Bio

U. L. Holley was a Black man who lived in Globe, Arizona, during the 1940s. Before the murder case, Holley lived on Blake Street in Globe. Contemporary reporting described him as a local worker connected to the mining and service industries. He was reported as having worked at a smelter and as an assistant bartender at the Old Dominion Hotel. These details place him within Globe’s working-class community during a period when the area was closely tied to mining, bars, hotels, and local service work.

Holley was married at the time of his execution, and his wife was reported to be a resident of Globe. The available records show that Holley’s case developed from a shooting at the Owl Buffet in Globe on Christmas morning in 1944. The incident was later described in reports as one of the faster capital cases in Arizona at the time, moving from the crime to execution in less than four months.

Murder Story

Early on December 25, 1944, U. L. Holley and a neighbor, Orville Black, entered the Owl Buffet in Globe, Arizona. The Owl Buffet was operated by Morgan Nielson, who was about 50 years old. According to reports, Holley had gone into the establishment earlier and had been refused service. One account states that Nielson refused to serve him because of his race, while another later account disputed that version and claimed Holley had been removed because he was intoxicated and disruptive. Because the available sources preserve both versions, the confirmed fact is that Holley had been refused service before the shooting.

At about 12:40 a.m., Holley returned to the Owl Buffet. Witnesses later said he approached the bar and asked for the bartender. When Morgan Nielson identified himself as the owner, Holley drew a .38-caliber pistol and opened fire. Nielson was shot and died while being taken to Gila General Hospital.

The shooting also wounded others inside the bar. William E. Bell, the bartender, was shot through the shoulder after pushing Mrs. Nielson down behind the bar. Kenneth Gibbons was shot through the arm. Ed Williams was shot in the stomach and was listed in critical condition after the attack. Williams, identified in one report as a World War I veteran, later died from his wounds. Genealogy Trails states that he died five days after the shooting, while Copper Area News states that he died four days later. Because of that conflict, the safest verified wording is that Ed Williams died several days after the shooting.

After the gunfire, Holley attempted to leave the area. When officers arrived, they found him across the street from the Owl Buffet in the hands of a crowd. Reports state that he had been badly beaten and was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment. He was later removed from Globe and taken to Arizona State Prison in Florence for safekeeping because of concerns about mob violence in Globe.

A coroner’s jury returned its finding on December 27, 1944, in the death of Morgan Nielson. Holley was charged with first-degree murder. Orville Black, who had been held as a material witness, was released to his father’s custody.

Holley’s trial for the murder of Morgan Nielson began on January 23, 1945. The case was heard by Judge Clifford C. Faires. The prosecution was handled by Gila County Attorney Frank E. Tippett and Assistant County Attorney Daniel E. Reinhardt. Holley was represented by court-appointed defense attorneys George F. Senner and Sam Lazovich.

The trial lasted one day. On January 24, 1945, the jury found Holley guilty and recommended the death penalty after deliberating for 28 minutes. On February 1, 1945, Judge Faires sentenced him to death in the gas chamber and set the execution for April 13, 1945. Reports noted that this was the first time in about 20 years on the bench that Judge Faires had imposed a death sentence.

Holley did not appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court. Contemporary reports described the case as unusually fast for a capital case because of the short trial, brief jury deliberation, and lack of appeal. Reports also stated that a second murder charge was still pending because Ed Williams had died from his wounds after the shooting.

On April 13, 1945, U. L. Holley was executed by lethal gas at Arizona State Prison in Florence. The Espy Project Execution Records list him as a documented Arizona state execution, age 38, Black, male, convicted of murder in Gila County, and executed by asphyxiation gas. Arizona execution listings also record Holley’s execution date as April 13, 1945, with the method listed as asphyxiation gas.

Before the execution, Holley reportedly declined efforts to delay the sentence. He chose fried chicken, fried potatoes, and lemon pie for his final meal. His reported final words were: “I know I did wrong and I am ready to pay my debt to God and society.” He was pronounced dead after the gas-chamber procedure on April 13, 1945.