B.F. JOSSEY
Arizona Republican Newspaper
August 27, 1901

Tucson was startled and shocked this morning when the 
news of the tragic death of Chinese Inspector B.F. Jossey 
was flashed over the city.  Coming at a time when a warrant 
was in the hands of the United States Marshal for his arrest 
and two detectives of the government were guarding his house, 
it looked as though he had committed suicide.  And there was 
the report which spread like wildfire, giving his enemies a 
chance to say, "I told you so; he has confessed his guilt."

But a coroner's jury went to the home of Jossey and examined 
the place where he met his death.  They found that he had 
left his bed about 3 o'clock, this morning, secured his 
shot gun and walking to the back yard of his home, started 
to hunt for a skunk that had been killing his chickens.  
Mrs. Jossey stood on the porch of the screened room where 
they slept and watched the form of her husband as it moved 
about in the darkness of the early morning.  She heard a 
shot fired and calling to her husband asked, "Did you get 
him?".  There was no reply but she thought she heard her
husband groan and waking a young man who slept in the house, 
sent him to investigate.  He found Jossey lying on his back, 
dead, with a hole over his heart where a charge of bird shot 
had entered.  The gun lay twelve feet from the body and 
there were no powder burns or other evidence that would 
show that suicide had been committed.  It was without 
question accidental and this was the verdict of the 
coroner's jury.

A great many people believe that suicide was planned by 
Jossey and carried out in such a manner as to make it appear 
that death was accidental.  Persons who claim to know say 
that the evidence against both Hoey and Jossey is sufficient 
to convict them.

Inspector Jossey deported hundreds of Chinamen since he came 
here from Portland Oregon a year ago.  He was engaged with 
ex-United States Marshal Griffith in developing the Copper 
Matte Mine near Clifton and was the chief promoter of the 
Texas Hill oil fields.  Mrs. Jossey, wife of the deceased, 
is one of the directors of the Tucson Milling Company.  
Jossey was forty seven years old and leaves a wife and 
daughter.

Collector Hoey has been re-arrested on additional counts 
and his bond was raised to $5000 which was furnished.

August 30, 1901

The killing of Chinese Inspector Jossey at Tucson possibly 
averted another tragedy.  He was killed on Tuesday morning. 
He had made an appointment with W.B. Fain of Yuma to meet 
him at Tucson on Wednesday to arrange for the transfer of 
certain property owned by Fain at Yuma.  Fain is the man 
who was charged with implication in the murder of Mrs. J.J. 
Burns by Constable William Alexander near Yuma last winter.  
Though he was acquitted at Prescott, lately the father, 
Samuel H. King and the brothers Frank and Sam King have 
held him responsible for the killing so that there has 
been a well defined belief that more blood would be shed.  
Frank King, who is engaged in the brokerage business in 
Tucson, learning of Fain's intended coming, waited at the 
depot for him.  Fain having heard of Jossey's death, 
abandoned the trip.

On Wednesday Frank King received a telegram from Yuma 
informing that his father was probably fatally hurt.  
The dispatch conveyed no other information and Mr. King 
sure that a meeting between his father and Fain would 
be fatal to one or the other, believed that they had met.  
He left at once for Yuma accompanied by his sister, Mrs. 
Powell of Yuma, who was visiting him.  At Maricopa he 
bade a friend who had traveled with him from Tucson, 
goodbye.  Said he, "if Fain has hurt my father, you may 
not see me again; but if you do see me it will be a 
sign that you will never see Fain again."