TTR Tombstone History Discussion Board

I have another confusion of identities: Who is "Johnny" Chenowith, the proprietor or manager of the Grand Hotel Saloon?
Fist - there's John Augustus "Gus" Chenowith, who ranched in the San Simon, was married and having kids from the late '70s into the '80s.
Second - there's Somerville "Sam" Chenowith, another rancher who married later (1888) and had a passel of kids while living in Mexico.
Third - a mysterious "M" Chenowith who is listed in the 1882 Territorial census living next door to Mary Peters and Lee [Peters] Rutan - with Mr. Rutan listed between Mary and her ex-husband Jordan Peters. Surely the case of Territory vs. Chenowith has grabbed the attention of a Tombstone researcher. If "Johnny" is a Chenowith whose name begins with M - what name is that?
I've left out the Chynowiths on purpose. They're not involved. Looking forward to a reply. - paul j

Hi Paul
I think you are referring to Johnny Marcus Chenoweth (born in Ohio about 1859) who was a saloon man, who came to Tombstone from Oakland late in 1880.
He and Mrs. Raton were charged with beating and whipping a female servant at their rooming house in 1882 in Tombstone, but the charge was dismissed.
I think the 1882 Arizona Census actually lists him as J. M. Chenoweth, if you study the writing closely.
He is said to have married Lee Peters and moved to San Francisco, where he ran saloons with his brother George.
He committed suicide in SF in August, 1890 after murdering Richard Carroll.

Cheers
PB

Mrs. Rutan or Ratan (not sure which is right) WAS Perilee Peters. So the Chenowith-Ratan scandal was ultimately sealed sometime later (1883) in marriage. Chenowith is someone I'd like to know more about, but I was trying to clarify the rather rough marriage of Lee's mother, Mary Peters to Jordan Peters. They lived next door to each other (she was running a boarding house on Toughnut St) but it's apparent that the couple didn't get along. The 1882 Territorial census adds even more mystery, by listing C Rutan in between Jordan and Mary Peters (was he simply working his way down Toughnut Street?) and on the other side of Mary and Lee Peters . . . (J) M Chenowith. The census was taken later in the year after the scandal had broken in the papers. And yet there they were, side-by-side-by-side!
Best! paulj

Hi Paul

In the 1882 Tombstone census, I believe the "J. Rutan" listed between Mary Peters and Jordan Peters was their daughter, Josephine Paralee Peters/Rutan, aged 26 and born in California.

Cheers
PB