Billy Thompson & Squirrel Tooth Alice -- Part 2

Chauncey Belden Whitney

We left off in Billy Thompson & Squirrel Tooth Alice -- Part 1, with Billy and Libby married with their first child in Ellsworth, Kansas. They were joined by his brother Ben, and the brothers worked as house gamblers at Joe Brennan's saloon.

At the same time, Libby worked as a dancehall girl and prostitute. And as I stated in part one, it's said that it didn't take Billy and Ben long after arriving in town for them to become good friends with Ellsworth County Sheriff Chauncey Whitney.

Chauncey Belden Whitney was an early Ellsworth County settler. He was Ellsworth Township Constable from 1867-1873, Ellsworth Marshall from 1871-1872,  Ellsworth County Under Sheriff in 1870, and finally County Sheriff from 1871 to his being killed in 1873.

If it seems strange that he held a number of law enforcement positions at the same time, it wasn't unusual to do so back in the day. In fact, one of the more famous examples of that sort of this is Virgil Earp who was both a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone's City Marshal in 1881.

He was said to be an extremely effective lawman, even though he and newly elected Ellsworth City Marshal John "Happy Jack" Morco didn't get along. Marshal Morco was well known for boasting that he'd killed twelve men. A figure that no one knows if true or not. Yes, like many in the Old West that inflated such a figure -- he too was probably doing it to sound like a bad hombre that you shouldn't mess with.

As with things today, it was the same back then, those who boast and brag aren't usually the real deal. Sheriff Whitney was both well-liked and respected in Ellsworth County. In addition to his law enforcement duties, Whitney served as a civilian scout during the Indian Wars and was involved in the Battle of Beecher's Island. In fact, in July of 1869, he was a First Lieutenant of Company A, Second Battalion, of the Kansas State Militia, which provided settlers with valuable protection against hostile Indians. He didn't have to brag and boast. He was the real deal.

And while it is said that both Thompson brothers became good friends with County Sheriff Whitney, the same cannot be said about their relationship with City Marshall Morco. For example, on June 30th, 1873, City Marshal Morco arrested Billy Thompson for carrying a weapon within city limits. And yes, Ellsworth, Kansas, had a no-carry city ordinance many years before Tombstone, Arizona ever did. 

As for the fine for carrying, it is said that though the arrest and fine angered Billy Thompson, he paid it. But then just a couple of weeks later, on August 15th, 1873, Billy Thompson was drinking heavily and started to become rowdy and extremely vocal about his dislike for Marshal Morco. 

Sheriff Whitney, who had planned to leave town that day with his family, felt that Billy would get himself into trouble so he chose to remain in town instead. At the same time, Ben Thompson introduced John Sterling into a high-stakes game. Ben did this with the agreement that due to his introduction, that he would get a percentage of any winnings. 

Sterling left the saloon with over $1,000 without offering Ben Thompson his share. Ben was angry and sought him out. He found Sterling in another saloon in the company of City Marshal Morco. And even though Sterling was friends with Morco, Ben Thompson demanded his cut of the winnings.

Knowing that Ben Thompson was unarmed because of the city ordinance, Sterling stood up and slapped him. This took place while City Marshal Morco pulled his pistol on Ben. 

Believe it or not, City Marshal John Morco and John Sterling then stood outside the saloon and called for Ben Thompson to come out and fight. At this same time, an intoxicated Billy Thompson heard that his brother was in trouble and ran to help him. Both brothers then armed themselves. And to the sadness of Morco and Sterling, both brothers walked out into the street. So things are now very different. Where Morco and Sterling thought they had easy pickings against an unarmed gunman legend Ben Thompson, they now faced an armed gunman willing to kill them both -- and his armed younger brother. 

Sheriff Whitney responded immediately to try to defuse the bomb that was about to go off. He knew Morco was a bragger who talked a good fight that no one ever witnessed. On the other hand, he knew Ben Thompson was not a bragger and could back his play. So immediately, sensing that Morco and Sterling were about to be killed, Sheriff Whitney confronted the Thompson's and implored them to accompany him for a drink and talk the situation over. Whitney assured both brothers that they would not be harmed. Ben agreed while knowing that Sheriff Whitney's word was good.

As they walked to Brennan's saloon, Morco and Sterling made a move that another observer, another Texan, saw as a threat. He yelled a warning to Ben Thompson, and Ben turned and fired a rifle shot at the pair. Both Morco and Sterling froze in their tracks, some say they wet themselves. 

But the next instant, Ben heard his brother fire his shotgun from behind him. Turning to see what happened, Ben saw his friend Sheriff Whitney wither and fall to the ground. The sheriff was shot accidentally by a blast from a barrel of Billy's shotgun. 

Upon seeing what just happened, Ben was heard to say, "My God Billy! You have shot your best friend!" Billy responded, "I'm sorry!" Sheriff Whitney who was mortally wounded stated, "He did not intend to do it, it was an accident. Send for my family." 

Witnesses later stated that Billy Thompson was not even looking at Sheriff Whitney when his shotgun went off. Sheriff Whitney was actually standing to his side when Billy stumbled while turning to meet the threat by Morco and Sterling. Because of the danger from being shot in the back from backshooter City Marshal Morco and his tin-horn gambler cohort Sterling, Billy had his shotgun cocked when one barrel accidentally went off mortally wounding Sheriff Whitney. 

It is said that Ben Thompson and an army of Texas cowboys held the town at bay while Billy escaped. The fact is, Ben Thompson held off the town with a single rifle despite the shooting being accidental. 

And as for Billy? Well, Ben wisely feared that regardless of the facts of the circumstances surrounding the accidental shooting -- Billy would most likely be lynched. So Ben forced his brother Billy onto a horse and ordered him to get out of town.

