"COWBOY" JOHNSON
M.M. CONN
MODESTO OLIVAR
FERDINAND WALTERS ("Catalina Kid")
January 28, 1905

Tucson--One of the worse tragedies in the history of 
southern Arizona occurred in the border town of Nogales 
at 3:30 o'clock this morning.  The Catalina Kid,
(Ferdinand Walters), a gambler, entered the Palace Saloon 
owned by M.M. Conn, walked to a poker table and without a 
word of warning drew a revolver and opened fire on the 
dealer, named Cowboy Johnson, firing two shots through his head.

Walter then turned on Conn, the proprietor who was 
making his way towards the door, shooting him through 
the head and heart.  The murderer then turned his 
weapon toward a monte dealer, shooting him in the 
back of the head.  He fired a shot at George Bendle, 
a cattleman and grazed the latter's face and then 
turning the revolver upon himself, sent a bullet 
crashing through his own brain.

All of the victims died before being able to make 
statements.  Walters had been in the employ of Conn 
but had been discharged a few days before.  It is 
said he was intoxicated at the time he entered the 
saloon.  Conn was one of the best known sporting men 
in the southwest and a man of family.

The dead monte dealer was named Modesto Olivar and was 
a Mexican.  Walters who was known in the southwest as 
the "Catalina Kid" had traveled extensively.  He was 
at Skagway Alaska in 1897 and there it is said he was 
identified with the "Soapy Smith" gang.


Word of the tragedy was received at Phoenix early 
yesterday.  B.J. Whitesides of the legislature had a 
telegram informing him of the killing which it was 
said took place about four o'clock in the morning.  
One dispatch said that Walters had been playing cards 
and that he arose from the table and started to the 
door saying that he had been robbed.  He turned before 
reaching the door and shot Cowboy Johnson.  In the 
next shot a Mexican and killed Conn last.  Then he 
went out on the sidewalk and killed himself.  There 
is still some doubt as to the identity of the man who 
did the shooting.  Persons from Nogales do not know 
anybody of that name and from what they have learned 
they are of the opinion that the shooting was done 
by a stranger.  A man by the name of Walters, a 
desperate character, suspected of holding up a 
saloon at Bisbee has been operating in the southern 
part of the territory.  This Walters was a short man 
and came to the territory from Colorado.  It was not 
known that he was at Nogales.

The reputation of Johnson, who was known all over the 
territory was not very good. He was recognized as a 
crooked gambler.

Conn had lived in the territory about ten years.  He 
lived for some time at Tucson where he was engaged in 
the saloon buisness.  Eight years ago he went to 
Nogales.  He was highly esteemed by all who knew him.  
He was never quarrelsome and in the frequent 
controversies which are forced upon men in the saloon 
business he usually gave way in order to avoid trouble.

There had been for some time a good deal of complaint 
about the management of the games in Conn's place.  A 
couple of months ago, George Marsh, a retired gambler 
who used to deal roulette in Phoneix lost $2000 there 
one night and said he had been robbed by Johnson. Conn 
was not blamed for taking part in the crookedness in his 
house or of profiting from it, but he was blamed for 
permitting it.

Walters, who had been running a poker game in Conn's 
house was discharged on complaint of patrons of the 
resort that Walters had been using marked cards to 
win their money.  When Walters turned over the game 
to another man on Wednesday night he remarked to the 
man who took his place that there would probably be 
some dead men around there before long.