“We had to do it. We had a fight about our dog.”

That was the claim made by one of the two men hanged at the Globe Theater in a 1910 serial murder, reported in the Prescott Weekly Journal Minor. Now, filmmakers are bringing a piece of that history to life with “The Dog Bite Murders,” which was partially filmed in and around Grove’s historic downtown.

Victims Fred Kibe and Albert Hillpot were shot during a hunting trip in 1910 at a location called Tuttle Station. Murderers John Goodwin and William Stewart (quoted above), who were found with their victims’ belongings, went to the gallows in 1913 and 1914. According to the story, Hillpot stepped on Stewart’s dog’s tail and was bitten and then kicked, which led to the murder. According to another testimony, Stewart said Goodwin planned and carried out the murders of the men.

Written and directed by Clint Clarkson and Gregory Shoemaker, filming locations for Dog Bite Murder include Florence Grove, Rose Creek, and McFarland State Historic Park, where a total of five trials were recreated in which the defendants were tried separately. The filmmakers, actors and crew spent four days in the courtroom scene at McFarland Park before coming to The Grove.

“There was synergy,” said Molly Cornwell of Film Globe Miami, Arizona. “The actors are great, and I worked with the director on the music video.”Ios. I feel like all the pieces are in place. Actors from all over the state, including Tombstone repeaters. We tried casting locals in supporting roles, and this had a huge effect. “

Shoemaker said he delved into the true story through the Arizona Memory Project and was impressed with the amount of information available. There was no shortage of newspaper reports of the killings, as well as court transcripts used in film dialogue. Shoemaker was also impressed by the rapid growth of “The Dog Bite Murders” from his 15-minute production to his 90-minute feature film with the help of investors. Another “really cool” aspect of the shoot, he said, was the old courthouse lighting in McFarland Park.

On Sunday, the crew was at the historic Globe Theater mansion filming a scene depicting Fred Kibe, the doomed hunter who testified in all five cases, and his wife. “She’s part of the building blocks of this film,” Cornwell said. More scenes will be shot in a historic train depot and an old prison.

A temporary gallows was built at the Grove for the actual hanging of Goodwin and Stewart. It was eventually discovered that the building stood between the courthouse and the Woolworths store (now United Jewelery) and now has an elevator. In the film, that gallows was recreated by the Knotty Fox Workshop on Broad Street. The Gila County Historical Museum is working with the filmmakers to locate Tuttle Station, and a vehicle from the period is provided by the Superior management.

In the story’s epilogue, a third man named Curnow, who was supposed to accompany Kibbe and Hillpot on their hunting trip, kept a rope with Goodwin and Stewart in his home. They can now be seen in the old prison, courtesy of Globe Theater resident Bob Zash.