A native of Azores Island
Member of the U.P.E.C. and I.D.E.S.
Joseph P. ARMES pose Armas) was born in Santa Cruz, Flores, in 1847, and immigrated to the Newcastle area of Placer County, Calif., in 1863. On December 19, 1880 in Auburn he married MARY A. FRATES (Freitas), who was born in Faial on May 9, 1859, the daughter of Francisco Jose Silveira de Freitas and Maria Luisa Coracao de Jesus. Her mother was the daughter of Jose Antonio and Marianna Luisa Santos. Jose Santos had been a tax collector in 1810. Mary Frates had come to the U.S. to visit an aunt, and stayed to marry Joseph Armes
Joseph, a fruit farmer in the Newcastle area for nearly 40 years, had been the organizer for the Republican Party for Placer County. He died on February 25, 1909, in Newcastle. He had left for town driving his horse and buggy, and had a stroke before he reached town. The horse continued on to town, and waited at the customary place in front of the Lowell store. It was not determined how long he had been dead when he was discovered about eight o'clock at night; apparently passersby thought he was asleep. Mary ran the ranch after the death of her husband, and in the 1930s received an award for having one of the few unmortgaged ranches in the area.
One night while she was away visiting her daughter Grace in Auburn, the ranch house burned to the ground, unable to be saved because of a problem with the water pressure. The hired men saved some furniture, a few pictures, and the washing machine. The fruit house across from the main house also burned.
The death of her husband, and the burning of her ranch house, were not the only tragedies Mary Frates Armes had to face: Less than four months later, her youngest son, Joe, was murdered by Mary's housekeeper, Alma Bell, who lived with the Armes family, and with whom Joe was having an affair.
According to the story in the Sacramento Union, an Auburn saloon owner, Manuel Neves, was spreading stories about Alma, who sought to explain them away to Joe Armes, whom Alma claimed was her fiance. Also, she was jealous of Minnie Foster, who also lived with the Armes family in the fruit season, although there was apparently no reason for the jealousy. But Joe wouldnt listen to Alma.
An account in the Placer Herald of Auburn on June 12, 1909, stated that Alma Bell shot Joe because he refused to marry her. She went to the Armes home around 6:00 p.m. where she got Joes pistol, and then went to the cabin where Joe and his brothers were sleeping, saying she wanted to talk to him. About 10:30 that night Joe got up and started to accompany her to a neighbors house. A short while later Joe's brothers Manuel and Frank heard two shots. Going outside, they found Joe with a bullet hole through his heart and Alma gone.
Alma Bell threatened to kill the entire family, and hid in the bushes around the farmhouse. Mary and her daughters stayed in the house, avoiding doors and windows until Alma was found after a three-day hunt. She surrendered to a deputy sheriff, saying she had meant to kill herself, too. She was sentenced and served a term in prison.
Mary Emily Armes died May 9, 1947, at age 87, after an illness of six weeks. She had a sister, Mrs. Joseph Ferry, in Newcastle.
The children of Joseph and Mary Armes, in addition to Joe:
Manuel, who died in Auburn in 1948, married Mary Serpa; Frank, who had fought in World War I, died in 1940; John, who never married, died of a concussion; Mary married Manuel Brown, and then Richard Negley, and died in 1968; Julia T. (1895-1972), a charter member of UPPEC, married Carroll R. Couture, son of Dr. Alfred N. and Dr. Ella R. Couture of Auburn; Evelyn married Edward Eyering; and Grace, who died in 1976, married Harold Harrington of Auburn.
[Elizabeth Couture Slater]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find A Grave contributor LovesGraving has made a suggestion
******************
On the night of June 5th Alma Bell went to the cabin and after a scene In which her lover tried to make her leave, he finally went with her. A shot was heard, then another. When the Sheriff found Armes' body, shot through the heart, the girl was crouched in the bushes near by. She said she had Intended to kill herself and appeared dazed. The girl's child was dead when born in the county Jail a few weeks after. This is the story which will be placed before the Jury in the defense of Alma Bell, and which the prosecution will bitterly attack.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, California
Sunday, November 7, 1909
Page 1
Member of the U.P.E.C. and I.D.E.S.
