Ida Emma Guenther (1853-1904)
Shrew
 
Buried in City/Loosley Cemetery, exact location unknown.

(Generic image created using Bing AI)

According to the federal census of 1900, Ida (maiden name unknown) was born in Denmark, April 1853, and arrived in the United States in 1865. One can only guess what contributed to her fondness for conflict and drink.
 
Mrs. Ida Bailey first came to the attention of Phoenix authorities when she was charged along with Fred Steffans with “mutually maligning each other and the employment of language which is not admissible to mail bags” on April 2, 1893. 
 
Shortly after that incident, Ida married Joseph P. Murray, a blacksmith, on April 23, 1893. Witnesses to the marriage were Frankie Hill and H.C. King. Frankie Hill (aka Minnie Drum) was a known madam in Phoenix. At the time of their marriage, Ida was 40 years old and Joseph was 57 years old. 
 
The Arizona Republican paper reported that the newlyweds were off to the World’s Fair on honeymoon. However, the romance—if romance it was—didn’t last long. Barely two months later, Ida was living in a crib in the alley behind the Central Hotel in Phoenix. That area was known for all sorts of criminal behavior, the main problem being prostitution. 
 
On June 23, 1893, one of Ida’s neighbors, Annie Marchand, complained to Night Marshal Blankenship that Ida had tried to fire a shot at her with a Smith & Wesson handgun. Ida was arrested and fined. “Inspired by whiskey and morphine," Ida retaliated by charging that Annie had been calling her names.
 
On July 1, 1893, a fire swept through the residences in the alley behind the Central Hotel. The flames were so intense that they threatened the hotel. It was learned that Ida had moved all her belongings out of her shack prior to the fire, but Annie lost everything. Although Ida had openly boasted that she “was going to make it hot” for Annie Marchand, there was no direct evidence linking her to the fire.
 
Ida Murray next married Herman Guenther, a gunsmith, on September 18, 1899 in Phoenix. Herman had been born in Germany in December 1835 and arrived in the United States in 1871. He had been previously married and had two sons who were in California.  
 
The Guenthers invited Nicholas Brecht and his wife Maria Gilmore to their home on July 11, 1899 for a drink. The affair became a two-hour drinking contest before everyone said their goodbyes. Sometime later, Maria realized her purse was missing and returned to the Guenthers. A fight broke out and police were called. All were brought to court and fined.
 
Ida died in Phoenix on May 5, 1904 at the age of 50 and was buried in Loosley Cemetery. Herman died on August 10, 1904 at the age of 69. He had attempted to walk to the cemetery where his wife was buried and lost his way. He was found unconscious and brought back to his residence where he later died. He is also buried in Loosley Cemetery. Neither Guenther has a grave marker.
 
© Copyright 2018 by Patricia Gault. Last revised 9 May 2018.

​If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!

Bertha Belmont, 1870-1905
Con Artist

Buried in City-Loosley Cemetery, exact location unknown

(Image generated using Bing AI)

​Bertha Belmont was born about 1870. Not much is known about her early life or even whether this was her true name. Bertha had a career as a confidence woman associating with three men from Texas.

Supposedly, Bertha was married to an Ed McClain. McClain had been born in Texas in 1870. He was associated with Elmore “Elmo” Barnett, Comby Barnett, and Cicero Ernest Nash AKA the Texas Kid. McClain is believed to have been be the half-brother of the Barnetts.

In the late 1890s into the 1900s, these four travelled together from Iowa to San Francisco, plying their trade of thievery and scams. One scam involved representing themselves to be respected businessmen from out of town needing cash. They would present the victim with a check in return for a cash “loan.” The victim would realize later the check was worthless and a forgery.  

Using various aliases, they avoided capture most of the time. The group was involved in an argument while in a San Francisco saloon over who would pay for the drinks. The dispute ended when Elmore pulled out a gun and started shooting up the bar. All four were arrested at that time, but later released.

Shortly after McClain committed a robbery in Iowa in 1905, Bertha fell ill with tuberculosis. She came to Phoenix seeking treatment at Sisters Hospital. At this time, Ed McClain was being sought by law enforcement as was Comby for a prison escape in Texas; the wanted men were believed travelling together. 

A sharp-eyed law enforcement officer saw the ‘Wanted’ photos of McClain and Comby and remembered seeing them in Denver. A tip led officers to believe that the gang was headed for Phoenix. Sheriff’s officers mounted surveillance on Bertha, waiting for McClain to show up. When he did, he and Comby were arrested.

Bertha died on January 31, 1905, just as McClain was taken into custody. He was given the option of staying in Phoenix until her burial. He declined and was taken back to Iowa where he was tried and sentenced to prison. It was discovered that his companion was not Comby at all, but Comby’s brother Elmore. Elmore was not wanted at the time, so he was released.

Bertha was buried in an unknown location within City Loosley Cemetery.

© 2021 Patricia Gault. Last revised August 2021.

​If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!