William Rainer Yuma Prisoner 2111
This story makes me feel sad, it really shows the prejudice of the time and place, the first article doesn’t even give William Rainer a name. Nor does it indicate if he got to see a doctor, or if anyone even cared about him from the carnival where he worked as a song and dance man. All we get to know in the end is that Mr. Eaton got to go out for a ride with his friends, and Mr. Rainer went to jail.
Early Friday morning, at Globe, Al Eaton, one of the proprietors of the Turf saloon, was shot near the right groin, by a negro belonging to the Dixie Carnival company.
A short time before the shooting the negro had been playing craps in the Turf, and quarreled with young Eaton over two-bits. After some words the negro left the saloon, and returning in a few minutes with a Winchester under his overcoat he advanced into the saloon demanding his money, and receiving no satisfaction, he uncovered his gun and pointed it toward the crowd, at the same time backing toward the door. The barkeeper covered the negro with a six-shooter, and Eaton got up from his seat, and coming to where the barkeeper stood took the six-shooter out of his hand and advanced toward the negro, talking to him and trying to persuade him to drop his gun. The negro continued to back out of the house until he reached the sidewalk, when he fired at Eaton, the shot taking effect as slated. Eaton was not stopped by the shot, but continued to advance upon the negro, and some say fired upon him. When in front of [the] Our House saloon the negro backed into the saloon, and Eaton fell to the sidewalk. Officers Andy Mayes and Bert Pratt were on the scene and arrested the negro immediately after the shooting.
There was a good deal of delay in getting doctors, but finally Drs. Wightman and Fox arrived and they had Eaton removed to his home. A cursory examination, made at the saloon, of the wound, showed that the ball missed the groin and lodged in the fleshy part of tho hip. Several persons who were present say that four or five shots were fired.
Source: Bisbee Daily Review, February 18, 1904
William Rainer, the negro who shot Al Eaton, had his examination last Saturday before Justice Carico, who held him in $1000 bonds to answer to the Grand Jury. Rainer will stay in jail until the June term of court. Mr. Eaton’s recovery has been more rapid than his friends had reason to hope. He was taken out for a drive yesterday.
Source: Arizona Silver Belt, (Globe City, Pinal County, Ariz.) March 03, 1904