Joseph P. ARMES pose Armas) was born in Santa Cruz, Flores, in 1847, and immigrated to the Newcastle area of Placer County, Calif., in 1863. On December 19, 1880 in Auburn he married MARY A. FRATES (Freitas), who was born in Faial on May 9, 1859, the daughter of Francisco Jose Silveira de Freitas and Maria Luisa Coracao de Jesus. Her mother was the daughter of Jose Antonio and Marianna Luisa Santos. Jose Santos had been a tax collector in 1810. Mary Frates had come to the U.S. to visit an aunt, and stayed to marry Joseph Armes
Joseph, a fruit farmer in the Newcastle area for nearly 40 years, had been the organizer for the Republican Party for Placer County. He died on February 25, 1909, in Newcastle. He had left for town driving his horse and buggy, and had a stroke before he reached town. The horse continued on to town, and waited at the customary place in front of the Lowell store. It was not determined how long he had been dead when he was discovered about eight o'clock at night; apparently passersby thought he was asleep. Mary ran the ranch after the death of her husband, and in the 1930s received an award for having one of the few unmortgaged ranches in the area.
One night while she was away visiting her daughter Grace in Auburn, the ranch house burned to the ground, unable to be saved because of a problem with the water pressure. The hired men saved some furniture, a few pictures, and the washing machine. The fruit house across from the main house also burned.
The death of her husband, and the burning of her ranch house, were not the only tragedies Mary Frates Armes had to face: Less than four months later, her youngest son, Joe, was murdered by Mary's housekeeper, Alma Bell, who lived with the Armes family, and with whom Joe was having an affair.
According to the story in the Sacramento Union, an Auburn saloon owner, Manuel Neves, was spreading stories about Alma, who sought to explain them away to Joe Armes, whom Alma claimed was her fiance. Also, she was jealous of Minnie Foster, who also lived with the Armes family in the fruit season, although there was apparently no reason for the jealousy. But Joe wouldnt listen to Alma.
An account in the Placer Herald of Auburn on June 12, 1909, stated that Alma Bell shot Joe because he refused to marry her. She went to the Armes home around 6:00 p.m. where she got Joes pistol, and then went to the cabin where Joe and his brothers were sleeping, saying she wanted to talk to him. About 10:30 that night Joe got up and started to accompany her to a neighbors house. A short while later Joe's brothers Manuel and Frank heard two shots. Going outside, they found Joe with a bullet hole through his heart and Alma gone.
Alma Bell threatened to kill the entire family, and hid in the bushes around the farmhouse. Mary and her daughters stayed in the house, avoiding doors and windows until Alma was found after a three-day hunt. She surrendered to a deputy sheriff, saying she had meant to kill herself, too. She was sentenced and served a term in prison.
Mary Emily Armes died May 9, 1947, at age 87, after an illness of six weeks. She had a sister, Mrs. Joseph Ferry, in Newcastle.
The children of Joseph and Mary Armes, in addition to Joe:
Manuel, who died in Auburn in 1948, married Mary Serpa; Frank, who had fought in World War I, died in 1940; John, who never married, died of a concussion; Mary married Manuel Brown, and then Richard Negley, and died in 1968; Julia T. (1895-1972), a charter member of UPPEC, married Carroll R. Couture, son of Dr. Alfred N. and Dr. Ella R. Couture of Auburn; Evelyn married Edward Eyering; and Grace, who died in 1976, married Harold Harrington of Auburn.
[Elizabeth Couture Slater]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find A Grave contributor LovesGraving has made a suggestion
******************
On the night of June 5th Alma Bell went to the cabin and after a scene In which her lover tried to make her leave, he finally went with her. A shot was heard, then another. When the Sheriff found Armes' body, shot through the heart, the girl was crouched in the bushes near by. She said she had Intended to kill herself and appeared dazed. The girl's child was dead when born in the county Jail a few weeks after. This is the story which will be placed before the Jury in the defense of Alma Bell, and which the prosecution will bitterly attack.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, California
Sunday, November 7, 1909
Page 1
A native of Azores Island
Member of the U.P.E.C. and I.D.E.S.
