JOHN COHEN
Cochise Co.
Arizona Republican Newspaper
August 12, 1901

News has been received here of the killing at Gleason of John 
Cohen by Deputy Sheriff Mart Moore.  It is said that Cohen was 
about to assist in the escape of a prisoner in the custody of 
Moore.  The dead man was well educated and a former resident 
of Boston.  The coroner's jury exonerated the officer.

The Killing of Koen (different spellings throughout the column)
September 9, 1901

The killing in this camp of John F. Koen by Peace Officer 
Mart Moore on the 26th of July last bids fair yet to become 
one of the more salient features of the territory's criminal 
history.  One piece of business, the haunt of Mart Moore and 
formerly the most frequented on Gleeson's main street is now 
practically deserted and at present the miners are 
circulating and numerously signing a petition for removal 
of the Ryan and Gleeson Mining Company's physician Dr. L.C. 
Toney who has spoken disparagingly of the dead Koen.

Public condemnation includes even Sheriff Lewis and District 
Attorney Land. Lewis is bitterly upbraided for retaining 
Moore in office many weeks after the deplorable affair, 
although aware of this community's animus toward his deputy.  
Land's name is never mentioned without scathing comment on 
account of his apparent quiescence on what all believe to 
have been cold blooded murder.

In view of the circumstances of nothing but brief and 
incomplete accounts of the affair having heretofore been 
published a resume will be essential to a complete 
understanding of the case. 

 John F. Cohen, better known by his pseudonym of "Hoston" 
was the wild but not vicious son of a rich Massachusetts 
liquor dealer.  He was brilliantly educated but was 
enamored of the vigorous and genial companionship of the 
miners. He was companionable and free handed and was 
universally liked. Mart Moore is described as a frontier 
bully, cowardly but anxious to establish belief in his 
acquired courage by an easy killing.  If such was his 
ambition he fulfilled it.  When slain, Koen was not only 
unarmed but crippled.

On the morning of July 26 "Andy" Garrett, Koen's roommate, 
was arrested by Moore for landing various hooks and jabs 
upon the anatomy of Justice of the Peace Edney. Moore went 
with Garrett to the latter's room to secure such clothing 
as he should need on his trip to the country seat where he 
was to stand trial.  They were accompanied by Koen.  
Arriving at the stables where the young men lodged, Moore 
and Koen became involved in a dispute which was ended by 
Moore shooting the latter through the head.

A Coroner's jury was summoned by Justice Edney, Moore's 
friends and an inquest held. Moore made that time worn 
plea of frontier killers, "he reached for his gun."  
Koen was unarmed and Moore knew it. Prior to the killing 
he had been in Koen's company long enough to see that the 
latter had no weapon in sight or in reach. Koen's left 
hand was bandaged and his right side was turned toward his 
slayer, as is evidenced by the course of the bullet.  
Moore's victim was too frail physically to offer him 
bodily violence and moreover, a fence was between them 
when the shooting occurred.  Although "Andy" Garrett 
and a little girl witnessed the killing the jury asked 
for none of their testimony.

The most extraordinary feature of this queer case is the 
attempt of Moore and Edney to drive Garrett, the dangerous 
witness in any future trial, out of the country.  They 
agreed to dismiss the case against him if he would leave 
the country but instead of leaving he went to Bisbee where 
he secured employment.  Hearing of his presence there they 
sent word to Constable Doyle to arrest him on the original 
charge of assault.  Doyle declined to act whereupon Doyle's 
deputy, one Grover, was induced to place Garrett under 
arrest.  Grover, so soon as Doyle heard of the affair, 
was relieved of his deputyship.  Garrett was again taken 
to Tombstone but was immediately released with two of the 
most prominent of that town's business men as his bondsmen 
and upon the trial the case against him was dismissed.