Location Description and History

Nellie Cashman led an humble life. Her principal business was to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, and her chief divertissement was to relieve those in distress and to care for the sick and afflicted. She persisted in good deeds through half a century, and her helpful activities were distributed over a broad field which extended from the arid deserts of Mexico to the bleak and inhospitable regions within the Arctic Circle. She was inclined to associate more generally with men than with members of her own sex, and on several occasions she joined in stampedes with men, tramping with them over rugged trails and sharing the vicissitudes and discomforts of their rude camps. Nevertheless, she maintained an unimpeachable reputation, and her character and conduct commanded the universal respect and admiration of every community in which she lived. A copy of The Daily Arizona Citizen (Vol. 1, No. 120), dated July 29, 1879, which contains the following advertisement:

"DELMONICO RESTAURANT Miss Nellie Cashman Has just opened a New Restaurant on the South side of Church Plaza TUCSON ARIZONA Miss Cashman will personally superintend the Cooking and Dining Departments. Patronage Solicited."

In 1880 Nellie cast her lot with the booming mining camp of Tombstone, where she established herself as the proprietress of the Russ House. Tombstone was then a bustling camp. Hundreds were added to its population each month. Illness and accidents occurred among this milling throng of miners and prospectors. There was no hospital at Tombstone, so there were many opportunities for generous, self sacrificing, willing hands to help in these cases of illness or accident or pressing need, and it was soon found that Nellie was prompt and persistent and effective with plans for relief. It might be a simple contribution, or an entertainment of some sort, but whatever it might be, Nellie's plan met with immediate and substantial support.

If she asked for a contribution the people contributed. If she had tickets to sell, they bought tickets. If she needed actors for a play they volunteered to act. And, although Nellie's pleas were frequent, none ever refused her. In fact, we would have felt offended had we not been allowed an opportunity to assist in some way with each one of Nellie's benefits. Her benefits were many and varied. One example was when a prospector had been sinking a shaft single handed and had fallen into the shaft, breaking both of his legs. He was discovered in a most pitiable condition. Nellie rushed to his aid and within a day or two secured nearly $500 for his care and comfort.

At Tucson and Tombstone Miss Cashman conducted restaurants and she advertised "the best meals in town." In that business sanitation was a vital feature. Nellie always made it so, and in insisting upon sanitary methods she had to be very strict with her employees. But because of her kindly disposition and the justice of her demands, her instructions were always cheerfully complied with in fact, her employees were always numbered among her good friends. This spirit of respect and esteem is strikingly illustrated by the unique manner in which it was expressed by "Sam Lee." Sam was a Chinese cook employed by Nellie in Tombstone. He found it necessary to pay a brief visit to his native land and requested leave of absence for that purpose. When he was ready to leave he asked Nellie to give him one of her photographs. "Me tak 'em picture to China," said Sam, "me get him Chinaman paint fine picture of you, Miss Cashman, and me fetch 'em fine picture back to you." Sam got the photograph and he had his artist friend of China paint a portrait of his esteemed employer, and he "fetch 'em fine picture back" to America, and that excellent portrait of "Aunt Nell" now occupies a niche of honor among Mike Cunningham's prized possessions in his Bisbee home. He says "Aunt Nell" told him many times that the painting was executed by a Chinese artist in Hong Kong. A photograph of this portrait is presented herewith.

Nellie Cashman was a devout Catholic, but her ministrations were not restricted to any sect or creed. It was but natural, however, that her most conspicuous activities should develop in connection with individuals and organizations of her own faith, and opportunities of this character often presented themselves to her in Tombstone. A conspicuous incident of this kind occurred in the spring of 1884. Five men, Daniel Kelly, Omer W. Sample, James Howard, Daniel Dowd, and William Delaney, were under sentence of death for murders committed at Bisbee the previous year. Sheriff J. L. Ward announced that the execution of these five men would take place "At the Court House, Tombstone, Arizona, March 28, 1884, at one o'clock p. m."

The simultaneous execution of five men from the same scaffold was, indeed, an extraordinary event. The murders committed by these men had been unprovoked and cold blooded, and the death sentences of the outlaws met with emphatic popular approval. The public sentiment was so strong against the condemned men that many were eager to witness their execution. Sheriff Ward had invited as many "official witnesses" as could be accommodated within the court yard, but a majority of the would be observers of the gruesome act were excluded.

Inspired by these circumstances and a lust for gold, a brutal hearted, mercenary group leased an adjacent vacant lot and erected a grandstand overlooking the courtyard and prepared to sell standing room thereon to all who were willing to pay a substantial fee to view the execution. This sordid, barbaric enterprise aroused the indignation of the better class of citizens, but there appeared to be no legal way to prevent it.

An outrage upon humane sentiment and common decency was about to be perpetrated, and an ominous, suppressed excitement gripped the community. There was sore need for a tactful, sagacious, and determined leader and at the crucial moment such a leader appeared in the person of Nellie Cashman.