Joseph P. ARMES pose Armas) was born in Santa Cruz, Flores, in 1847, and immigrated to the Newcastle area of Placer County, Calif., in 1863. On December 19, 1880 in Auburn he married MARY A. FRATES (Freitas), who was born in Faial on May 9, 1859, the daughter of Francisco Jose Silveira de Freitas and Maria Luisa Coracao de Jesus. Her mother was the daughter of Jose Antonio and Marianna Luisa Santos. Jose Santos had been a tax collector in 1810. Mary Frates had come to the U.S. to visit an aunt, and stayed to marry Joseph Armes
Joseph, a fruit farmer in the Newcastle area for nearly 40 years, had been the organizer for the Republican Party for Placer County. He died on February 25, 1909, in Newcastle. He had left for town driving his horse and buggy, and had a stroke before he reached town. The horse continued on to town, and waited at the customary place in front of the Lowell store. It was not determined how long he had been dead when he was discovered about eight o'clock at night; apparently passersby thought he was asleep. Mary ran the ranch after the death of her husband, and in the 1930s received an award for having one of the few unmortgaged ranches in the area.
One night while she was away visiting her daughter Grace in Auburn, the ranch house burned to the ground, unable to be saved because of a problem with the water pressure. The hired men saved some furniture, a few pictures, and the washing machine. The fruit house across from the main house also burned.
The death of her husband, and the burning of her ranch house, were not the only tragedies Mary Frates Armes had to face: Less than four months later, her youngest son, Joe, was murdered by Mary's housekeeper, Alma Bell, who lived with the Armes family, and with whom Joe was having an affair.
According to the story in the Sacramento Union, an Auburn saloon owner, Manuel Neves, was spreading stories about Alma, who sought to explain them away to Joe Armes, whom Alma claimed was her fiance. Also, she was jealous of Minnie Foster, who also lived with the Armes family in the fruit season, although there was apparently no reason for the jealousy. But Joe wouldnt listen to Alma.
An account in the Placer Herald of Auburn on June 12, 1909, stated that Alma Bell shot Joe because he refused to marry her. She went to the Armes home around 6:00 p.m. where she got Joes pistol, and then went to the cabin where Joe and his brothers were sleeping, saying she wanted to talk to him. About 10:30 that night Joe got up and started to accompany her to a neighbors house. A short while later Joe's brothers Manuel and Frank heard two shots. Going outside, they found Joe with a bullet hole through his heart and Alma gone.
Alma Bell threatened to kill the entire family, and hid in the bushes around the farmhouse. Mary and her daughters stayed in the house, avoiding doors and windows until Alma was found after a three-day hunt. She surrendered to a deputy sheriff, saying she had meant to kill herself, too. She was sentenced and served a term in prison.
Mary Emily Armes died May 9, 1947, at age 87, after an illness of six weeks. She had a sister, Mrs. Joseph Ferry, in Newcastle.
The children of Joseph and Mary Armes, in addition to Joe:
Manuel, who died in Auburn in 1948, married Mary Serpa; Frank, who had fought in World War I, died in 1940; John, who never married, died of a concussion; Mary married Manuel Brown, and then Richard Negley, and died in 1968; Julia T. (1895-1972), a charter member of UPPEC, married Carroll R. Couture, son of Dr. Alfred N. and Dr. Ella R. Couture of Auburn; Evelyn married Edward Eyering; and Grace, who died in 1976, married Harold Harrington of Auburn.
[Elizabeth Couture Slater]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find A Grave contributor LovesGraving has made a suggestion
******************
On the night of June 5th Alma Bell went to the cabin and after a scene In which her lover tried to make her leave, he finally went with her. A shot was heard, then another. When the Sheriff found Armes' body, shot through the heart, the girl was crouched in the bushes near by. She said she had Intended to kill herself and appeared dazed. The girl's child was dead when born in the county Jail a few weeks after. This is the story which will be placed before the Jury in the defense of Alma Bell, and which the prosecution will bitterly attack.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, California
Sunday, November 7, 1909
Page 1
Member of the U.P.E.C. and I.D.E.S.
