father,
you may
not see me again; but
if you do see me it will be a
sign that you will never
see Fain again."