One story says he left in a hurry, circled around to get Libby and their child and fled. Supposedly Billy and Libby ran and the couple wound up in Dodge City where Billy gambled and Libby worked as a dancer and prostitute. Another says that instead of riding fast, Billy appeared to have had a problem staying in his saddle while simply riding slowly through town while yelling for anyone who wanted to fight to come to take him on. Either way, Billy and Libby left Ellsworth.

Marshal Morco had deputy Ed Hogue arrest Texas cowboy Neil Cain. Cain may have been the Texas cowboy and friend of the Thompson brothers who warned them about being bushwhacked by the city marshal and his gambler friend. Cain was escorted out of town at gunpoint. Hogue is said to had made sure Cain left town without being shot in the back by Morco. 

Once Billy was safely out of town, Ben turned himself over to deputy Ed Hogue. Upon hearing what actually took place, including a statement from a dying Sheriff Chauncey Belden Whitney who did die a few days later on August 18th, charges against Ben were dropped by the city. No, he was not tried. And no, Wyatt Earp had nothing to do with anything that took place that day. 

As for Ben Thompson, he then left Kansas to later become the City Marshal of Austin, Texas. And as for the town of Ellsworth, Kansas, it is said that after the shooting that all hell broke loose in that the town council dismissed the entire police force and replaced it with new personnel.

City Marshal John "Happy Jack" Morco was fired over his having instigated the whole thing. But believe it or not, before Morco left he issued a warrant against Ben Thompson for assault which the city immediately rescinded. Former Marshal Morco also posted a reward of $500 for the capture and return of Billy Thompson -- "Dead or Alive." Billy Thompson was able to avoid Kansas authorities until 1876 when he was returned to Ellsworth. He stood trial and was acquitted when the jury ruled that the shooting was indeed an accident.

After John "Happy Jack” Morco was fired, he was replaced by a man named Ed Crawford. Crawford was known to hate Texans and had actually pistol-whipped a young Texas cowboy named Cad Pierce to death two days later after first shooting him in the side. 

Soon the citizens of Ellsworth were tired of the performance of the lawmen as well as the Texans, and vigilantes began to roam the streets issuing 'affidavits" any Texan there, cowboy or not, to "get out of town or else." Of course not long after Sheriff Whitney's death, former-City Marshal John "Happy Jack" Morco was boasting during a dispute with a Texas cowboy.

Morco was shot and killed by newly appointed Ellsworth Police Officer J. C. Brown in front of Lizzie Palmer's Dancehall. Some say Morco pulled a pistol on that cowboy and was shot by Brown. Some say Brown observed Morco and that Texan arguing and went in to break it up. That's when Morco drew down on Officer Brown, and Brown shot first. Either way, Brown shot John "Happy Jack” Morco dead in self-defense in the streets of Ellsworth. And as for Officer J. Charles Brown, he later becomes the City Marshal there.

Right after Morco is shot dead, Ellsworth's new City Marshal Ed Crawford was shot dead. Remember that Crawford hated Texans and pistol-whipped young Texas cowboy Cad Pierce to death. Well, he himself was gunned down by a Texas cowboy who is believed to have been Cad Pierce's brother-in-law who wanted revenge.

After the death of Sheriff Whitney, Billy Thompson became known as the troubled and dangerous younger brother of legend Ben Thompson. And though people may have seen him that way, only a select few friends of older brother Ben knew that Billy was still a wanted man living on the run from both lawmen and bounty hunters. 

Remember when we talked about how Aransas County would hunt for Billy Thompson for the remainder of his life because he murdered Remus Smith? Well, though officials in Aransas County changed hands over the years, their Sheriffs' Office regularly sent out warrants to lawmen around the state of Texas still looking for Billy. That murder would have to be answered for.

In June of 1874, Billy Thompson narrowly escaped capture in Austin, Texas. Then later that same year, he was captured in Mountain City, Texas, but escaped and fled to San Antonio, Texas, where he entered the Long Horse brothel with a friend. While there he supposedly slapped a prostitute and soon had to get out of town when two City Police Officers came looking for him. That incident supposedly turned into was foot race where Billy again escaped.

By 1876, Billy and Libby moved to Sweetwater, Texas. This became their permanent home. In fact, unbeknownst to the law, in Sweetwater the couple purchased a ranch outside of town and a dance hall in town. It's said that Libby ran the dance hall which was a front for her brothel. And no, Libby was not embarrassed by her profession.

It is said that Libby was well known as a madam in Sweetwater. Most folks know her for keeping pet prairie dogs. Yes, pet prairie dogs. Imagine that. Of course, that was also about the same time that she was given the moniker "Squirrel Tooth Alice" because of a gap in her teeth. As for Billy, he was in and out of Sweetwater mostly while avoiding the law whenever he could.

That worked well until Texas Ranger Captain John Sparks caught up to him in October of 1876 in Travis County, Texas. Sparks was leading a small Ranger unit that was actually seeking a rancher for cattle rustling. While raiding a ranch, the Rangers came upon Billy and took him into custody for the killing of Ellsworth County Sheriff Whitney. The Rangers would hold Billy until extradition to Kansas could be arranged.

It's said the Rangers sent fellow lawman Ben Thompson a message to notify him of his brother's arrest. Immediately Ben found an attorney to represent Billy. Ben also contacted the folks in Aransas County in an attempt to keep Billy out of the hands of the folks in Kansas who would relish the idea of hanging the Texan responsible for killing their beloved Sheriff.

