"Rancher Suicides In Fit Of Despondency"
"Shoots Self In Head With Pistol"
"Excessive Drinking Pilots A. Abernathy to Self Destruction"
"Also in Trouble Over Water Right"
"Had Been Drinking Heavily Since Death of Wife a Year Ago"
Despondent over legal matters, which despondency had been heightened as the result of an alcoholic debauch covering the past week, A. Abernathy committed suicide at his ranch a short distance below town early last evening.
Abernathy shot himself through the head with a 32-caliber revolver. He was dead when Paul Whalen, who heard the shot, made an investigation.
Abernathy had contemplated self destruction for several days and had openly threatened to take his life, although friends who heard him make the threats took little stock in them and thought he would forget them when he recovered from his drunken debauch.
There were no witnesses to the affair, although Whalen was just outside the ranch house when the shot was fired. He informed the local authorities of the affair.
"Abernathy had been drunk for about a week," said Whalen in speaking of the matter last night, "and although he had threatened on several occasions to kill himself, I never took his threats seriously, thinking he would be all right when he sobered up.
"Last night, at just about dark, I was standing outside the house when I heard a shot fired inside the house. With one of the Chinese who lease the ranch, I went inside. Abernathy was dead, the revolver lying beside him. I think he shot himself through the head, although I did not take time to investigate closely.
"I have been working on Abernathy's ranch for some time. He was worried over a suit which had been brought against him, regarding water rights. He was sick from drinking, ad I do not believe he would have committed suicide if he had been sober."
Abernathy had lived on a ranch of about 160 acres, situated on Pinal creek some distance below town, for many years. He had leased the ground to three Chinese vegetable growers, obtaining a good rental for the ground. He made his home on the ranch.
A few months ago a conflict arose between Abernathy and the others living in the same section, regarding the use of water from Pinal creek for irrigating purposes. Abernathy had filed on 100 inches of water, an amount sufficient to irrigate his ranch, but when his claims were contested, he grew despondent.
Mrs. Abernathy, who had lived with the suicide since he took up the ranch, died nearly a year ago. While Abernathy had always been a drinking man, he began drinking to excess following her death, ad as Whalen stated, mental aberration following an extensive debauch was apparently the inciting cause of his self destruction.
"There seems to be no doubt that Abernathy committed suicide," said Undersheriff Frank Haynes last night, after visiting the scene of the shooting.
"He apparently stood beside the bed and placed the revolver, an old rusty 32-caliber six shooter, close to his head. The bullet entered on the right side, just back of the ear and came out on the opposite side in about the same position. There was but one cartridge in the revolver.
"I talked with one of the Chinese at the ranch and verified Whalen's statements regarding the affair. He told me that he saw Whalen sitting outside the house when he heard the shot fired and that they entered the house together."
Abernathy's body was brought to this city last night and is in the morgue, pending the outcome of an inquest, which will be held today.
(Arizona Silver Belt, March 1, 1910; courtesy Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum, Miami, Az.)
His wife's name was Nancy, according to the 1910 U.S. Census
"Shoots Self In Head With Pistol"
"Excessive Drinking Pilots A. Abernathy to Self Destruction"
"Also in Trouble Over Water Right"
"Had Been Drinking Heavily Since Death of Wife a Year Ago"
Despondent over legal matters, which despondency had been heightened as the result of an alcoholic debauch covering the past week, A. Abernathy committed suicide at his ranch a short distance below town early last evening.
Abernathy shot himself through the head with a 32-caliber revolver. He was dead when Paul Whalen, who heard the shot, made an investigation.
Abernathy had contemplated self destruction for several days and had openly threatened to take his life, although friends who heard him make the threats took little stock in them and thought he would forget them when he recovered from his drunken debauch.
There were no witnesses to the affair, although Whalen was just outside the ranch house when the shot was fired. He informed the local authorities of the affair.
"Abernathy had been drunk for about a week," said Whalen in speaking of the matter last night, "and although he had threatened on several occasions to kill himself, I never took his threats seriously, thinking he would be all right when he sobered up.
