By Parker Anderson
Long-time Prescott residents undoubtedly recall that our most famous landmark, Thumb Butte, has been the scene of several tragic accidents and at least one unsolved murder. While these may seem like recent phenomena, the truth is Thumb Butte has always had its share of tragedies. One such incident from early Prescott will illustrate.
On January 22, 1911, two young men, Roy Richards and Henry Brinkmeyer Jr., went mountain climbing on the Butte. While up there, they happened to glance down into a particularly hidden and deep crevice, shocked to see the still form of a man at the bottom. They ran back to Prescott as fast as they could and sounded the alarm. Soon, Justice of the Peace McLane, accompanied by a Coroner's Jury and Lester Ruffner, the undertaker, made their way to the crevice.
The descent to the body was highly treacherous, and was accomplished by Mclane, Ruffner and Wiley Woodruff. Upon reaching the body, they confirmed the death and that the body had probably been lying there undetected for about five months.
They further determined that the man had climbed down into that spot and had committed suicide by shooting himself. A Smith and Wesson handgun was lying by his side and a note found on the body read:
"This is as fine a place for a dead man as Cecil Rhodes has in the Matabele Hills, so I will take a rest here. I hope they won't disturb me. My life is just as thorny as this cactus. Therefore, I want to quite this Devil's Kingdom. My spirit will go where there is a better Ruler. OMBRE MUERTE."
He had simply signed the note: "Dead Man," and gave no clue as to his identity. As the crevice was so well hidden, it was clear the man had intentionally chosen it for his tomb.
It was decided that removing the body would be exceedingly difficult, requiring someone to lift it out of the crevice and lower it 300 feet to the nearest trail; therefore, they decided to leave him where he was as it was unlikely many more people would discover him since he had hidden himself so well.
Back in Prescott, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors were horrified by this decision and ordered the removal of the body from Thumb Butte. Heavy rains in Prescott delayed the extraction for several weeks but finally Ruffner and a small crew brought the body down from the suicide's chosen tomb.
The dead man was laid to rest in Citizen's Cemetery in a section where other unknown transients were buried in unmarked graves. The exact location of his grave is not known, as it appears that it is not recorded in the cemetery records.
So who was the Thumb Butte suicide? We will never know. Undoubtedly, some poor soul whose pain was so deep he figured he just couldn't go on anymore. If he had family or relatives anywhere, they never knew what happened to their loved one.
Thumb Butte has been the scene of a number of tragic events. Rumors continue to swirl about ghosts and other strange phenomena that happen at night on the Butte. I don't say that I believe in such things but the tragedies over the years have made the Butte rife to such rumors.
(Parker Anderson is an active member of the Theater community in Prescott. He frequently can be found at the Sharlot Hall Museum archives looking through newspapers. If you are interested in writing short histories of Yavapai County and the region for the Courier, contact the Museum Archives at 928.445.3122.)
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(la153pa). Reuse only by permission.
Thumb Butte has been the scene of a number of tragic events. In 1911 some young men found the body of a man who had committed suicide. Stories of deaths on the flanks of the mountain probably go back as long as humans have tromped around the area - and the stories will certainly continue.