Departures of note

John C. Handy, a prominent Tucson physician, died on September 24, 1891, after attacking Francis J. Heney, the attorney representing his estranged wife in a divorce and property dispute. Handy had repeatedly threatened Heney's life, and when he grabbed Heney by the throat and struck him in the face on a public street, Heney drew a pistol. During the struggle, the gun discharged, striking Handy in the lower abdomen. Heney was exonerated when witnesses and court testimony confirmed he acted in self-defense.

Handy had built a respected medical career in Tucson after moving there in 1871. He served as a contract surgeon for the U.S. Army, learned the Apache language, and married an Apache woman. In Tucson, he became known as the foremost physician and surgeon, founded the Pima County Medical Society in 1879, and helped set high standards for medical care. He was also a founding member of the Society of Arizona Pioneers in 1884 and served as the first chancellor of the University of Arizona in 1886, though he was removed after six months due to disputes with the regents.

Handy's private life was marked by violence and control. His wife Mary testified that he chained her to a bed, administered morphine until she became addicted, and coerced her into signing over her home. After Handy won custody of their five children and the court awarded Mary the house, he tried to evict her. His threats against Heney escalated until the fatal confrontation. Handy's friend, Dr. George E. Goodfellow, traveled 70 miles to operate on him, finding 18 perforations in his intestines, but Handy died before the surgery could be completed.

After Handy's death, his son Jack was told by his paternal grandmother and aunt that Heney had murdered his father. As an adult, Jack learned the truth from his maternal grandmother and later became friends with Heney, serving as a pallbearer at Heney's funeral in 1937.