"Last night, at just about dark, I was standing outside the house when I heard a shot fired inside the house. With one of the Chinese who lease the ranch, I went inside. Abernathy was dead, the revolver lying beside him. I think he shot himself through the head, although I did not take time to investigate closely.
"I have been working on Abernathy's ranch for some time. He was worried over a suit which had been brought against him, regarding water rights. He was sick from drinking, ad I do not believe he would have committed suicide if he had been sober."
Abernathy had lived on a ranch of about 160 acres, situated on Pinal creek some distance below town, for many years. He had leased the ground to three Chinese vegetable growers, obtaining a good rental for the ground. He made his home on the ranch.
A few months ago a conflict arose between Abernathy and the others living in the same section, regarding the use of water from Pinal creek for irrigating purposes. Abernathy had filed on 100 inches of water, an amount sufficient to irrigate his ranch, but when his claims were contested, he grew despondent.
Mrs. Abernathy, who had lived with the suicide since he took up the ranch, died nearly a year ago. While Abernathy had always been a drinking man, he began drinking to excess following her death, ad as Whalen stated, mental aberration following an extensive debauch was apparently the inciting cause of his self destruction.
"There seems to be no doubt that Abernathy committed suicide," said Undersheriff Frank Haynes last night, after visiting the scene of the shooting.
"He apparently stood beside the bed and placed the revolver, an old rusty 32-caliber six shooter, close to his head. The bullet entered on the right side, just back of the ear and came out on the opposite side in about the same position. There was but one cartridge in the revolver.
"I talked with one of the Chinese at the ranch and verified Whalen's statements regarding the affair. He told me that he saw Whalen sitting outside the house when he heard the shot fired and that they entered the house together."
Abernathy's body was brought to this city last night and is in the morgue, pending the outcome of an inquest, which will be held today.
(Arizona Silver Belt, March 1, 1910; courtesy Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum, Miami, Az.)
His wife's name was Nancy, according to the 1910 U.S. Census
"Rancher Suicides In Fit Of Despondency"
"Shoots Self In Head With Pistol"
"Excessive Drinking Pilots A. Abernathy to Self Destruction"
"Also in Trouble Over Water Right"
"Had Been Drinking Heavily Since Death of Wife a Year Ago"
Despondent over legal matters, which despondency had been heightened as the result of an alcoholic debauch covering the past week, A. Abernathy committed suicide at his ranch a short distance below town early last evening.
Abernathy shot himself through the head with a 32-caliber revolver. He was dead when Paul Whalen, who heard the shot, made an investigation.
Abernathy had contemplated self destruction for several days and had openly threatened to take his life, although friends who heard him make the threats took little stock in them and thought he would forget them when he recovered from his drunken debauch.
There were no witnesses to the affair, although Whalen was just outside the ranch house when the shot was fired. He informed the local authorities of the affair.
"Abernathy had been drunk for about a week," said Whalen in speaking of the matter last night, "and although he had threatened on several occasions to kill himself, I never took his threats seriously, thinking he would be all right when he sobered up.
"Last night, at just about dark, I was standing outside the house when I heard a shot fired inside the house. With one of the Chinese who lease the ranch, I went inside. Abernathy was dead, the revolver lying beside him. I think he shot himself through the head, although I did not take time to investigate closely.
"I have been working on Abernathy's ranch for some time. He was worried over a suit which had been brought against him, regarding water rights. He was sick from drinking, ad I do not believe he would have committed suicide if he had been sober."
Abernathy had lived on a ranch of about 160 acres, situated on Pinal creek some distance below town, for many years. He had leased the ground to three Chinese vegetable growers, obtaining a good rental for the ground. He made his home on the ranch.
A few months ago a conflict arose between Abernathy and the others living in the same section, regarding the use of water from Pinal creek for irrigating purposes. Abernathy had filed on 100 inches of water, an amount sufficient to irrigate his ranch, but when his claims were contested, he grew despondent.
