Mart Sanders
Arizona Silver Belt
December 25, 1891

Tonto Basin is  considerably worked up over the murder of Mart 
Sanders by an unknown Mexican horse thief.  The Mexican stole a 
horse and saddle from LaTourette's Ranch on the Verde, thirty 
five miles above Fort McDowell.  Frank Piercy, James La Tourette 
and Hayden Justice followed him about seven miles from where they 
found he had killed a calf, on about 25 miles near the east fork 
of Verde they met his horse coming back.  They went on a little 
farther and discovered him in a deep canyon, but owing to the 
rough condition of the country, it was difficult to get very 
near and when they were within hailing distance he started for 
his gun.  They, seeing the move, opened fire, but owing to the 
distance, none of the bullets took effect.  Here the party split 
up and Justice and Piercy following the trail on to Tonto.  At 
Cole's Ranch they stayed all night and the next morning a 
neighbor's horse was missing. On looking for sign they found 
the tracks to correspond with those of the man they were after.  
Two other men ,one of whom had lost the horse, joined the party, 
and about 15 miles from there they saw him on the opposite side 
of a deep canyon a miles ahead, but before they could get 
across the canyon he had gotten away.  Twenty miles on they 
found the horse beside the road, tired out and he had gone on 
foot. He went on to Tonto Creek where he killed Sanders.  The 
man Sanders was passing along the road driving a good four- 
horse team and the Mexican probably thought by shooting him 
from the wagon he could take a horse and escape his pursuers 
who were gaining on him but when the shot was fired the team 
ran away and he had to on on his journey afoot.  The team was 
caught by parties coming up the road and when the pursuers 
came up they buried the dead man.

The last seen of him he was going around the foot of the 
Mogollon Mountains without any hat, shoes or coat on.


December 26, 1891

The acct. of Mart Sanders death as published in the Belt is 
wrong in almost every particular.  The murderer was first heard 
of at Latterett's on the Verde where he stole a horse, saddle, 
bridle and gun.  He was prusued and overtaken in the Big Gorge 
on the east fork of the Verde but escaped by fleeing into the 
thick brush, taking his gun but leaving his shoes and hat.  
More people then joined the chase and wre following his track
down the Sycamore Creek and were some miles in the rear, when 
he fired the shot that killed Mart Sanders.

Mart had left his home on Upper Tonto for Pine with a four-horse 
team and had reached Sycamore Creek and it is presumed that 
when the pursued heard the team coming, he determined to get a 
horse in order to expedite his flight. He was unsuccessful in 
getting a horse, but killed a fine young man, which has cast a 
gloom over the entire community.  The assassin has never been 
seen since the shot.  from all appearances Mart had no warning 
and when hit fell backwards into the wagon.

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