HACKBERRY MINE DISASTER
Arizona Republican Newspaper
PERRY HAWKINS
MASON KING
FRANK KEARNEY
June 4, 1904

Prescott--Word has just been received here that the bodies of 
two of the victims of the Hackberry Mine accident have been 
recovered.  Those of Perry Hawkins and Mason King were found 
on the 250 foot level and the body of a third man has not 
been discovered.

This distressing accident happened yesterday morning about 
3 o'clock in the morning when a fire broke out in the shaft 
house.  Hawkins and King were in the mine and when it was 
seen that the efforts to put out the fire would be fruitless 
it was evident that the men were doomed.  Assistance was 
procured from McCabe and as soon as the flames were 
extinguished the work of attempting a rescue of the men 
was begun.

A party of three or four started down the shaft, one of them, 
Frank Kearney was on the rope.  The rope gave way, probably 
having been partially burned and he fell down the shaft.  
Hawkins and King must have quickly succumbed to the poisonous 
gases and smoke with which the shaft was filled.  The body of 
Kearney will probably be found tonight.  He was formerly 
employed at the Congress Mine and had just arrived at the 
Hackberry.

Funeral of Hackberry Victims
June 4, 1904
The funeral of the three victims of the Hackberry Mine was 
held at McCabe Saturday afternoon under the auspices of the 
McCable Miners Union.  The bodies of Mason King and Perry 
Hawkins were taken out of the mine about 4 o'clock Friday 
afternoon and the body of Frank Kearney who gave his life in 
an attempt to save the other two, was taken from the bottom 
of the shaft four hours later.

The latest details of the story are they King and Hawkins when 
they were notified by the engineer that the shaft house was on 
fire, climbed to the 250 foot level and getting into the bucket 
gave the signal to hoist.  But the engine was then enveloped 
in flames and the engineer could not get near it to operate 
it.  They finally got out of the bucket and entered an 
adjoining stop, where they lay down with their faces to the 
ground and their arms folded beneath their heads and awaited 
death by suffocation, their bodies being found in that 
position.

Frank Kearney after the parting of the rope on which he was 
descending to the rescue of the other men, fell to the bottom 
of the shaft and it seems to be the opinion that he was dead 
before he reached the bottom.

Mr. King was the support of his mother and sister who reside 
in Yavapai County and on the day of the accident the sister, 
who was at Mayer, was preparing to accompany Mr. King to 
Phoenix where he was to be married one day this week to a 
Miss Davis.  Both the mother and sister on hearing that he 
was in the mine, hastened to the spot and were there when 
his body was brought to the surface.  It is said that he 
was working that day against his wishes as he had tried to 
get another man to work in his place but found it impossible 
to do so.