Mrs. Abernathy, who had lived with the suicide since he took up the ranch, died nearly a year ago. While Abernathy had always been a drinking man, he began drinking to excess following her death, ad as Whalen stated, mental aberration following an extensive debauch was apparently the inciting cause of his self destruction.
"There seems to be no doubt that Abernathy committed suicide," said Undersheriff Frank Haynes last night, after visiting the scene of the shooting.
"He apparently stood beside the bed and placed the revolver, an old rusty 32-caliber six shooter, close to his head. The bullet entered on the right side, just back of the ear and came out on the opposite side in about the same position. There was but one cartridge in the revolver.
"I talked with one of the Chinese at the ranch and verified Whalen's statements regarding the affair. He told me that he saw Whalen sitting outside the house when he heard the shot fired and that they entered the house together."
Abernathy's body was brought to this city last night and is in the morgue, pending the outcome of an inquest, which will be held today.
(Arizona Silver Belt, March 1, 1910; courtesy Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum, Miami, Az.)
His wife's name was Nancy, according to the 1910 U.S. Census
"Shoots Self In Head With Pistol"
"Excessive Drinking Pilots A. Abernathy to Self Destruction"
"Also in Trouble Over Water Right"
"Had Been Drinking Heavily Since Death of Wife a Year Ago"
Despondent over legal matters, which despondency had been heightened as the result of an alcoholic debauch covering the past week, A. Abernathy committed suicide at his ranch a short distance below town early last evening.
Abernathy shot himself through the head with a 32-caliber revolver. He was dead when Paul Whalen, who heard the shot, made an investigation.
Abernathy had contemplated self destruction for several days and had openly threatened to take his life, although friends who heard him make the threats took little stock in them and thought he would forget them when he recovered from his drunken debauch.
There were no witnesses to the affair, although Whalen was just outside the ranch house when the shot was fired. He informed the local authorities of the affair.
"Abernathy had been drunk for about a week," said Whalen in speaking of the matter last night, "and although he had threatened on several occasions to kill himself, I never took his threats seriously, thinking he would be all right when he sobered up.
"Last night, at just about dark, I was standing outside the house when I heard a shot fired inside the house. With one of the Chinese who lease the ranch, I went inside. Abernathy was dead, the revolver lying beside him. I think he shot himself through the head, although I did not take time to investigate closely.
"I have been working on Abernathy's ranch for some time. He was worried over a suit which had been brought against him, regarding water rights. He was sick from drinking, ad I do not believe he would have committed suicide if he had been sober."
Abernathy had lived on a ranch of about 160 acres, situated on Pinal creek some distance below town, for many years. He had leased the ground to three Chinese vegetable growers, obtaining a good rental for the ground. He made his home on the ranch.
A few months ago a conflict arose between Abernathy and the others living in the same section, regarding the use of water from Pinal creek for irrigating purposes. Abernathy had filed on 100 inches of water, an amount sufficient to irrigate his ranch, but when his claims were contested, he grew despondent.
Mrs. Abernathy, who had lived with the suicide since he took up the ranch, died nearly a year ago. While Abernathy had always been a drinking man, he began drinking to excess following her death, ad as Whalen stated, mental aberration following an extensive debauch was apparently the inciting cause of his self destruction.
"There seems to be no doubt that Abernathy committed suicide," said Undersheriff Frank Haynes last night, after visiting the scene of the shooting.
"He apparently stood beside the bed and placed the revolver, an old rusty 32-caliber six shooter, close to his head. The bullet entered on the right side, just back of the ear and came out on the opposite side in about the same position. There was but one cartridge in the revolver.
"I talked with one of the Chinese at the ranch and verified Whalen's statements regarding the affair. He told me that he saw Whalen sitting outside the house when he heard the shot fired and that they entered the house together."
Abernathy's body was brought to this city last night and is in the morgue, pending the outcome of an inquest, which will be held today.
(Arizona Silver Belt, March 1, 1910; courtesy Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum, Miami, Az.)
His wife's name was Nancy, according to the 1910 U.S. Census
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