This article was of particular interest to me because it states that there was a cemetery at the aqueduct camp at Jawbone canyon. Does it still exist? Can anyone tell me how to locate it? Or was it washed away in one of the flashfloods? The photo shows the Jawbone camp at about the time this incident occured. September 21, 1912: “NEGRO LYNCHED IN MOJAVE DESERT—Pursuers Kill Man Said to Have Assaulted Child of Homesteader.—Bakersfield, Sept. 21.—The lynching of a negro on the desert, thirty miles east of Mojave, by men alleged to be employees on the Los Angeles aqueduct, was reported here last night. It is said that the negro assaulted the six-year old child of a woman who is homesteading a tract of land near the aqueduct camp in Jawbone Canyon, and the men formed a posse which pursued the negro. Surrounding him in a gulch, several miles distant from the scene of the alleged crime they riddled his body with bullets, Deputy Coroner A. M. Dixon and Deputy Sheriff Charles H. Smith left last night in an automobile to make an investigation.” –Oakland Tribune September 21, 1912: “WM. E. KOOP KILLS UNKNOWN NEGRO ON DESERT –He and Companion Under Arrest And Now in the County Jail –CLAIM SELF DEFENSE—Negro Accused of Improper Conduct Toward Little Girl—On Thursday evening last at the Jawbone camp of the Los Angeles aqueduct, not far from the Cinco station, an unknown negro who had previously applied for work at the camp was shot to death by William Koop, an aqueduct employee. Ira Grainger, another employee, was with Koop at the time of the tragedy and both men are now confined in the county jail, having been brought here by Deputy Sheriff Charlie Smith this morning. Report has it that still another man is implicated in the killing and his arrest may follow. Briefly, the strange negro was accused by the men of improper conduct towards a little girl, the daughter of the “Queen of the Desert,” a woman well known in that section of the country. They chased the negro out of the camp with an axe and subsequently went to Cinco and armed themselves. On returning in the following day they found the negro was back and they again ordered him to leave. They contend that the negro started toward them making motions as though to draw a weapon, when Koop fired several shots, one of them taking effect in the negro’s body, producing death. KOOP’S STORY—According to Koop’s testimony at the Inquest, the story of the affair is as follows: After applying for work at the camp the negro went away. That evening (Wednesday) the two employees of the camp, Koop and Grainger, decided to visit the woman known as the “Desert Queen.” On reaching her camp they found her two children lying on a bed spread on the ground at one side of the woman’s wagon. They also saw the negro hanging around. They told him to go away, which he did. One of the men and the woman went away from the camp for some reason, while the other, at the request of the woman, stayed near the camp to look after the children. He lay down on the ground and presently heard one of the children, seven years of age, cry out, and on looking up saw the child struggling with the man. The white man told the negro in very strong language to get out of the place, and he went off again. The woman and the other man soon returned, and then the negro reappeared. The two men then told him to go away again and both started for him. One of them picked up an axe as a weapon. They chased him for a few miles from the camp, and got in a gulch near the railroad. One of the men fell, and the negro, stopping, put his hand in his pocket as though he had a revolver, and told them that he had them where he wanted them and now he was going to kill them. WENT TO CINCO—The two men then ran up on the track and went on to Cinco. They remained there all night, as they claim that they were afraid to return to the camp that night. They obtained a gun at Cinco and the next afternoon (Thursday) they started back to the Jawbone camp. When near the wagon of the “Desert Queen’s” they started from the train road to go over to her place to return the axe. When they had got a little ways from the woman’s camp they saw the negro. “I thought we told you to go away,” they said. “I’m not hurting you fellows,” said the negro. “We will give you three minutes to get away before we shoot you.,” said one of the two men SHOOT HIM DEAD –Whereupon the negro thrust his hands in front of his pants and started towards them as they started to count. Koop shot over his head, but he still came toward him, so Koop fired at him two or three times, one of the shots entering the man’s side killing him instantly. THE BODY FOUND—The two men then went into camp without saying anything of what had happened. The next day the Desert Queen found the body of the negro near her wagon. She gave the alarm and told what had happened and when Deputy Sheriff Smith arrived Friday the two men were arrested. ON THE CARPET—At the Inquest Grainger would not tell anything of what had happened, saying that he could not remember. Koop however, told the whole story clearly. This