Joseph P. ARMES pose Armas) was born in Santa Cruz, Flores, in 1847, and immigrated to the Newcastle area of Placer County, Calif., in 1863. On December 19, 1880 in Auburn he married MARY A. FRATES (Freitas), who was born in Faial on May 9, 1859, the daughter of Francisco Jose Silveira de Freitas and Maria Luisa Coracao de Jesus. Her mother was the daughter of Jose Antonio and Marianna Luisa Santos. Jose Santos had been a tax collector in 1810. Mary Frates had come to the U.S. to visit an aunt, and stayed to marry Joseph Armes
Joseph, a fruit farmer in the Newcastle area for nearly 40 years, had been the organizer for the Republican Party for Placer County. He died on February 25, 1909, in Newcastle. He had left for town driving his horse and buggy, and had a stroke before he reached town. The horse continued on to town, and waited at the customary place in front of the Lowell store. It was not determined how long he had been dead when he was discovered about eight o'clock at night; apparently passersby thought he was asleep. Mary ran the ranch after the death of her husband, and in the 1930s received an award for having one of the few unmortgaged ranches in the area.
One night while she was away visiting her daughter Grace in Auburn, the ranch house burned to the ground, unable to be saved because of a problem with the water pressure. The hired men saved some furniture, a few pictures, and the washing machine. The fruit house across from the main house also burned.
The death of her husband, and the burning of her ranch house, were not the only tragedies Mary Frates Armes had to face: Less than four months later, her youngest son, Joe, was murdered by Mary's housekeeper, Alma Bell, who lived with the Armes family, and with whom Joe was having an affair.
According to the story in the Sacramento Union, an Auburn saloon owner, Manuel Neves, was spreading stories about Alma, who sought to explain them away to Joe Armes, whom Alma claimed was her fiance. Also, she was jealous of Minnie Foster, who also lived with the Armes family in the fruit season, although there was apparently no reason for the jealousy. But Joe wouldnt listen to Alma.
An account in the Placer Herald of Auburn on June 12, 1909, stated that Alma Bell shot Joe because he refused to marry her. She went to the Armes home around 6:00 p.m. where she got Joes pistol, and then went to the cabin where Joe and his brothers were sleeping, saying she wanted to talk to him. About 10:30 that night Joe got up and started to accompany her to a neighbors house. A short while later Joe's brothers Manuel and Frank heard two shots. Going outside, they found Joe with a bullet hole through his heart and Alma gone.
Alma Bell threatened to kill the entire family, and hid in the bushes around the farmhouse. Mary and her daughters stayed in the house, avoiding doors and windows until Alma was found after a three-day hunt. She surrendered to a deputy sheriff, saying she had meant to kill herself, too. She was sentenced and served a term in prison.
Mary Emily Armes died May 9, 1947, at age 87, after an illness of six weeks. She had a sister, Mrs. Joseph Ferry, in Newcastle.
The children of Joseph and Mary Armes, in addition to Joe:
Manuel, who died in Auburn in 1948, married Mary Serpa; Frank, who had fought in World War I, died in 1940; John, who never married, died of a concussion; Mary married Manuel Brown, and then Richard Negley, and died in 1968; Julia T. (1895-1972), a charter member of UPPEC, married Carroll R. Couture, son of Dr. Alfred N. and Dr. Ella R. Couture of Auburn; Evelyn married Edward Eyering; and Grace, who died in 1976, married Harold Harrington of Auburn.
[Elizabeth Couture Slater]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find A Grave contributor LovesGraving has made a suggestion
******************
On the night of June 5th Alma Bell went to the cabin and after a scene In which her lover tried to make her leave, he finally went with her. A shot was heard, then another. When the Sheriff found Armes' body, shot through the heart, the girl was crouched in the bushes near by. She said she had Intended to kill herself and appeared dazed. The girl's child was dead when born in the county Jail a few weeks after. This is the story which will be placed before the Jury in the defense of Alma Bell, and which the prosecution will bitterly attack.
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz, California
Sunday, November 7, 1909
Page 1
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