Clarkdale News – Jim Roberts the lawman. Some accounts say he fired the shot which killed the bank robber at the Bank of Arizona on June 21, 1928, and some accounts say the bank manager, Robert Southard, was the one. He was quite a sharpshooter and tracked down lawbreakers. Jim Roberts was hired to tame the lawless town of Jerome in the 1890’s and later became constable for the town of Clarkdale where he was involved in the infamous bank robbery of 1928.
He also took part in the Pleasant Valley War between the Grahams and Tewksbury’s. With his calm demeanor under pressure, unwavering grit, and eagle-eye shot, Jim was a noted gunslinger.
This is a 1-hour presentation that is free to the public, though donations are gratefully accepted.
- April 4th 10:00AM
- Clark Memorial Clubhouse Auditorium
19 N 9th St, Clarkdale, AZ
For more information contact Clarkdale Historical Society at: info@clarkdalemuseum.org
Born in Casa Grande, David Grassé is a third-generation Arizonian, raised in Tucson. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Master’s Degree in Library Sciences. Grassé has three published books, A Killer is What They Needed: The True, Untold Story of Commodore Perry Owens, The Bisbee Massacre: Robbery, Murder and Retribution in the Arizona Territory, 1883–1884, and The True Story of Notorious Arizona Outlaw Augustine Chacón, and From the Footlights to the Tenderloin: The Tragic Life of Actress Edna Loftus, which was released in July 2024. He is also the author of numerous magazine, newspaper, and journal articles. Grasse is a member of Western Writers of America, The Wild West History Association, and The Arizona Historical Society. He is employed as a librarian as writing western history does not pay the bills.
