Courthouse
Sheriff F. J. Wattron, the first appointed
lawman of the new county caused an outcry from the press when he issued
an invitation to the hanging of one "George Smiley, murderer". The Arizona Revised Statutes required the sheriff to
publish the invitations, but it didn't specify a form. Territorial Governor Murphy
and editors of the Arizona Republic admonished Wattron for the cheerful tone.. In response he retracted the offending invitations, delaying the
execution long enough to draft one more suitable to sensiblities of modern times.
I've recreated the original invitations as
blanks for you to print out and "issue" for your own enjoyment.
Click here to see invitations
Did you see that!?