b'WHEN DEATH STALKED single effort to drive the Apaches out of the valley. Heof 1871 at Rhodes Ranch where he had moved.said the sole purpose of the Army presence there wasThe party that found Smiths body could not to protect the farmers were going to have to abandonexamine it as the ranchers faithful dogs would not all they had built in one of the oldest settled areas inlet them near it. A week later it was announced that Arizona Territory for want of protection. Smith had been murdered by Mexican bandits on THE SANTA CRUZ VALLEY The Arizona Citizen in Tucson listened to Smith andJune 15. Public administrator Captain J.S. Thayer reported that he had buried the body at the scene editorialized that it was sickening to hear farmersafter examining it. He said Smith had been shot in tell of these raids. The paper said the farmers werethe head and chest. Thayer took charge of any of being compelled to abandon their farms, fences,Smiths possessions still with him.irrigation ditches, crops, and cattle or be stalked by death at the hands of the Indians. The CitizenThe Citizen reported that after the murder of mentioned Rees Smith, who lost 20,000 lbs. ofRees Smith there were only a couple of the early shelled corn to raiding Indians and had several of hisAmerican settlers left on the upper Santa Cruz.neighbors butchered. It said Smith had a choice ofIt said many had been killed by Apaches, moremoving to town and facing poverty or almost certainwere frightened off and now the Mexican bandits death staying on his farm and making a living. Itwere finishing the work the Apaches had not. The said that if the Army would deal with the Apaches,Army still seemed deaf to the pleas of the farmersover half of the people living in Tucson wouldof the Santa Cruz Valley and the citizens of Tucson move out intoand Tubacthe countrysidefor protection. where richDeath continued pastures, soils,to stalk those in and minesthe Santa Cruz abound ratherValley well into than try to ekethe 1880s. out a meagerAugust 2021Volume 8Issue 10 FREEliving in the Next month, Old Pueblo. part 2.Smith KilledThe legislator, farmer, and pre-territorial pioneerPhoto courtesy ofSanta Cruz River tucson.com / Arizona was killed in JuneHistorical SocietyArizonaRealCountry.com September 2021 37'