HUGHES, John

Arizona Journal-Miner, Prescott, Arizona Wednesday, April 26, 1899 A Homicide in Jail - A homicide occurred in the County jail yesterday. The man killed was John Hughes, who last fall made a murderous assault on a man named McCoy in a Prescott & Eastern grading camp. In a quarrel over being discharged, Hughes shot McCoy through the abdomen and the latter is still in a precarious situation from the effect of the wound. Hughes escaped at the time that was afterwards arrested and lodged in jail where he is said to have shown a most vicious disposition. A short time since he made a vicious attack on Jailor Horace Yeoman and cut and scratched him and only by the use of the large jail keys as a club did the officer succeed in subduing him. Yesterday morning, Hughes attacked a fellow prisoner named Eagan in a most vicious manner over a trivial affair and in defending himself Eagan knocked Hughes down with his fist. In falling the latter's head struck the cement floor of the jail causing a fracture of the skull at the base of the brain, from the effects of which he died last night at nine o'clock. Justice Moore impanel a jury and held an inquest, the jury bringing in a verdict of justifiable homicide, the prisoners all testifying to the effect that Eagan acted strictly in self-defense. Hughes it is alleged he had boasted to the prisoners that he had killed two men, and if he was ever taken into court he would kill as many more as he could. His actions toward the prisoners were such as to make many of them fear him, and his death has not been mourned in the least by them