Tragic Jack: The True Story of Arizona Pioneer John William Swilling

"Now that Jack Swilling is dead, his wife a widow, and his children orphans in poverty and want, all the papers and many of the people are commiserating the fate of the family and mourning the death of the husband father, whereas during his lifetime and false imprisonment many were offended at the Miner and cursed its editor for daring to say a word in favor . . ." - Daily Miner, Prescott, Arizona, October 10, 1878 Jack Swilling, Father of PhoenixJohn William "Jack" Swilling, who established and later named the city of Phoenix, led an impressive and complex life as a scout, farmer, prospector, rancher, and entrepreneur. He fought in the war with Mexico, founded the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company, owned a number of mines, and captured Indian Chief Mangas Colorados to make New Mexico a safer place.But Jack Swilling also had a dark side. He was addicted to opiate painkillers and alcohol and was accused of killing a dozen or so men - and even blamed for scalping one. Yet despite his many transgressions, he landed in jail for one he didn't commit. Falsely accused of a stagecoach robbery, Swilling languished in the Yuma County jail until he died a horrible death, just three weeks before the true guilty party was captured. He was buried in an unmarked grave and largely forgotten - until now. In TRAGIC JACK, biographer and historian R. Michael Wilson tells the true story of this fascinating American pioneer.