As I've written before, Cochise County doesn't have a long history of law and order. From the early days of the Apache wars to wild times in Tombstone, there's a healthy supply of interesting tales. Cattle rustling was one enterprise that the Indians, Mexicans and Americans seemed to enjoy. The terrain is well-suited because of the multitude of canyons, arroyos, and undefined borders which benefited rustlers.
Curly Bill's gang (of the OK Corral shoot out fame) headed an active bunch of rustlers whose most famous exploit was killing a group of Mexican smugglers in Skeleton Canyon. After that awful deed, they proceeded to steal 300 head of cattle in Mexico and jubilantly returned to the Tombstone area with their catch. The Mexican vacqueros pursued the bovine bandits back into the U.S. and recovered the cattle and managed to rustle 200 more head on the way back across the Mexican border. This only escalated the whole affair with Curly Bill who wasn't going to accept defeat. He rushed into Mexico and re-stole the cattle. The vacqueros followed them back into the U.S. and proceeded to kill the new "owner" who was "Old Man" Clanton. Several of his companions met the the same fate in Guadalupe Canyon.
After this complex and bloody incident things began to change. Law enforcement and the ranchers on both sides of the border took more precautions and reduced rustling significantly. American rustlers stayed on U.S. side for the most part and Mexican rustlers stayed on their side. When John Slaughter became sheriff in 1887, the whole rustling industry was pretty much shut down, although small ranchers were not adverse to appropriating random calves from the larger ranching enterprises. To avoid detection, the rustlers moved the unbranded little dogeys up into secluded, natural mountain corrals where they were branded and allowed to heal before freed to the range. The Arizona Rangers were formed in 1901 and finally got a handle on this type of rustling. They made 1800 arrests in the first two years, which was pretty effective in discouraging any others who might consider this as a career or pastime.
Not all of the rustlers had such a violent reputation as Curly Bill. Black Jack Christian was well liked and known to help with round-ups and shoe horses. Mrs. Hunsaker who ran an outfit in Leslie Canyon was fond of the outlaws who would help with chores and leave their guns outside, unlike posse members who stomped into her house, spitting tobacco juice on the floor. Jacob Scherer, another rancher was willing to obstruct justice to give the rustlers a chance to get away. When questioned on Black Jack's whereabouts (the rustler had spent the night at the Scherer cabin) he denied ever seeing the man.
Once again, the independent spirit of the West, straddling both law and order on a rather uncomfortable saddle at times continues to fascinate. The historian, Frederick Jackson Turner commented on that very thing when he read the 1880 census taker's report on the disappearance of the frontier.
The pioneer time period was brief, albeit colorful in this county. For photos and more information that may be of interest click the LINK.
Curly Bill's gang (of the OK Corral shoot out fame) headed an active bunch of rustlers whose most famous exploit was killing a group of Mexican smugglers in Skeleton Canyon. After that awful deed, they proceeded to steal 300 head of cattle in Mexico and jubilantly returned to the Tombstone area with their catch. The Mexican vacqueros pursued the bovine bandits back into the U.S. and recovered the cattle and managed to rustle 200 more head on the way back across the Mexican border. This only escalated the whole affair with Curly Bill who wasn't going to accept defeat. He rushed into Mexico and re-stole the cattle. The vacqueros followed them back into the U.S. and proceeded to kill the new "owner" who was "Old Man" Clanton. Several of his companions met the the same fate in Guadalupe Canyon.
After this complex and bloody incident things began to change. Law enforcement and the ranchers on both sides of the border took more precautions and reduced rustling significantly. American rustlers stayed on U.S. side for the most part and Mexican rustlers stayed on their side. When John Slaughter became sheriff in 1887, the whole rustling industry was pretty much shut down, although small ranchers were not adverse to appropriating random calves from the larger ranching enterprises. To avoid detection, the rustlers moved the unbranded little dogeys up into secluded, natural mountain corrals where they were branded and allowed to heal before freed to the range. The Arizona Rangers were formed in 1901 and finally got a handle on this type of rustling. They made 1800 arrests in the first two years, which was pretty effective in discouraging any others who might consider this as a career or pastime.
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| William Brocious a/k/a Curly Bill Photo - Wikipedia |
Once again, the independent spirit of the West, straddling both law and order on a rather uncomfortable saddle at times continues to fascinate. The historian, Frederick Jackson Turner commented on that very thing when he read the 1880 census taker's report on the disappearance of the frontier.
It is to the frontier that Americans are indebted for that: "coarseness and strength...that practical inventive turn of mind...that masterful grasp of material things...that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism...and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom...."
The pioneer time period was brief, albeit colorful in this county. For photos and more information that may be of interest click the LINK.
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| Cattle Rustling Near Tombstone Frederic Remington Sketch 1882 |
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