Soon though, there was a rumor going around that Ben was planning to break Billy out of jail to keep him from going to Kansas. Then people started to take note of the fact that a number of Ben's friends had boarded a train in Corsicana, Texas. Ranger Sparks got word of this and soon took precautions in case it was true, that an attempt to free his prisoner by friends of Ben Thompson was real. So while in Dallas County, Texas, Ranger Sparks requested additional guards from the county sheriff. Sparks got over a dozen to bolster his guard force.

It's said that the overwhelming show of force stopped all plans of a rescue attempt to keep Billy Thompson out of Kansas. And while the town of Ellsworth sought to have Billy jailed in Salina, Kansas, feeling the jail there was more secure, the decision was made to house him at Leavenworth prison because more of Ben Thompson's friends kept showing up in town.

The trial only lasted nine days. In the end, Billy Thompson was acquitted. Yes, as shocking as that sounds, he was acquitted. And although that case was ruled to have been accidental, for some unknown reason, Billy was not held over for extradition to Aransas County, Texas, to face a jury over the murder of Remus Smith. Instead, he was released. And again Billy hit the road to gamble in saloons and gambling halls from Dodge City, Kansas, to boom towns all over the West.

Billy was arrested by lawman Mart Duggan in Leadville, Colorado, in December 1879, for disturbing the peace. He actually served only one night in jail for that. Then on June 21st, 1880, Billy was in Ogallala, Nebraska. He and a saloon owner named Bill Tucker hated each other. Supposedly Tucker was interested in a prostitute named "Big Alice" who Billy also had his eyes on.

It's said Billy Thompson was drunk when he stood in front of Bill Tucker's saloon and fired two shots inside. The first shot went wild, and the second shot is said to have actually hit Tucker in the hand. Yes, that shot took off one of Tucker's fingers while it mutilated the others.

In an absolute rage, Bill Tucker grabbed a shotgun and ran after Billy who was now running away as fast as he could. Tucker's first volley of two missed Billy. Then Tucker reloaded and fired two more. This time, Tucker hit Billy in the back "from his heels to his neck."

Bill Tucker was seen as simply protecting himself after being shot. Billy on the other hand was arrested. He was placed under guard at the Ogallala House Hotel to heal. And knowing of his brother Ben's famous reputation, the local Sheriff ordered a heavy guard just in case Ben's friends might want to come to get his brother.

This time though, things were different. Unlike what happened after finally being arrested for the accidental killing of Ellsworth County Sheriff Whitney, Ben Thompson felt his involvement would certainly result in unneeded bloodshed. So instead of his going to Ogallala, Ben asked his friend Bat Masterson to travel to Ogallala to see if he could assist Billy.

Bat Masterson did so and met with Billy. Then he met with the ailing Tucker, who was bitter but willing to drop charges for a price. Unfortunately Ben didn't have the sort of big money that Tucker wanted to drop the case. So knowing this, Bat Masterson actually distracted the guards to help Billy escape and take a train south. It's said that after Billy's escape, an embarrassed  Keith County, Nebraska, the grand jury indicted Billy for assault with intent to kill but then dropped the charges.

Of course, while the folks in Ogallala were up to forgetting about the matter of Billy's attempt to kill one of their citizens, the good folks over in Aransas County weren't about to.

On October 23rd, 1882, in El Paso, Texas, Texas Ranger Captain George W. Baylor arrested Billy Thompson for the murder of Remus Smith. Baylor turned him over to the El Paso County Sheriff. He was then remanded to the custody of Deputy Frank Manning to be returned to the town of Rockport.

It is said that Deputy Manning looked like an absolute fool after he allowed Billy "a night of freedom" with Billy's promise to return the next morning. Of course, Billy did not. And I can't help but wonder if Manning still had his job after that.

Then on May 10th, 1883, Aransas County Deputy P.P. Court found and arrested Billy Thompson in Arkansas. Deputy Court was not as dumb as Manning and finally returned Billy to stand trial for the Smith murder.

As for what took place at his trial? Well, since it was 15 years since the time of the murder, believe it or not, witnesses were not available and many of the facts entered into court were distorted because of poor record-keeping. And to add insult to injury, all of the lawmen who were serving at the time of young Smith's murder had long moved on long before the trail.

Fact is, the trial of the clear-cut murderer of Remus Smith took only one day. In the end, Billy Thompson was acquitted. Yes, he got away with cold-blooded murder. And the law allowed it to happen. This was the one killing committed by Billy Thompson that should have been an iron-clad case of murder, but he go away with it. After that judgment, for the first time since his first killing, Billy Thompson was not wanted by the law for anything.

On March 11th, 1884, his older brother Ben Thompson was killed in San Antonio, Texas, in what became known as the Vaudeville Theater Ambush. After the blatant murder of his brother Ben, many actually thought his brother Billy Thompson would go out and revenge his brother's death. Billy never did.

Billy Thompson is credited with having killed three men and wounding a fourth. That includes fatally shooting Sgt. Burke, the heartless killing of unarmed Remus Smith, the accidental shooting and subsequent death of Sheriff Chauncey Whitney, and the wounding of Bill Tucker who he shot in the hand. But instead of finding and killing those who killed his brother Ben, he didn't.

Some say it was because of his wife Libby and their many children. And of course, the reason why he didn't avenge his brother really doesn't matter because he simply didn't do what most saw as his duty. Especially, since most knew really well that his brother Ben took care of him throughout his life.

The saloons and gambling halls took their toll, and Billy Thompson died in an infirmary in Houston, Texas, on September 6th, 1897. Billy was 52 years old when he died. He died of "consumption" which is what they called tuberculosis (TB) back in the day. Yes, tuberculosis, the same thing that killed Doc Holliday.