The condemned murderers were undeserving of succor, other than of a spiritual nature. It was in these circumstances that Nellie Cashman interested herself in their welfare and volunteered to assume the role of Mother Confessor to the unfortunate prisoners while awaiting execution. Only two of the condemned men were Catholics when Nellie undertook her good will responsibilities as spiritual adviser, but so sincere and appealing were her ministrations that very soon the other three humbly and gratefully accepted the tenets of her faith. It easily may be imagined how Nellie's great soul rejoiced at this result, and we may not doubt that her gentle and sympathetic influence sustained and soothed the doomed men during their last hours on earth.

The unhappy prisoners were greatly depressed when they heard the sounds of the busy hammers constructing the grandstand and realized that the plan was to turn their execution into a public show for gain and the gratification of a morbid throng, and thus make the occasion a Roman holiday. Earnestly they pleaded with Sheriff Ward to forbid it, but he bluntly told them that he had no authority to interfere, and it was obvious that, for political reasons, he had no desire to do so. Then, as a last resort, the distressed men confided their objections to their Mother Confessor. Nellie Cashman's soul which was the soul of honor if ever there was one had been in violent revolt against the impending outrage from its inception, and the fire of her Celtic spirit blazed from her eyes as she listened to the pleadings of her spiritual charges. But even though her eyes flashed, her manner was calm and confident as she replied consolingly: "Please don't worry; just leave it to me, and I assure you that not a single foot of the space on that grandstand will be occupied at the time of the execution." And this assurance satisfied and comforted the doomed men because their confidence in their Mother Confessor was unbounded.

But Nellie Cashman had embarked upon a desperate enterprise one that would prove an exacting test of her tact and courage. In view of the tense feeling prevailing in the community, it would be an easy matter to arouse the mob spirit and precipitate a riot. This must be avoided. obviously Nellie realized the dangers that threatened in the delicate situation, for she observed the utmost caution in the development of her plans, and she disclosed those plans only as their progress made it necessary to do so.

The first precaution of this daring and strategic leader was to clear the field for her contemplated activities. She assumed an unusually light hearted manner to the public in order the better to conceal the storm that raged within. Very quietly she conferred with the chief of police and several dependable leading citizens to whom she suggested that in view of the suppressed excitement incident to the impending execution an effort should be made to induce everyone to retire before midnight. This suggestion met with enthusiastic approval, and the result was that the streets of Tombstone were practically deserted by midnight.

The next important action taken by our Mother Confessor was to get into communication with a score or more of her rugged and reliable miner friends and to obtain their promises to assemble at a designated rendezvous exactly at two o'clock the next morning, equipped with sledges, crowbars, heavy drills, picks, hammers, and saws. The men readily promised to assemble, although they did not know what they were expected to do.

Promptly at two a.m. on that fateful day of the execution Nellie Cashman was looking into the stern faces of a formidable group of strong and resolute men. Quickly she revealed her purpose to demolish the offensive grandstand. "You lead us to that grandstand and we'll do the wrecking," was the spontaneous response of the men as they caught up their wrecking tools. "Come on men," was Nellie's curt command as she led the way to the court house. Then seizing a sledge from one of the men she rushed forward and with a well directed blow shattered the first splinters from the grandstand. A very busy hour followed.

When the dawn came and the throngs were once more astir upon the streets of Tombstone they discovered that the grandstand had been reduced to a mass of kindling wood and deposited at the bottom of a convenient arroyo. There was no profiteering during that execution.

The chief instigator in the grandstand enterprise was a carpenter named Constable. After the execution Nellie impressed upon her miner friends the fact that this carpenter had shown himself to be a most undesirable citizen. Very soon Constable discovered that he was out of employment and was becoming increasingly unpopular. Shortly thereafter he left Tombstone exiled through the dominating influence of Nellie Cashman.

Employees and patrons at this quaint restaurant have reported the presence of spirits dating back from the frontier days. The playful ghosts are blamed for moving objects and making crashing sounds.

The people who own the restaurant do not believe that it is Nellie Cashman, the building's former owner. However, whoever haunts the building is very sensitive to criticism and "nonbelievers" and the ghosts will make themselves known.

Other Reported Activity

* Lights mysteriously switch on and off.
* Objects are moved around after the restaurant is closed and empty.
* Intense cold and sudden temperature drops in certain areas.
* A guest that was making fun of Nellie had the mustard bottle suddenly jump from the table, sending mustard all over her dress.
* Employees in the kitchen heard voices coming from the dining room. The restaurant was closed, the doors locked and they were the only ones inside the building.

We arrived at the restaurant at 8:10pm and had dinner before conducting interviews with the employees. While Jessica talk with several workers, Cody sweeped the building for unusual EM fields and took photographs. One unusual EM field was found in the hallway leading to the kitchen. It was a D/C field of 2 nanotesla that appeared to be moving about the hall. The field fluctuated as slowly moved back towards the restrooms and then vanished. Attempts to reacquire the field were unsuccessful.

Photographs

Click on the thumbnails to view the larger image

The moving D/C electromagnetic field is indicative of haunting like activity but no definitive data was obtained during this visit.