CHARLES LIVINGSTON
May 3, 1902
Arizona Republican Newspaper

Benson--James Shepard shot Charles Livingston today at 
4 p.m.  Shepard had been drinking and Livingston, in 
trying to put him to bed, accidentally scratched Shepard's 
face with his thumb nail.  Shepard thought it was done 
intentionally and ran behind the bar, got a revolver and 
shot Livingston over the heart.  Livingston walked across 
the room twice and fell.  He was taken to his room, where 
he died at 7:30.  The remains will be sent to Kansas.  
When Shepard was arrested he was still under the 
influence of liquor.  The two men had been good 
friends until the shooting occurred.

Livingston had for several years been a resident of 
the Salt River Valley.  The first story of the 
shooting came in a telegram to R.F. Doll, from Charles 
Morath, his fast friend, late in the afternoon.  It 
contained the bare fact of the shooting and the 
statement that Livingston could not live.  The 
dead man had many friends in the city and all over 
the valley and the news of his death was received 
with general regret.  He came here from Kansas 
almost ten years ago and engaged in farming.  He 
was at one time the proprietor of the Enterprise 
Dairy.  He owned a farm west of the city and 
other property in the valley.

About three months ago he went to Benson in company 
with Mr. Morath and a young man named Fletcher.  He 
was doing well and frequent reports of his prosperity 
were received by his acquaintances here with gratification.

Of the man who killed him nothing is known but he is 
supposed to be a gambler who came from Brownwood Texas 
where he had trouble a half dozen years ago.  
Livingston was about thirty one years of age and 
was a native of Iowa.  He had a married sister 
living here but she is now residing somewhere in 
California.

May 4, 1902

J.J. Cottrell returned yesterday morning from Benson.  
He saw Charles Livingston killed there on Friday 
afternoon by James Shephard.  Mr. Cottrell was 
standing within a few feet of the murderer when he 
fired the fatal shot.  It was the most horrible 
tragedy he ever witnessed.  Shephard had been drunk 
for three weeks.  Livingston had been taking care of 
him and as stated in the special telegram to the 
Republican yesterday morning, was trying to put him 
to bed when Shephard killed him.

Livingston's Estate
May 10, 1902

Frank Livingston, of Oberlin, Kansas, a brother of 
Charles Livingston, who was murdered at Benson a week 
ago yesterday by James Shephard, arrived in town 
yesterday to arrange the affairs of his brother in 
this territory.  While the greater part of Livingston's 
estate lies in this county, he claimed Cochise County 
as his home, so that the settlement of the estate will 
be transferred to that county.  The estate here is 
worth about $3000 consisting of $600 in the bank and 
some real estate.  Livingston also owned a house and 
lot in Benson.

The members of his family are his father, Horace 
Livingston, residing at Oberlin, Kansas, his mother 
Bridget Livingston, who lives in Chicago, his brother 
Frank who lives in Oberlin and a sister Emma 
Livingston of Pasadena Cal., a former resident of 
Phoenix.

There are several half brothers and sisters, Stephen
 Ryan of Fayette, Ia., Maggie Williams, of St. Paul, 
Minn., and John and William Ryan whose residences 
are unknown.  The sudden and bloody manner of his 
death inflicted a great shock upon his relatives.