Success perhaps turned into greed in these raucous, wild western days. According to legend, the Booth brothers were implicated in a murderous act of shooting and killing innocent sheepherders in the year 1903. Grass for grazing animals was valued perhaps higher than the conquest of gold, for grass was the great commodity of the success of ranching life. Cattle ranchers frowned on the infringement of sheep herding on their grasslands. Another example of this friction is documented in the Pleasant Valley War of Young between 1882-1892 between the Grahams and the Tewksburys.

On December 22, 1903, as per Globe Arizona History website, two very young sheepherders, Wiley Berry and Juan Vigil -- who was only seventeen -- were ambushed as they were herding sheep in the Brushy Basin near Gisela. Wiley Berry was the son of William Berry, a sheep rancher from St. Johns who decided to move the herd of sheep of approximately 500 head from St. Johns to Thatcher.  

Santiago Vigil, Juan’s father, was helping herd the sheep and sadly witnessed the death of his son during the skirmish. Later, Santiago would be able to identify the cowboys who shot and killed the two young men as John and Zachary Booth.

Ironically, on Christmas Day of 1903, Santiago was in a Payson saloon when he spotted the two men he declared killed his son. Deputies responded to the “16 to 1” Saloon in Payson and arrested the two Booth brothers for the murders of the sheepherders.  

In true western valor, or perhaps love for his brother, Zachary claimed John had no knowledge of the attack and was not in the vicinity of Brushy Basin when the murders occurred despite Santiago’s firsthand witness and testimony against John. John Fox Booth was exonerated of the murder charges in the Globe courtroom. (Globe was -- and still is -- the County Seat of Gila County.) However, Zachary, his brother was not as fortunate. Zachary hung from the hanging rope, outside of the Globe Courthouse on September 15, 1905, sentenced to death for murdering the young innocent men. Zachary Booth was buried in the old Globe Cemetery. His hanging and burial were -- to become an example of punishment for ruthless actions. 

Often in history, it is confusing – hard to tell if the historical person was bad or good in nature. And just as bad and good resides in all of us, so too was it with John Fox Booth. After his acquittal in 1905 for murder, John returned to Gisela and continued cattle ranching. In 1917, a round corral was built for him for his livestock. He shared it with the community for years and years. (Although, I seriously doubt sheep were welcomed.)  

To commemorate his achievements and the asset of the Round Corral, a memorial of stone and mortar stands in place today as a noted historic site. 

John Fox Booth passed January 24, 1928. He is buried in the Gisela Cemetery -- ironically in close proximity to the young sheepherder, seventeen-year-old Juan Vigil.

Life in the early 1900s was full of uncertainties, similar to times in 2020. Day to day existence could not be taken for granted. From our families to yours, may you be safe, happy and -- most importantly – healthy! May the green, grassy pastures in your life be free and lush and may the conflicts in your life be few. Very best wishes for you and yours. Blessings!