Billy and Libby were married for 24 years. And believe it or not, it's said that he must have gone home to Sweetwater more than most folks realized simply because he and Libby had nine children together. Yes, nine children. Were they all his since she was a prostitute, no one knows.

After Billy's death, Libby Thompson, the famous "Squirrel Tooth Alice" continued running her brothel in Sweetwater, Texas. She ran it up to the time that she retired in 1921 at the age of 66. As for her children, it's said that most of her sons had become petty criminals and her daughters supposedly followed in their mother's footsteps by also becoming prostitutes.

Libby is said to have spent her last years living in Palmdale, California. On April 13th, 1953, Libby Thompson, the famous "Squirrel Tooth Alice," died at the Sunbeam Rest Home in Los Angeles, California, at the ripe old age of 98. Imagine that for a moment, that Old West madam died at 98 years old in 1953.

Imagine for a moment if your will. Though she was a prostitute and madam most of her life, she survived being taken captive by Comanche Indians and being shunned by those who thought she should've killed herself instead of being raped by Indians. She was part of the opening of the frontier, had 9 children, and endured being married to a gambler who was a drunk and a killer. Yes, a man who was on the run most of his adult life.

Her brother-in-law Ben Thompson was actually a legend in his own time. She was said to have known all three of the Masterson brothers and others who Hollywood would make famous later. She was born before the Civil War, saw the opening of the West, and lived through the cattle drives. She worked in the cow-towns, saw America go to war with Spain, saw the advent of the automobile, lived through the Great Depression, two World Wars, the dawn of the nuclear age, the age of jet aircraft, and the birth of television.

The year she died, Nikita Khrushchev took power in the Soviet Union after the death of Josef Stalin. That was the year convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in the United States for spying for the USSR. That was the year the Korean War truce was signed. It was a year when a U.S. Air Force test pilot named Chuck Yeager set a speed record in an X-1 rocket plane. And yes, indeed, in 1953, the movie Shane starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, and Van Heflin was released by Paramount Pictures. 

Just imagine that if you would.

Tom Correa

Billy Thompson & Squirrel Tooth Alice -- Part 1

Billy Thompson

Billy Thompson was sometimes known as "Texas Billy" Thompson. And even though he is credited with having killed 3 men and wounding a fourth, I can't help but wonder if he'd be known today if he weren't the younger brother of the famous gunfighter and lawman Ben Thompson.

Billy was born in Knottingley, Yorkshire, England, sometime in 1845. His entire family immigrated to the United States and settled in Texas when he was a child. And being true Texans, during the Civil War, both Billy and his older brother Ben volunteered to fight for the Confederate Army by joining the Second Regiment of the Texas Mounted Rifles. 

And no, neither were part of the 1.6% of the population in the South who actually owned slaves. As with many, they saw Texas as a nation in itself. And as with others, while they might have had mixed loyalties to the Confederacy, they certainly were willing to fight and die for Texas.  

Ben Thompson would go on to fame as a Texas gunfighter and later as one of the Old West's more successful lawmen. In fact. Ben would serve as the Chief of Police for Austin, Texas. And yes, as far as temperament goes, even though Ben was known as a killer, he was said to be a lot more stable than his volatile younger brother Billy. 

Known for having a quick and very violent temper, Billy Thompson would often find himself in trouble. And yes, there was usually violence of some sort involved. And while he would become known as a gambler and a gunman, Billy would never achieve the respect and fame that his brother did. In fact, during in his lifetime, Billy was mainly referred to as the unpredictable, troubled, unstable, younger brother of Ben Thompson.  But also, while Billy may have been a loose cannon in the respect that he was unpredictable and liable to cause damage if not kept in check by others, Billy was in fact a dangerous man who was said to be fairly formidable in a gunfight.

His first known gunfight was on March 31th, 1868. During a fistfight between a white Union soldier and a local black man, a Union soldier by the name of Sgt. William Burke was there. Burke was the chief clerk in the U.S. Adjutant General's Office. He became upset that the townspeople applauded the local black man and not the Union soldier. 

Of course, this was in 1868 in Texas which was still under Federal jurisdiction and martial law during the Reconstruction Era. Texans had a great deal of animosity for the Federal troops stationed there. The fact is that was simply because locals saw the Union Army as an occupying force following the war. If anyone knows anything about Texas, they should know that Texas pride means not kowtowing to anyone. The first thing to do to get on the bad side of a Texan is to make them think that you are trying to be superior to them. Unlike other places and peoples, feeling subservient, especially to the government, is simply not part of a Texan's DNA. 

Well, soon enough Union soldier Sgt. William Burke is said to have lashed out verbally at Billy. This started the two arguing. When things cooled down, Sgt. Burke apologized and supposedly the two men spent two hours drinking together before heading off to a bordello together. Once there, the two argued more but mostly got along. 

It is said that when Billy Thompson went upstairs with a soiled dove, that Burke's temper flared up again for unknown reasons. Then Burke began shouting threats against him while looking for Billy. When he found his room, Burke is said to have kicked in the door armed with a pistol in hand. Billy reached for his pistol and the two exchanged shots. Burke was shot and died the next day. Knowing that he would certainly hang for killing a Union soldier, Billy fled to Indian Territory for a few weeks.

While there, it is said that Billy Thompson ran out of money and sent word to his older brother Ben for help. Supposedly, this was a habit of his that he had the whole time his older brother Ben was alive. And yes, that makes me wonder if Billy was also riding on his brother's reputation or not? But really, one can only wonder. 

