SHERIFF LOWERY
JERRY BARTON
Az Republican Newspaper, Phoenix
January 10, 1893

A stage driver yesterday morning brought word but no 
particulars of the killing of Sheriff Lowery, a deputy 
sheriff and Jerry Barton near Prescott last Saturday 
morning.  It is said that the sheriff and his deputy were 
trying to arrest Barton when the latter resisted and shot 
both fatally and was himself killed by one of the men.  
The rumor is doubted on the grounds that news of such an 
event would have previously reached here by telegraph.  
Sheriff Murphy yesterday afternoon telegraphed to Prescott 
but late last night had received no reply.

Barton is well known in Phoenix having in an early day 
run a saloon. He is distinguished for having killed four 
men by breaking their necks.  Two were killed before he 
came to the Territory, one in Phoenix and another in 
Bisbee.  For the Bisbee killing Barton was sent to Yuma 
for ten years but was pardoned out.  Two witnesses of 
the killing here were seen yesterday by a Republican 
reporter.  They said Barton was leaning against a 
hitching post engaged in conversation.  A young man 
approached him from behind and put his hand on his 
shoulder and made some jocular remark.  The young 
man still kept his hand on Barton's shoulder when 
the latter without looking around threw his open hand 
back and struck the young man on the side of the neck.  
The young man fell dead and an examination showed that 
his neck was broken.  The witnesses say that the action 
of Barton was not a blow, but rather a push which did 
not appear to be a particularly vigorous one and he 
clearly had no intention of injuring the victim.  
Another report says that Sheriff Lowery was not killed 
but that he killed Barton after the latter had fatally 
shot two deputies.