morning Grainger was brought before Deputy District Attorney Tom Scott, and then he told the story of the shooting, but in a somewhat different manner than Koop. Grainger failed to say anything about the negro’s motion to draw a gun or of his threat to kill them. He claims that they got the guns of a bartender in a saloon at Cinco and that this bartender, Walters by name, drove them back to the camp and was present when the shooting occurred. Grainger gave his gun, which he had borrowed from Walters, back to him, while Koop kept the gun which he had purchased from Walters, and took it to his tent. Koop says that someone came to his tent after a while and borrowed it. PRELIMNARY EXAMINATION—The preliminary examination of the men will be held in Mojave Monday in the opinion of tom Scott of the District attorney’s office, the affair was simply a cold-blooded murder. When the body was examined no weapon of any kind was found. The bullet entered the side, so it seems strange the he should be shot while coming towards Koop.” –Bakersfield Californian September 22, 1912: “NEGRO REFUSED TO HEED WARNING –Aqueduct Worker Shot Him, It Is Claimed In Self Defense.—An unknown negro, aged about 45, who was caught in the act of making an attack on a seven year old girl in Jawbone Canyon and who later attempted to assault William Koop and Ira Grainger, both employed on the aqueduct, was killed by Koop late Thursday night. Koop and Ira Grainger warned the negro to stay away from the child’s camp. The negro returned and was advancing on Koop, when he was shot it is said. Koop fired five times at the negro and one shot took fatal effect. It was impossible to identify the negro and his body was buried near the scene of the shooting. The inquest resulted in a complete exoneration of Koop, but Deputy Coroner Dixon and Deputy Sheriff Smith, who were in charge of the inquest, considered it best that Koop and his companion be held until the District Attorney himself investigated the matter. The two men were brought to the county jail in Dixon’s automobile. They tell a straight forward story, and the negro was shot only after he refused to heed a friendly warning to clear they claim. The mother of the child, who is known as “Queen of the Valley.” Made a poor witness, contradicting herself in many ways, but it was she who appealed to the men for protection. NEGRO APPLIED FOR JOB—The negro had a railroad check in his pocket. He had arrived over the California and Nevada line from Mojave on Wednesday. He went to the aqueduct office and applied for employment, but was refused when he could not write his name. The negro said his education was sadly neglected. Whereupon the aqueduct clerk asked him his name and then wrote it on a slip of paper, which he handed to the negro with the admonition that he could get no job until he could sign his name. The clerk did not remember his name, so the identification of the negro is lost forever. After being unable to get a job the negro stayed around the camp for several hours, later in the day going over to where the “Queen of the Valley” was camped along the roadside in a covered wagon. Two little children, a girl of seven and a boy of five years are with her. The negro lingered around the camp and about dusk Koop and Grainger came to the woman’s camp. While there Koop discovered the negro sneaking an attack on the little girl and stopped it and drove him off. Fifteen minutes later the negro returned to the camp, asserting he had a right to remain there. The woman appealed to Koop for help and Koop arming himself with an axe, as he had no gun at the time, in company with Grainger started the negro on the way toward Cinco. They made him keep moving and when finally refused they feared he carried a gun and were forced to let him go. They again warned him to stay away from the woman’s camp, but the negro, with an oath, replied he would “get even with you.” WARNED HIM, THEY FIRED Koop and Grainger went into Cinco, where they spent Thursday, and fearing the Negro would make good his threat they purchased revolvers. On their return they went to the woman’s camp, which was about 100 steps from the road and there were again accosted by the negro. Drawing his gun, Koop warned the negro too leave immediately. The negro moved his right hand in the direction of his side, and Koop said he thought he might be carrying a pistol. At the same instant the negro stepped rapidly toward Koop, who was only a short distance off. Repeating his warning, Koop drew down on the negro, but was unable to stop him by parlaying, and Koop fired. He emptied his revolver in the negro’s direction, but only one shot took effect, passing through the right side of the breast. Koop and his companion, after seeing the negro fall, returned to the aqueduct camp. The next morning the “Queen of the Valley” discovered the negro’s lifeless body lying in the sand. Identification being impossible, Deputy Coroner Dixon had the body interred in the Jawbone Canyon cemetery. Kop bears a good reputation at the camp. He is known as a man of courage. His fellow