Two months after killing Burke, in May of 1868, Billy returns and lands in Rockport located in Aransas County, Texas. Later, in 1870, Rockport would be a cattle slaughtering, packing, and shipping port. Of course, while there, Billy Thompson gets into an argument with a young man by the name of Remus Smith who was an 18-year-old stable hand. The young Smith is said to have squatted Billy's horse when it tried to put its nose in some feed. 

Believe it or not, this triggered Billy's enrage and he yells at the boy. Smith, who was unarmed, told him to take off his pistols and meet him outside man to man with fists. Billy Thompson drew his pistol and shot the boy twice. It was a case of cold-blooded murder.

Remus Smith was really well-liked in Rockport. Yes, so much so that it's said that Aransas County would hunt for Billy Thompson for the remainder of his life over that cold-blooded murder.
And for the next five years, it is said that Billy stayed on the run. Yes, contacting his brother to help him with money was more often than not.

Then there's Libby Thompson. Ever hear of Libby Thompson? Well, you Old West history buffs out there probably know her better by her famous moniker "Squirrel Tooth Alice." She was a pretty famous madam of a brothel right there in Sweetwater, Texas.

Her name was actually Elizabeth "Libby" Thompson, but she was born Mary Elizabeth Haley in 1855. And to friends and her family, young Mary Elizabeth was simply known as "Libby."  

The story goes that Haley lost its fortune during the Civil War. Then in 1864, Comanche Indians raided the Haley farm in Texas and took young Libby captive. 

For about four years, from age 9 to age 13, Mary Elizabeth Haley remained a captive. Then in 1867, her parents paid a ransom for her release. Sadly, after her release, she was considered a "marked woman" because she survived her ordeal. 

Though she was only 13 years of age, the attitude of many at the time was that she had been raped by the Comanche Indians during her captivity. Or at least, that's what people assumed at the time. 

Because it was believed that she was sexually abused as a captive, Libby was shunned. Yes, believe it or not, after being saved by buying her back from the Comanche who were notorious slavers, Libby was actually avoided as if she had a disease.

Soon, Libby was drawn to the affections of an older man who didn't care about her past. But her father, James Haley, found the whole idea of an older man taking advantage of his daughter so objectionable that he is said to have shot and killed the man. With that act, and the word getting around that Libby has an older suitor, her reputation was soiled even further than it already was.

After more than a year of dealing with being ostracized, at the age of 14, young Libby ran away from home. Looking for a fresh start, she wound up in Abilene, Kansas. But since a young girl, barely a woman, traveling alone had few options to make a living, Libby became a dance hall girl. Soon after that, she became a soiled dove, a prostitute, in cattle towns during the 1870s.

While in Abilene, Kansas, she met a young cowboy who was also a gambler. His name was Billy Thompson, who was the brother of the gunfighter and lawman Ben Thompson. And yes, in 1870, the couple left Kansas for Texas while Billy worked as a cowhand. It's said he worked along the Chisholm Trail while Libby continued working as a dance hall girl in various towns across the southern prairie. And while some say he was a cowboy, the fact is he only worked as a cowboy to make a grubstake for a gambling table. Once he did that, his days of working with cattle were over.

In 1872, at the age of seventeen, Libby was plying her trade in the cattle town of Ellsworth, Kansas, while Billy worked the gambling halls. By the spring of 1873, the couple was back out on the prairie with the spring cattle drive coming up from Texas. During this time, their first child was born on the open prairie. And to make the child legitimate, Libby and Billy got married that year. Imagine that.

In 1873, Billy and Libby checked into the Grand Central Hotel in Ellsworth, Kansas. Ben joined them two months later. Soon the two brothers went into the saloon business as Joe Brennan’s house gamblers. Libby worked as a prostitute at the time as well. Ellsworth was a booming cowtown. And within a short time of arriving in town, both Thompson brothers became good friends with County Sheriff Chauncey Whitney.

So now, since this is so long that I've had to make it in two parts, please click here for Billy Thompson & Squirrel Tooth Alice -- Part 2.

The rest of the story may surprise you.

Tom Correa

A Country of Followers

By Terry McGahey

First off let me say, I realize that I haven't written anything lately, having a wife that passed away as well as having back and neck problems which haven't allowed me to sit at the computer for a very long period of time has been the main cause of this.

Even though it is not comfortable sitting here, I have had enough of what's going on with many of our citizens within this country and can no longer keep silent about it.

Anyone who has read my articles in the past knows that I am not a Democrat nor a Republican, I am an independent Constitutional Conservative who firmly believes in our forefathers vision of this country, the law of our land as written in the Constitution, and not in the word twisting attorney's versions of this fine document. This document was written in plain English, and one can see that if one has any common sense what so ever.

Normally in my articles I would address our politicians and their policies, but in this article I am addressing the subject of many of our own people who have become nothing but followers and believers of anything said by our politicians on both sides of the aisle as well as the media. Many politicians today make accusations against the other party without fact or proof, and many of our citizens buy into what they say no matter if they are right or wrong.

So many people today have become nothing but followers instead of getting off their lazy butts and researching things for themselves. With the computer age we live in, it is very simple to research the voices and views of our politicians in order to actually realize if their opinions fit within the parameters of our Constitution. Many people just believe the rhetoric that spews out of the mouths of politicians and hate mongers rather than think for themselves.

Just a short time ago a politically motivated nut shot one of our representatives at a baseball practice. Why, because of the hate that has been fueled by politicians and hate mongers which has seeped into the minds of people who just believe in what they hear without question. People such as the shooter at the baseball practice have violent tendencies within their heart in the first place, and the hate which we see today by our own people just fuels their desire into committing violence upon others.

Much of the problem stems directly from the people because our chickenhearted politicians are so afraid of loosing their jobs. Rather than do what's right, they have a tendency to keep it going or not stand up and say enough is enough.

