Read Gustav Becker's account of The Blanton Gang.
(Below read the newspaper account of the circumstances of the shooting of Blanton.)
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WEEKLY ARIZONA MINER
PRESCOTT, ARIZONA
Page 1, April 26, 1878

MORE ABOUT THE LITTLE COLORADO AFFAIR
    EDITOR MINER:--In my letter to the MINER, of a recent date, writing about Little Colorado affairs, I remarked that those men were killed by a class of men worse than themselves.  I intended to give you my reasons for saying so then, but neglected to do so, therefore I will give you my reasons now.   
     One of the most prominent men in the Blanton tragedy was an old man--a Canadian Frenchman, if I am not mistaken--in the employ of Don Rosaleo Colomo, a merchant in St. Johns.  In the morning immediately after Blanton was attacked in the streets, this Canadian Frenchman inquired of someone about the shooting on the streets.   On being told that it was Mexicans shooting at Blanton, he rushed for his arms, remarking that he had killed sixty men, and would kill Blanton to make his sixty-first man.   
     His threats, however, were not carried into execution, for Blanton killed him while climbing in a window of the room which Blanton was in.  It is well known there that he once belonged to that famous band of outlaws in California, headed by Joaquin.  His body showed many evidences of hard fought battles, as it showed the scars of twenty-seven bullets and knives.  
     There were several other men interested in the affair who were equally as bad as this Frenchman, only they had not the courage to carry out their desires.  To sum the whole thing up, it seems to me that Pete Blanton was murdered for his clothes, arms, money, etc.; of the latter they got none however, as he burned up $1,500 about five minutes before he was killed; but his clothes and arms were soon distributed among the braves. 
     I can positively swear that four different Mexicans wore Blanton's clothes the day after he was killed.  One Mexican, in particular, wore the hat Blanton had on when he was first shot at, to Camp Apache, at the time he carried a petition asking for arms.  While there he exhibited the hat with a hole in the brim, stating that Pete shot at him and cut the hole in his hat.
     And about this petition I have something to say:  From the day Blanton was killed, the Mexicans of St. Johns would not allow any white man (except some of the galvanized class) to leave town until the couriers had time to reach Camp Apache with the petition.  Their petition availed them nothing, thanks to the sagacity of that valiant officer, Col. Andrews, the Commanding officer at Camp Apache.  In that one act of Col. Andrews were saved the lives of many an honest white man on Little Colorado.              TWIG.
THE DAILY MINER,
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1878,
Page 1, Col. 1
A QUESTION
EDITOR ARIZONA MINER
     Seeing the comments recently published in the Prescott papers, and hearing a great deal more in reference to the actions of Gov. Hoyt in the case of J.A. Lewis, the wife slayer, I take the privilege of expressing the sentiments of a goodly number of Yavapai's citizens, as well as my own.   We think Gov. Hoyts actions were dictated by his conscience and public opinion, and his were actions of a noble, solid and unprejudiced mind; we fully endorse his policy to that point.  But now the question is this: Why do the authorities keep so quiet and take such little interest in affairs in other portions of the county?  I refer to the St. Johns and Springerville troubles of last Fall.  During a very short time several men were killed, and not one has has ever been brought to justice for it.  That Pete Blanton was a bad man, I admit, but must a man of bad reputation be brutally murdered by a low, cowardly class of people worse than himself, simply on hearsay evidence?   
     As for George Spencer, no one can say naught against him more than what can be said of any man in Springerville.  I admit he gave board and shelter to men of bad reputation; so did the best men in the Valley, and why?  To refuse would probably mean death; so, to give was the only safe resort.
     Mr. Spencer was at St. Johns for some grain sacks, for which he had an order from St. James and Co., to Morris Barth.  He was present when Blanton was murdered, and was not allowed to leave town that day.  The following day, however, (after being compelled to swear that he did not know who killed Blanton) he was permitted to go home to Springerville.  Just before starting he was hugged and embraced by a Mexican, (whose name at present I withold) calling him (Spencer) his brother, friend, etc., and in less than one hour, this same Mexican and one of his Friends were in pursuit of Mr. Spencer.  They got ahead of him, hid in some scrubby cedars by the roadside, and killed him while riding by.
     Then, the cowardly killing of Wm. Snyder and Ed. Overstreet, while in the charge of Deputy Sheriff Milligan, who would undoubtedly have brought them to justice, had not an unprincipled mob overpowered him and lynched the prisoners.  If the citizens of Little Colorado were a law-abiding people, why did they not keep quiet when the authorities had these men in hand?  All these atrocities have passed by unnoticed by the authorities of Prescott.  While they are so strict and punctual in their duties at home, we ask why they are so negligent in matters abroad, which, standing as they are at present, are detrimental to the honor of the County and the name she so rightly deserves.Twig,   Prescott, A.T.   April 17, 1878

From Jack Becker's Collection