Jim Taylor
When I was a teenager
Thursday, March 18, 2021, 07:13

I went with my Dad prospecting in the Superstitions. We were in there a lot in the early 1960's. The killer then was people. We were in the Superstitions when Marie Celeste Jones killed a geologist she had hired and then held off a Sheriff's Posse for about a day before surrendering.

Ed Piper, an old prospector, and some of his crew killed several of Ms. Jones's crew in gunfights. One of her guys caught Ed and threw down a 30-30 on him. He began cussing Ed and telling him he was gonna kill him. Ed drew his old S&W 1917 and shot the guy 3 times, twice in the chest and once in the head. Then he hiked into Apache Junction and turned himself in at the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff investigated and ruled it self defense. Ed later said that if you are gonna shoot someone, shoot first. Cuss them out later.

My Dad was visiting a camp of prospectors one day, having a cup of coffee. One of the prospectors came into camp carrying a 30-30 and said, "Well, that red-headed SOB won't bother us anymore." Dad said he politely thanked them for the coffee and left.

I never saw any killer bees the years we were in there.