Just take a look at protesters who have been paid to protest by the likes of George Soros who is nothing but a Socialist/Communist who would like nothing more than to see the downfall of this country. Those people, like sheep, go along with it because it's easy money. Not because it's right or wrong, but because it's easy money and they believe whatever they hear.

No, I am no longer putting the blame on all of the politicians. Some yes, but I am now putting the blame on the people themselves who are willing to believe anything they hear rather than research it for themselves.

Like the lambs being led to the slaughter the ignorant followers are jumping off the cliff into Socialism which is only one small step into Communism. If you are a follower, no matter which side you believe in, and you are reading this, it's time for you to understand, you are the problem and not the solution.

Terry McGahey

Abe Lincoln's Letter to Horace Greeley

Have you ever wondered what was President Lincoln's priority during the Civil War? Whether it was saving the Union or ending slavery? This letter speaks to his priority. And yes, it is very clear what he wanted.

This is one of Abraham Lincoln's most famous letters written during the Civil War. It was written to Horace Greeley who was a very influential editor of the New York Tribune. This letter was in response to an editorial penned by Greeley to Lincoln.

Greeley's editorial was called "The Prayer of Twenty Millions." In it Greeley attempts to make the case that Lincoln's administration lacked direction and resolve.

Researchers say that President Lincoln wrote his response while a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation was already in his desk drawer. His response revealed his concentration on preserving the Union. By his own words, that is Lincoln's paramount goal. No, it was not to end slavery.

The letter, which received acclaim in the North, truly stands as a testament to how President Lincoln saw his Constitutional responsibilities.

Executive Mansion,
Washington, August 22, 1862.

Hon. Horace Greeley
Dear Sir.

I have just read yours of the 19th. addressed to myself through the New-York Tribune. If there be in it any statements, or assumptions of fact, which I may know to be erroneous, I do not, now and here, controvert them. If there be in it any inferences which I may believe to be falsely drawn, I do not now and here, argue against them. If there be perceptable in it an impatient and dictatorial tone, I waive it in deference to an old friend, whose heart I have always supposed to be right.

As to the policy I "seem to be pursuing" as you say, I have not meant to leave any one in doubt.

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. 

If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. 

What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men every where could be free.

Yours,
A. Lincoln.

As amazing as it sounds, a few years after President Lincoln's assassination, New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley wrote a critical article stating that Lincoln did not actually respond to his "The Prayer of Twenty Millions" editorial. Greeley stated that President Lincoln instead used his response as a platform to prepare the public for his "altered position" on emancipation. Yes, Greeley bashed President Lincoln right after he was shot dead. Image that.

Very active in politics,Greeley served briefly as a congressman from New York. He was also was the unsuccessful candidate of the new Liberal Republican party in the 1872 Presidential Election. He ran against incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant and lost in a landslide despite having the additional support of the Democrat Party.

Just prior to election day, Greeley was said to have been devastated by the death of his wife who died five days before the election. He himself died three weeks after the election. 

If Horace Greeley's name sounds familiar, that's no surprise. He urged Americans to go West and settle there. Though rightfully so or not, today he is credited with coining the phrase "Go West, young man, and grow up with the country."

Tom Correa

The Battle of Liberty Place 1874

The "Louisiana Outrages", as illustrated in Harper's Weekly, 1874

In the shadow of the Civil War, during the Reconstruction Era, the Battle of Liberty Place took place on September 14th, 1874. Make no mistake about it, it was an uprising, an attempted coup d'état of a state government. Yes, an armed insurrection all planned out by the Democrat Party wanting to overturn Republican control of the government, the Reconstruction government, there at the time.

A coup d'état is the violent overthrow of an existing government by a small group. In this case the attempted insurrection pit the Democrat Party's Crescent City White League against the Reconstruction Era Louisiana state government in New Orleans which was the capital of Louisiana at the time.

How big was it? Well, it is said that 5,000 members of the White League targeted the New Orleans Metropolitan Police Department and Louisiana state militia which combined only numbered about 2,000 members.

So why did this take place? Well, it had a lot to do with the election of 1872 which was a disputed 1872 gubernatorial election. The dispute started after which Democrat John McEnery and Republican William Pitt Kellogg both claimed victory.

In that election, John McEnery, a Democrat, was supported by a coalition of Democrats and anti-Grant groups which included some Republicans. Among those Republicans not happy with President Grant was Louisiana Governor Henry C. Warmoth. Warmoth's opponents in the Republican Party remained loyal to President Grant, and supported the Republican Party nominee, William Pitt Kellogg. Warmoth didn't. Today, we would call Warmoth a "Republican In Name Only."

Kellogg had charged election fraud because of the violence and intimidation that took place at and near the polls, because Democrats tried to intimidate Black voters in an effort to suppress Black voting. But no, that didn't stop Warmoth from appointing a State Returning Board which administered elections. That politically appointed board declared Democrat McEnery the winner. But, another election board declared Kellogg the winner. In fact, both McEnery and Kellogg had inaugural parties and certified lists of appointed local officeholders.

Then, believe it or not, stating that he was attempting to "stealing" the election, the Louisiana state legislature voted and impeached Warmoth and removed him from office.  Lieutenant Governor P. B. S. Pinchback became Governor for the last 35 days of Warmoth's term.

The Democrat Party's paramilitary arm of the party known as the White League entered the city with a force of 5,000 to seat Democrat McEnery as governor. Immediately fighting broke out and the White League launched attacks against the 3,500 man police and state militia for control.

Some say it all started when self-proclaimed Lieutenant Governor D. B. Penn made a proclamation calling out the militia of the state to assemble "for the purpose of driving the usurpers from power".  But frankly, that was at 4pm.

