Nicholas McCormick was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on March 12, 1811, and made his way to the American Southwest in his later years. By the summer of 1887, he was 76 years old, living in a cabin about a mile below Bisbee, Arizona, working mining claims with his partner Michael O’Reilly. Bisbee in those years was a booming copper camp in the Mule Mountains, about 25 miles southeast of Tombstone, and the roads connecting its mines and ranches were remote enough to make a lone traveler vulnerable.
On the afternoon of August 25, 1887, McCormick set out from his cabin on a burro, heading down the canyon road toward the Whitetail Deer Mine. Two men, Manuel Grijalba and Cornelio Paz, left a blacksmith shop below town at roughly the same time, mounted on horses and leading a freshly-shod pack mule. They were about a mile behind him at the start. On horseback they could easily have overtaken a man on a burro.
McCormick’s body was found on the road about 3 miles from Bisbee, killed by pistol shots. The coroner’s inquest on August 26 produced strong circumstantial evidence against the two men: tracks from a newly-shod mule near the body matched the mule Grijalba had shod at the local blacksmith’s just before leaving town. Those tracks led southeast toward the San José Mountains and the border with Sonora. The last reliable report placed the suspects heading for Cumpas, across the line in Mexico. No record of their capture survives.
Newspaper Accounts
The following story about Nicholas' death was found in the Tombstone Epitaph.
Assassinated
Cold-Blooded Murder Nicholas McCormick
Two Mexicans Supposed to Be the Assassins
The corner's inquest on the body of Nicholas McCormick, an estimable old gentleman who was murdered in cold blood near Bisbee last Thursday week, developed suspicions that strongly pointed to Mexicans named Manuel Grijalba and Cornelio Pas, as the murderers. Michael O'Reilly a mining partner of McCormick's, testified that he (McCormick) left his cabin about a mile below Bisbee, about 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon of 25 August, and by the evidence adduced before the inquest it was ascertained that the above named Mexicans let the blacksmith shop below town at about the same time. They were mounted on sorrel and grey horses respectively, and leading a pack mule. Mr. McCormick was mounted on a burro; the distance between both parties at the start was about 1 mile. The Mexicans when they started headed down the canyon they were seen about a mile below town still going in that direction; this was the last that was seen of them; but as they were mounted on horses, they could easily overtake Mr. McCormick at the point on the road where the murder occurred. On Sunday morning a party of seven started out and went to where Mr. McCormick's body was found, and that about 100 feet from where the body lay, they discovered the tracks of a mule that had been newly shot, and these shoes were smooth; they also discovered the tracks of two horses, the rider of one of the horses apparently leading the mule and the other rider urging the mule along, as the trail showed the animals were kept on the lope for some 8 miles, heading from where McCormick's body was found toward the southeast end of the San Jose Mountains. The trailers followed on and tracked them to the Gailina Ranch (or Mescal Ranch); there they made inquiry, but as usual the Mexicans knew nothing of the men, while at the same time Manuel Grijalba is a partner in the ranch. Grijalba had his pack mule shod at the blacksmith shop here, and the smith testified that the mule was shod with new shoes and smooth, without heel or toe calks; this corresponded with the shoes on the mule that the trailers were after. Two other parties were out, but elicited nothing further.
There is a report that the men had been captured and hung by one of the parties, but there is no foundation in the report. The last news that we have had that is in any way authentic, is that the Mexicans were heading for Cumpas.
Coroner's Verdict
Territory of Arizona
County of Cochise
Before S. C. Perin, J. P. Acting as Coroner.
We, the undersigned, the jurors summoned to appear before S. C. Perin, Justice of the Peace, acting as Coroner for the County of Cochise, Territory of Arizona, at the town of Bisbee, in said above named County and Territory, on the 26th day of August, A. D. 1887, to inquire into the cause of the death of Nicholas McCormick, whose body was found lying on the road leading from Bisbee to the Whitetail Deer Mine, and about 3 miles from Bisbee, having been duly sworn according to law, and having made such inquisition after inspecting the body and hearing that testimony adduced, upon our oaths, each and all do say that we find the deceased was named Nicholas McCormick, was a native of Ireland, aged about 75 years. That he came to his death on the 25th day of August, 1887, in this county by pistol shots fired by some person or persons unknown to the jury, and we further find from the evidence adduced that suspicion points to Manuel Grijalfa and Cornelia Paz as the persons by whose act the death of Nicholas McCormick was occasioned. All of which we duly certify by this inquisition in writing, by us signed this 26th day of August, A.D. 1887.
Tombstone Epitaph, September 3, 1887, Page 1, Column 1 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95060905/1887-09-03/ed-1/seq-1/)Sources
- Tombstone Epitaph, September 3, 1887, Page 1. Source for McCormick’s birth date and birthplace, mining partnership with Michael O’Reilly, circumstances of the murder, coroner’s inquest (August 26, 1887), and the evidence pointing to Manuel Grijalba and Cornelio Paz.
Location
Nicholas McCormick is buried in the Tombstone City Cemetery, Section B, Row 3, Plot 11.