workmen formed the members of the inquest and they completely exonerated Koop. ORDER “QUEEN” TO MOVE ON—It is stated that the “Queen of the Valley” is a homesteader on the Mojave desert. She told the coroner her husband was residing on the claim near Mojave, but she has been for several days camped in the covered wagon near the aqueduct camp. Instructions were given her to take her departure from the vicinity of the camp. IRWIN INVESTIGATING—District Attorney Irwin said yesterday he would look carefully into this affair and would himself go to Mojave tomorrow morning to conduct the preliminary hearing of Koop and Grainger before Justice Dearborn. The two men were brought into the District Attorney’s office yesterday and it was said gave an account of the shooting which complied with the Inquest testimony. District attorney Irwin was of the opinion the case should have the most rigid investigation.” –Bakersfield Morning Echo September 28, 1912: “KOOP AND GRANGER HELD TO ANSWER FOR MURDER—Two Aqueduct Men Face Trial for Killing Unknown Negro –‘Willful Murder’—Holds the Judge – Killing Followed Alleged Assault of Negro on Child of Seven years.—For killing an unknown negro on the Mojave desert near Cinco a week ago Tuesday, William Kop and Ira Granger, two Owens river aqueduct laborers were held to answer yesterday by Justice of the Peace E. M. Dearborn of Mojave, before whom the preliminary hearing was conducted Monday by Assistant District Attorney Tom Scott. In binding the two men over to the Superior Court, Justice Dearborn said that “after careful consideration of the testimony introduced at the preliminary examination, I have concluded that a willful murder has been committed and find that there is sufficient cause to believe the defendants, Wm. Koop and Ira Granger are guilty thereof and bind them over in the Superior Court for trial. CLAIM NEGRO MENEACED THEM—Koop is alleged to have shot the negro following his move to draw a gun, according to Koop’s own testimony, which is largely corroborated by Granger. Both are in jail. The negro had been annoying a Mrs. Darrh, a desert homesteader known as “the queen of the valley,” according to Koop’s story, and even went so far as attempt an assault on the woman’s seven-year-old daughter. Koop and Granger claim the woman appealed to them to drive off the negro, which they did, and the next day when they came back to her camp, they were armed. The shooting followed, Koop testified, after he again warned the negro to leave the vicinity of the camp. The negro refused and advancing toward Koop, the latter said, was about to draw a gun when Koop shot him. LEAGUE DEMANDS PROBE—The Citizens’ League of this city, and Afro-American organization, demanded a vigorous investigation of the circumstances leading up to the shooting. The members believe their countryman was foully dealt with.” –Bakersfield Morning Echo October 10, 1912: “AQUEDUCTS SLAYERS IN COURT THIS MORNING—Judge Mahon this morning will hear the applications for writ of habeas corpus of Ira Granger and William K00p, held for the murder of an unknown negro near Cinco. Judge Tams is their attorney and will endeavor to secure their freedom on bail.” –Bakersfield Morning Echo December 1, 1912: “AQUEDUCT MURDER CASE ON DECEMBER 10 –Granger and Koop To Be Tried for Killing an Unknown Negro—Ira Granger and William E. Koop, aqueduct laborers, charged with the murder of an unknown negro, near Cinco, on the Mojave desert last September, will be brought before Judge Bennett and a jury on December 10th. Granger has been at liberty on $10,000 bail and is at the home of his father in San Luis Obispo County. Koop was unable to give bond. Judge Tam is their attorney. Self-defense will be the plea of the two men. The negro was shot by Koop. It is maintained, for an alleged attempt to assault Koop, who claimed to be guarding a woman known as “Desert Queen” from being attacked by the negro. The defendants also stated that the negro attempted to assault the little daughter of the woman, who was traveling about on the desert in a covered wagon. The local Citizen’s League took on the cause of the unknown negro and have made direct request of the District that the case be thoroughly investigated.” –Bakersfield Morning Echo December 25, 1912: “FREE KOOP AND GRANGER OF AQUEDUCT MURDER—Evidence is Insufficient to Convict For Killing Negro.—Judge Burnett yesterday on motion of Deputy District Attorney Scott, ordered the charge of murder against Ira Granger and William Koop dismissed on the ground of insuffiency of evidence to convict. The trial of Koop a few days ago resulted in a disagreement of the jury, eleven being in favor of acquittal and one holding out for conviction. The two men were charged with shooting an unidentified negro in Jawbone Canyon following and alleged attempt of the negro to assault a little white girl. Koop claimed that he shot in self-defense. Judge Tam was Koop’s attorney.” –Bakersfield Morning Echo
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:33:55 +0000
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