Earlier at 3pm, armed men of the White League were already stationed at the intersection of all streets on the south side of Canal Street from the river to Clayborne street.

The self-proclaimed Lieutenant Governor D. B. Penn then appointed Frederick Nash Ogden of the White League as "Provisional General" of the "Louisiana State Militia". After that, Penn issued a statement to Blacks in Louisiana stating that their rights and property would not be harmed.

At 4pm, a body of New Orleans militia, known as "Metropolitans," consisting of the police and cavalry having a small artillery piece, arrived at Canal Street. They immediately ordered the armed citizens to disperse. Some say the New Orleans forces were commanded by former Confederate General James Longstreet. When General Longstreet tried to stop the fighting, he was pulled from his horse, shot by a spent bullet. Some say he was taken prisoner by the White League. General Longstreet and Governor-elect Kellogg ended up taking refuge with the Federal troops in the Custom House.

As for the Metropolitans, it's said that once the shooting started, they broke and the White League captured their cannon. The White League then captured City Hall, the armory, and the fire alarm telegraph. From there they built a barricade along Poydras Street from there to the canal.

During this time, a company of Federal troops protected the custom house, but were not involved in the initial conflict. This is all while the White League held the portion of the city above the canal. They massed at Jackson Square and the St. Louis Hotel. Their barricades were made with overturned street cars.

Who was the White League? Well if you've never heard of the White League, like the Ku Klux Klan, they were a paramilitary organization of the Democrat Party. Yes, they were fully sanctioned and supported by the Democrat Party. And like the KKK, the White League was made up largely of Confederate veterans.

The Democrat's White League used the excuse that the Republican government was corrupt and illegally in place after the war. And when they decided to take action, they held the statehouse, the armory, and downtown New Orleans for three days. They actually only retreated just before the arrival of Federal troops which were sent there by President Grant to restore the elected government. And surprisingly, no one was ever charged in the action.

The White League defeated the state militia, and occupied the state house and armory for three days. In the meanwhile, Kellogg wired for Federal troops to assist in restoring order. And within three days, President Ulysses S. Grant sent Federal troops there to do just that. The White League retreated from New Orleans before the federal troops arrived. Under Martial Law, the Federal government certified Kellogg as the governor and C. C. Antoine as lieutenant-governor.

It's true, by September 17th, Federal troops arrived and the situation reversed itself. The unit's commanding officer General William H. Emory met with Democrats and their paramilitary leaders of the White League. And surprisingly, no one was ever prosecuted. Even though during this conflict the White League inflicted at least 100 casualties, they were assured that prosecution would not take place even though lives were lost. All if they would stop their insurgency. Imagine that.

In exchange with blanket clemency, with not prosecuting those involved in the killings, General Emory demanded the restoration of the state government, the return of arms taken from the state armory, and the resumption of peace in New Orleans. The Democrat Party leaders agreed insisting that no show of force from Federal troops was necessary since it was just a protest.

But even though Democrats agreed to General Emory's demands, as a cautionary measure, President Grant ordered the 22nd U.S. Infantry to proceed to New Orleans under General Irvin McDowell. and the USS Colorado, the USS Kansas, and the USS Shawmut under the command of Admiral James Robert Madison Mullany be sent to New Orleans. President Grant also ordered the 13th Regiment under the command of General Philippe Régis de Trobriand to take a position in the city to protect the state government from another attempted coup.  

And believe it or not, a few months later on January 4th, 1875, Louisiana Governor Kellogg was forced to request the aid of General Trobriand to eject Democrats from the legislature. The eight democrat decided to proclaimed themselves legislators and decided that they had the right to be there even though they had not been certified as legitimately elected. Trobriand entered the state house with some men at the governor's request, and escorted the eight Democrats after each gave speeches of objection.

Those Democrats did not returned, instead, believe it or not, they actually set up an alternate state legislature which held their meeting at the Odd Fellows Hall in the city. Because of the tensions, General Trobriand and his 13th Regiment stayed in the city until January of 1877.

Because of President Grant's swift actions and taking the threat seriously enough to send both the U.S. Army and Navy warships to New Orleans, by September 21st, the surrender was complete and the temporary police force in the city was replaced by the regular forces.

Once the Democrat Party regained political control, they brought about many changes including Jim Crow laws, segregation, disenfranchising both Republicans and Blacks including attempts to stop them from voting and holding office. Of course continued violence and intimidation from the Democrat's paramilitary groups the White League and the Ku Klux Klan was a way of life at the time.

Then in 1891, the city of New Orleans actually erected a white marble obelisk on Canal Street to commemorate and celebrate the insurrection known as the Battle of Liberty Place. And while we've all heard the old adage, "history is written by the victors," well this is proof that's not always true. In fact, the losers were glorified.

It's true, the Battle of Liberty Place monument was inscribed with the Democratic Party's version of what took place. No, not those who were the victims or the victors which was ultimately the Federal government as they restored order and put a stop to the attempted overthrow of a state government.

There is no surprise that the Democrat Party would have the monument say what they believed it should, even if the truth is omitted altogether. Fact is, by the 1890s, the Democrat Party was in total control of the city and state politically. And yes, they would remain in control of that state for years to come.

The "Battle of Liberty Place" is also known as the "Battle of Canal Street." It is considered an attempted insurrection by Democrats. Yes, an attempted coup. It was a violent uprising all because an election didn't go their way. All because Democrats lost an election.

Sound familiar?  Imagine that. But aside from the obvious look at what happened back in 1874, we should recognize something that came out of this. The Civil War and the Reconstruction Era forced a great number of Americans to go West. This article points to one of those reasons. People were tired of the hate and wanted new lives. They found it out West.

