Fletcher Fairchild Coconino Co. Az Carol Powell [scrapbooksnmore@myfamily.com] In the book called Desert Lawmen by Larry D. Ball... for Conconino County Flagstaff it has Fletcher Fairchild 1899.. Fairchild elected November 1898,but forced to resign in August 1899 due to illness; James A. Johnson served out Fairchilds term. Platt Cline wrote about the beginnings of Flagstaff Arizona. In his book Mountain Town in a foot note he writes Fletcher Fairchild was born in Illinois in 1851, served as an officer in New Mexico and came to Flagstaff in 1887. For a time he ran a saloon and was constable, became a Coconino deputy in 1891, defeated Ralph Cameron for sheriff in 1898, became seriously ill and died in Phoenix in 1899, survived by wife and six children.....in another book by Cline called They came to the Mountain..we find out what happened to Fletcher's business...Fire started last Sunday morning about 4:10 in the rear of C.H. Clark's merchandise store, which part was used for the storage of coal oil. The flames soon spread and the adjoining building on the south(Sawyers Hall), which was used by F. Fairchild soon caught, then G.A. Bray's store, when the flames crossed over to the opposite side of the street, and consumed the whole of it.There was very little water to be had and of course all the work that could be done was to save it. The origin of the fire was certainly the work of an incendiary, as no fire could have possibly started in this locality otherwise. After and during the fire there was considerable stealing going on, and Deputy Sheriff Black, made two arrests(Mexicans) who were tried before Justice Weaterford and sentenced to 40 days each. In Platt Clines book Mountain Town we find Fletcher involved in a story about Jim Parker, train robber and killer. Both Yavapai and Coconino lawmen were invoved. Much of the action took place in Coconino. On a late February afternoon in 1887, Parker and three accomplices forced a watchman to flag a train just across the county line in Yavapai, 112 miles west of Flagstaff. An expressman shot and killed one of the band. Parker and the others seized registered mail and fled. Coconino Deputy Fletcher Fairchlild, bringing a prisoner from Kingman, arrived at the scene a few minutes later, placed his prisoner in the hands of railroad police, sent wires to Coconino Sheriff Ralph H.Cameron and Yavapai Sheriff George Ruffner, found a horse, organized a posse (including indian trackers) and hit the trail. Riding far in the lead, Fairchild came upon the fugitive, Parker, cowboy and all-around tough. They conducted a running gun fight in the trees until dark. At dawn the posse, including both sheriffs and a band of volunteers, found Parker's horse and most of his supplies.Sheriff Ruffner spotted Parker wading in a stream, got the drop and soon the outlaw was in Yavapai jail.... Silver City Enterprice Nov. 17, 1899 Fletcher Fairchild, late sheriff of Coconino, Arizona, died recently in the insane asylum at Phoenix. Mr. Fairchild resided in Grant county several years. In 1885 he was a deputy of Sheriff Woods at Georgetown. He had many friends for he was as brave and true a man as ever lived in this country. Silver City Enterprice Nov. 17, 1899 Fletcher Fairchild, late sheriff of Coconino, Arizona, died recently in the insane asylum at Phoenix. Mr. Fairchild resided in Grant county several years. In 1885 he was a deputy of Sheriff Woods at Georgetown. He had many friends for he was as brave and true a man as ever lived in this country. I found a book called A little War of our own by Don Dedera En route to Pleasant Valley,Sheriff Mulvenon was joined by deputies he had summoned by wire from Flagstaff: John W. Francis, E.F. Odell, John W. Weatherford, and Fletcher Fairchild. In the nearest communities of size-- Prescott,Flagstaff,Globe, Phoenix--elsewhere in the territory and the West , sensational news was expected,and shortly, received via the Presctt Journal-Miner of September 2, 1887: SHERIFF MULVENON AND ALL HIS POSSE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN TONTO BASIN. We have wired Holbrook and Globe but get no reliable information from either. The alarm splashed not only in the Prescott press, but in rapid succession on the front pages of Globe,Flagstaff,Los Angeles,and San Francisco papers. The Herald in Phoenix headed it, "SHERIFF W.J.MULVENON MURDERED, Eleven Men Killed and Seven Wounded, Posse Gone to Relief of Remaining Deputies." It was a hoex,orgin unknown. But imagin widows went into mourning nonetheless,firebrands gained wider audiences, and newsmen spent days and even weeks in retracting the obituaries.At least one bewildered Phoenix Herald editor threw himself on the mercy of his readers. From the book The Santa Fe Route Railroads of Arizona Volume 4 The westbound passenger train was approaching Peach Springs on Monday, February 8, 1897, when engineer William Daze, responding to the warning flag of the watchman, brought his train to a stop in a rock cut west of Nelson. It required only a few moments for him to realize that the watchman was taking his instructions at the point of a gun. One bandit boarded the locomotive cab while others uncoupled the express car. The express messengers, Summers opened fire with his .45 caliber Colt and the man fell to the ground after two well placed shots. (The deceased was former cowboy of the Arizona Cattle Co.) The two surviving bandits ordered the engineer to proceed several miles down the track where they ransacked the mail and express packages before escaping into the hills. Deputy Sheriff Fletcher Fairchild, who happened to be on another train arriving from Kingman, soon joined the posse but it was Sheriff Ralph H. Cameron, aided by Wallapai Indians, who suddenly came upon one bandit at the end of the day sitting by a park of cedar trees north of Peach springs. There was considerable gunfire but the posse now knew it faced Jim Parker, a cowboy and all-round tough man who dodged among trees eluding his pursuers. Another posse was formed and the search resumed on Wednesday, Parker was careful not to spend much time around Abe Thompson's cabin near Diamond Creek, for the posse was aware that Parker was part of a gang harassing ranchers around Peach Springs by breaking into their cabins, stealing clothes, and engaging in petty thievery. This cabin served as their headquarters and was also a place to store stolen property, and is the source of the name Robbers Roost Canyon on the maps today. After leaving the cabin. Parker discarded his boots, wrapping his feet in blankets to give the impression of Indian footprints. But the men knew they were on his trail when they found a saddle roll of bedding and a 50 lb sack of flour cached near the trail. The search continued for another day as Parker headed south, striking Diamond Creek and going on to a point about nine miles north of Peach Springs. Parker camped behind rock chimneys high above the canyons to secure commanding views of his pursuers marches. Leaving his concealed spot on Friday morning, he wandered down to the Colorado River where he was spotted by John Rogers and Indian guides. They followed him for 15 miles before leveling four Winchester rifles at him and forcing his surrender. The group camped by the river that night but, while the others slept, Parker grabbed a rifle, fired a few shots and headed for Diamond Creek. On Monday, Sheriff George C. Ruffner observed his man walking up Diamond Creek near its confluence with the Colorado River. Concealing himself. Ruffner ordered Parker to halt but the robber kept walking and was about to fire when Sheriffs Martin Buggeln and Will fired warning shots and told Parker to hold up his hands. This time he was ready to cooperate. He was quickly disarmed, handcuffed and taken to the Prescott jail pending his trial. USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain express written permission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.