Old Globe
Arizona, The Youngest State
McClintock, 1913, page 460

On August 23, 1882, Frank Porter, packer on the mail route 
across the Pinal Mountains, dashed wildly into Globe shouting 
that the Apaches had taken in the mail train and that the 
express manager, Andy Hall, was dead.  The mules of the pack 
train were found dead on the trail.  The mail, untouched, 
still was strapped to the back of one, but the express box, 
with $10,000 in gold, intended for the Mack Morris payroll 
was gone.  Two sets of tracks showed that white men had done 
the deed, rather than Indians, and other footprints showed 
that Andy Hall had followed the robbers, in the line of his 
duty.  Across a hill, dying was found Dr. Vail of Globe, who 
with his last breath, told what he could of two robbers whom 
he had accidentally come across as they were dividing the 
gold.  Further on the trail, miles away, at dusk, was found 
the body of Andy Hall, who, ambushed, had fought to the end, 
his body stiffening in a stunted shrub in which he had crouched, 
the last cartridge unfired in a magnificent revolver that had 
been presented him by the Wells-Fargo Company for faithful 
service.  In the body were a dozen bullet holes.  The next 
day, three arrests were made.  One was John Hawley, a well-to-do 
wood contractor; the second was Lafayette Grime, a cowboy-miner, 
who had done distinguished service with the Globe Rangers in a 
late Indian campaign, and the third Cicero Grime, the town 
photographer.  The last named confessed, for he had been only 
a scout who had made sure of the coming of the bullion and 
had not participated in the actual shooting.  There was a 
short conflict of authority at Bloody Tanks where the 
prisoners had been held, and where Pete Gabriel, the noted 
sheriff of Pinal County, tried to take the men away from 
Bill Lowther, the equally brave sheriff of Gila County.  
In the evening the men were brought into Globe, placed in a 
little adobe jail, whence a few hours later, they were 
taken by an armed organization of citizens.  Everything 
was done in an orderly manner.  George A. Allen, the justice 
of the peace, was summoned and bidden forthwith to make 
examination into the case.  The trial was held in Stallo's 
Hall and the defendants were given legal counsel.  The 
evidence was such that Allen could do nothing else than 
bind the prisoners over, without bail, to the next grand 
jury.  This in effect was a death sentence.

Hoping for a  chance to escape Hawley and Lafayette Grime 
assented to a proposition that they show where the money had 
been hidden.  Escorted by a dozen horsemen, on the darkest of 
nights, the couple led the way twelve miles up Russell Gulch 
where the loot was found buried some distance apart under 
separate trees.  In Grime's cache was two-thirds of the spoil, 
thus demonstrating the full guilt of the brother.  Cicero 
Grime's case in the meantime was being put to a vote and his 
life was spared by a very slight majority of the ballots 
cast.  He was speedily taken away, for there would have been 
reconsideration when the Russell Gulch party returned with 
the money and reported.  The orderly proceedings to an extent 
were directed by J.J. Vosburg, the express agent who had read 
to the crown a telegram from his superintendent: "Damn the 
money.  Hang the murderers." Valentine.

When Hawley and grime returned they were given time to make 
their wills, Hawley's wife getting his property, while Grime 
deeded his cattle to the girl he was to marry.  It was past 2 
in the morning when they had finished.  Someone at the Methodist 
chapel around the corner commenced to toll a funeral knell.  
Out of the hall, down the street silently tramped the multitude, 
the prisoners under guard at the fore.  Both walked firmly and 
made no complaint at their fate.  Near where the creek bent to 
cross the street stood a large sycamore tree, one branch 
stretching nearly across the roadway.  Over this branch were 
flung two of the three ropes at hand, over the culprits' 
necks, the nooses were drawn, and a hundred men grasped the 
ropes, quietly awaiting the command.  A good and respected 
clergyman stepped forward.  He was not there to stop the 
work but to do his office for the dying.  Hawley roughly 
refused his aid.  Grim more gently said, "Mr. Calfee, I don't 
believe that anything you can say would aid me where I am 
going."  As his handcuffs were taken off to more closely secure 
his hands behind him, Grime bitterly exclaimed, "Damned if 
I'll die with my boots on." and down in the muddy street he 
sat and pulled off his high heeled boots.  Then he stood 
erect at the side of the imperturbable Hawley.  "Now." 
shouted the express agent.  The line stiffened, and the 
bodies rose to the tree branch above.  A few minutes sufficed 
and the work as done.  Andy Hall and Dr. Vail had been avenged.


On the whole Globe rather has prided herself on her peaceful 
condition.  Violence in the early days was unusual.  Possibly 
all such expression of energy was saved for use against the 
surrounding Apaches.  The first killing within the camp was 
that of a prospector named Jones by a miner named Burns, who 
suspected Jones of designs on his claim in the annual time of 
relocation.

Tom Kerr, a tall blonde miner, who at need acted as the camp's 
auctioneer, murdered a man who lay asleep in a sidewalk bench, 
yet somehow, for a time escaped retribution.  On New Years Eve 
of 1882, at Pioneer, he shot and killed a young teamster who 
refused to drink with him.  He was seized at once and the 
miners and prospectors were brought in by the sounding of 
the mill whistles.  After a short trial Kerr was taken 
forthwith to a convenient tree and hanged.  His last words 
were "Here goes a New Year's present to the devil."  The 
bitterest feature of it all developed in a letter from his 
mother in Illinois, written in reply to what was intended 
to be a mercifully inaccurate account of her son's death, 
for she told how good he always had been to her.


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