Tom Correa

Harry Tracy -- The Pacific Northwest's Most Vicious Killer

His real name was Harry Severns, but he went by and is still known today as Harry Tracy.  To many, he was a lot worse than John Wesley Hardin. And yes, certainly worse than Billy the Kid and Jesse James. Some say he was Satan himself. Yes, the Devil in human form.

On July 3rd, 1902, The Seattle Daily Times wrote, "In all the criminal lore of the country there is no record equal to that of Harry Tracy for cold-blooded nerve, desperation, and thirst for crime. Jesse James, compared with Tracy, is a Sunday school teacher."

His date of birth is put on October 23rd, 1875. And while some like to call him an outlaw in the Old West, the "Last of the Hole in the Wall Gang," and talk about him as if he were just an ordinary Old West outlaw, they misrepresent the true evil that he was.

He is said to have run with Butch Cassidy, and by the time he'd reached adulthood, he was actively taking part in acts of robbery and theft. But as many who've read about him know that he was a killer who enjoyed killing.

His first known murder was done on March 1st, 1898, when Tracy and three accomplices engaged in a gunfight at Brown's Park, Colorado. In that gunfight, Posseman Valentine S. Hoy was killed. Hoy was a well-respected cattle rancher, and soon a posse was out eagerly trying to find the man who killed him.

Browns Park was originally known as Brown's Hole. It's an isolated mountain valley along the Green River in Moffat County, Colorado, and Daggett County, Utah. As early as the 1870s, the area had gotten the reputation of being a haven for cattle rustlers, horse thieves, and other outlaws, the same as Hole-in-the-Wall in Wyoming and Robbers Roost in Utah. During its heyday, it's said that the outlaws at the time actually had an ethic that allowed for most "outlaw deeds" except for murder. Frankly, I don't believe such myths. 

After the Brown's Park killing of Posseman, Hoy, Tracy, and his partner-in-crime David Merrill were captured in Routt County, Colorado. Then in June of 1898, both escaped from the Routt County Jail. Some say Tracy beat the sheriff on his way out even though he was in a hurry.

Harry Tracy married the sister of his crime partner David Merrill. Her name was Rose, and not much is known about her. It's believed they had no child together. While married, Tracy and Merrill committed numerous robberies in downtown Portland, including robbing saloons, banks, trolley cars, a drug store, and other various businesses. That took place from 1898 and into 1901. In most of those felonies, they were known to have bound and gagged their victims at gunpoint. Their two-year spree ended in 1901 when they were recaptured. 

Tracy went to trial and was convicted of the murder of Posseman V. S. Hoy and sent to the Oregon State Penitentiary. A little over a year later, on June 9th, 1902, with fellow convict brother-in-law David Merrill in tow, they escaped. This escape was different because, on his way out of the Oregon State Penitentiary, Tracy killed 6 men. The six were Corrections Officers Thurston Jones Sr., Bailey Tiffany, Frank Ferrell, and three civilians. 

Their escape made headlines in newspapers of the time. It's said that the size and scope of the manhunt was considered unprecedented for the times. In fact, it is considered the largest manhunt of the early 20th century. It was the most intense manhunt in the Pacific Northwest. Some called it "electrifying."

In the days following the escape, the two escaped cons headed north, stealing horses, food, and clothing along the way. Tracy and Merrill traveled over fifty miles to Portland. From there, the two men rowed by boat across the Columbia River into Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver Sheriff John Marsh was already alerted and had formed a posse of over 60 men to hunt for the escapees. They wanted to bring them in, and it didn't matter if it was dead or alive.

On June 16th, Deputy Bert Biesecker and Posseman Luther Davidson were positioned along the Salmon Creek about seven miles from the Washington state line when they spotted the two escapees just after dusk. After a standoff and trading gunfire, Tracy once again got away.

On June 28th, an argument broke out between Tracy and his brother-in-law David Merrill. Some say Tracy suggested a duel, that they shoot it out. Others say Tracy simply shot his brother-in-law in the back of the head and went on with his business. Merrill's dead body was found later.

About now, you're thinking, he sounds like a bad hombre but not as bad as some. So what makes me say he was the Devil incarnate? Well, that has to do with what he did in July of 1902. You see, unlike most prison escapees who want to get as far away from the law as possible, that wasn't the case for Harry Tracy. In fact, he did the opposite and actually set up an ambush just to kill more lawmen.

Yes, it's true, on July 3rd, 1902, he set up an ambush near Bothell, Washington. It was there that he surprised and killed City of Everett Police Detective Charles Raymond and wounded King County Sheriff  Deputy John Williams.

Detective Charles Raymond was one of six lawmen shot and killed by Tracy. Detective Raymond had served with the City of Everett Police Department for ten years and was survived by his wife and five children. It's said Deputy Williams suffered physically and mentally from the trauma of the incident. He is said to have committed suicide later as a result of what took place at that ambush.

After his ambush of the two lawmen, Harry Tracy fled the scene and invaded a house where he took the occupants as hostages. He is also known to have simply sat down to eat dinner while contemplating killing them all.

As Tracy was leaving the house, he encountered other lawmen and soon started shooting. In that shootout, Tracy killed Seattle Police Officer Enoch Breece and Posseman Neil Rowley of the King County Sheriff's Department.

On August 3rd, Tracy came upon a ranch located in Creston, owned by brothers Lou and Gene Eddy. He was there for a few days when Harry Tracy's reign of terror came to a halt on August 6th, 1902.

That was the day when lawmen had him cornered in a wheat field in Creston, