100 years ago in Tucson July 18: One good turn...

FATE SENDS SHERIFF BOOTLEGGER’S FOIL

Mexican Laborer, Done Good Turn, Gives Tip That Results in Raid

When Sheriff Forbes left Ajo Saturday he brought with him the complaining witness in a case against a man who has long been suspected by officers of conducting a blind tiger. Moreover, the sheriff, as an accommodation, cashed a pay check for the complaining witness with which he bought the booze from the bootlegger, he says.

When the sheriff was leaving the mining camp Saturday, after attending the arraignment of Jack Ellison on the charge of shooting L. L. Buck, he was accosted by C. Valenzuela, a Mexican laborer, who asked him for a ride to Gila Bend. The sheriff invited him to accompany him in an automobile and at Gila Bend he cashed a check for Valenzuela so the latter might buy a railroad ticket.

Arriving in Tucson, Valenzuela says he went to a soft drink stand at the corner of Broadway and St. Augustine Plaza operated by Jesus Provencio and bought a drink of whiskey. The drink was so good that he bought another.

He recovered consciousness early Sunday morning and found that he had been robbed of $20, his hat and his shoes. He reported the matter to Sheriff Forbes, who arranged a trip into which it is said Provencio walked unsuspectingly. Yesterday morning the sheriff’s officers raided Provencio’s place and seized a large quantity of booze and a number of barrels full of empty bottles. Province was arrested, charged with violating the probation law.

YOUTH IS CHARGES WITH STEALING AUTO

Lopez Denies Car Was Taken to Expedite Elopement With Girl

Charged with the theft of an automobile, Jesus Lopez, a Mexican youth 18 years of age, was arrested by the police and turned over to the county officers yesterday. It is alleged that Lopez took an automobile belonging to Shad Bowyer. It was recovered at the time of his arrest.

Lopez was greatly surprised that his “friend” Bowyer resented his taking the automobile to take a joy ride with three other “friends” whose names Lopez professed not to know. When interviewed by County Attorney Hilzinger yesterday afternoon, Lopez readily agreed when the officials proposed to send for Bowyer, believing that his “friend” Bowyer would straighten out the matter and that he would be given liberty. Bowyer’s answer was to sign a complaint charging he youth with the theft of the automobile.

The story that was first told to the officers was that Lopez had taken the car for the purpose of expediting an elopement with his sweetheart, but this Lopez denied, saying that the parents of the girl had removed her to the country, forty miles from Tucson.

Lopez’ story of the joy ride in the automobile was that he was out with three friends who suggested the ride to him when they learned that he “could drive a Ford.” He told the county attorney he did not know the names of his three friends.

Lopez figured in a sensational case in justice court recently when he was charged by the parents of Miss Hortensia Lopez his first cousin, with disturbing the peace of the girl. The girl, however, completely disproved the charge by swearing on the stand that Jesus’ only disturbance of her peace was in making love to her and that her only desire was that he should disturb her peace some more. In that case Lopez was discharged with a lecture from the court that he must not wed Miss Hortensia, as it would be a violation of the law, she being his first cousin. Lopez left the court room unreconciled, vowing that he would wed the girl despite the law.