The city council and acting mayor made plans for changes in the police and fire department, placing them under civil service rules. The council discussed a number of topics and referred many to committees.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Tuesday, August 8, 1916:
ACTING MAYOR HAS PLAN TO REDEEM POLICE DEPARTMENT
With Fire Department, It Will Be Put Under Civil Service Rules to Be Drawn Up by City Council Committee
An announcement by Acting Mayor Bernard that steps would be taken immediately to put the police and fire departments under civil service rules, was made at the meeting of the city council yesterday evening. In accordance with the notice, he appointed a committee consisting of Councilmen Hohusen, Litt, Parker and Sullinger to draw up a set of rules and regulations under which examinations for firemen and policemen will be held. It is to be presented to the council before January 1.
Mayor Bernard in making the announcement declared that by taking this step Tucson would put its police department on a high plane of efficiency similar to other cities in the United States that had adopted the civil service plan. The announcement was received with enthusiasm by the councilmen present.
A committee for examining and licensing chauffeurs was appointed as follows: Warren Grosetta, Shad Bowyer, Diego Valencia, H. L. Turner. The usual appointments were made for the coming month.
Three resolutions, No. 459, 460 and 461, for improving part of Second street and Eighth avenue in the old cemetery were passed. The parking will be 20 feet wide and the roadway 33 feet.
Resolution 458 giving a quit claim deed to Louis Aguirre for Lot 1, Block 258 was passed.
The request of Walter Wakefield to erect wagon scales and a tower for crude oil on Seventh street and Sixth avenue was referred to the street committee with power to act.
The report of the special committee in regard to an alley between Feldman’s and Buell’s additions was adopted. It directed that an obstructing fence complained against be torn down.
The annual budget was adopted and the city attorney directed to fix the annual tax levy.
Several protests against Sunday closing of stores were received signed by merchants in the west part of the city. It was referred to the police committee.
A protest against the erection of four tanks by the Standard Oil company at Fourth street and Eleventh avenue was received. It was declared that they were for gasoline and dangerous explosives. It was referred to the building and land committee.
Wants New Milk Law.
Attorney John B. Wright appeared before the council with an amended milk ordinance which he stated was more fair to the dairymen in taking tests than the present ordinance. It was referred to the health committee.
A request for permission to install a telephone in the triangular park at Toole and Fifth by auto drivers was referred to the street committee with power to act.
A request to build a garage at Second and Euclid, by J. A. Rogers, and a request to build a cottage at 830 East Fifth street, by Mrs. Kate B. Reynolds, were referred to the building and land committee.
The Pima county Republican committee asked permission to string a banner across Church street at Pennington. It was referred to the street committee. The request of Otto Haeber to change his auto stand from west to East Pennington was referred to the same committee. A petition for a new water main on Granada street to St. Mary’s road, with a fire plug, was referred to the fire committee.
Anti-Gambling Ordinance.
Although it had been rumored that the council would consider and pass a resolution directed against gambling in the city, no such resolution came up. It is understood, however, that such a resolution has been prepared and has been submitted privately to the councilmen.
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The shooting in Sasco that injured a young woman was investigated more thoroughly and it was revealed that the victim had possibly named her assailant.
FINLEY GIRL GIVES NAME OF HER ASSAILANT
Delayed Account of Shooting at Sasco Says Two Bystanders Were Wounded in Duel Between Yaqui and Officer
Yesterday Josefina Finley, shot at Sasco Saturday morning, whispered to Coroner Comstock the name of her assailant. At the time her mind was apparently clear and the name that she gave was the same that she had given to the coroner Saturday.
Notwithstanding the accusation of the Finley woman, officers here are not convinced that the man whose name was given to the coroner by the wounded girl is the assailant. According to advices from Pinal county yesterday, Sheriff Hall has arrested a Yaqui Indian, Pablo Aranda, who will be charged with the shooting. Four other men known to have been at the house where the shooting occurred, are still at large.
The man whom Josefina Finley accuses is still at large but Pima county officers are looking for him. He is well known to them and if he should come out of hiding he will be arrested.
The Finley woman is still holding her own at St. Mary’s hospital, where her wound is being treated.
An account of the shooting at Sasco, giving the details for the first time, was received by The Star yesterday. It is as follows:
“During this night, there had been an exceptionally large amount of liquor drank with many men and women more or less drunk. Also to add to the debauchery of the occasion, several women of the underworld came in from Tucson and assisted in the gaity.
“In the hotel or rooming house, kept by a woman by the name of Lydia O’Brien, there were staying two women by the name of Josefina Finley and Juanna Madero. The Finley woman had a lover by the name of Julio Beltran who was in her room at the time of the shooting. During the evening there had come to this boarding house several Mexicans armed with pistols and some of them had displayed their weapons openly in front of the rooming house.
“After a night of drinking five of these men, all with pistols, came back to the hotel, presumably to get revenge on the man inside the room of the Finley woman. Just as soon as she saw them coming, she shut the door and locked it and told Beltran to keep out of sight, which he proceeded to do, crawling under the bed. While she was at the door, one of the men outside pulled a gun and began shooting at the door of the house. One of the bullets struck the wall of the house and the other two entered the door, one of which struck the Finley woman in the temple above the left eye and entered the skull, lodging just behind the eye. After this third and last shot, the men ran, two going toward Tucson, one toward Red Rock and two toward the smelter.
“Just about this time, another Mexican came on the scene with a gun, one Francisco Valenzuela, and was making it a point to take the part of the Finley woman, though it seems that he kept his gun to himself and would not give same to Beltran. Valenzuela was in the next room to the Finley woman with the Madero woman at the time of the shooting.
Within a few minutes after the first shot, Sheriff Hall arrived on the scene and went to arrest Pablo Aranda one of the five trouble-makers, said to be a Yaqui, but he started to run when the sheriff told him to halt. He failed to obey and the sheriff started in to shoot to frighten him. He then turned on the sheriff and began to shoot. Then ensued a duel between the two without result other than the wounding of a laborer in a nearby house by a bullet from the gun of the Yaqui. By this time the sheriff and the Yaqui were in the road below the Mexican colony and three of the balls from the gun of the Indian struck the house of Ignacio Ybarra, who was eating breakfast at the time. Just as soon as he heard the shots and as he arose from the table and went to look, a bullet from a 41-calibre revolver struck the frame of the door and, glancing off, struck Ybarra in the cheek, going to the bone and lodging against the jaw. Two other shots struck the house, very nearly hitting a little child at the table, and a fourth bullet entered a nearby tent. The bullets from the sheriff’s gun all went in the other direction, away from the colony.
“After both the sheriff and the Indian had emptied their guns, the Indian started to run and the sheriff then went for an automobile and with the chauffeur and another helper gave chase after the Indian, who had by this time gained a considerable start. Up to the present time, the Indian had not been apprehended but should be brought in very soon.
“Ignacio Ybarra was taken to the hospital and had his wound dressed and there the physician in charge, Dr. Jumper, extracted the bullet. Very soon after they brought in the Finley woman and the doctor dressed the wound as best he could.”
Three witnesses, Julio Beltran, Juan Mesquite and Francisco Valenzuela, were taken to Florence yesterday to be held for the trial of those who were arrested for the shooting, including the Yaqui Aranza. County Attorney Richardson, of Pinal county, has returned to Florence.
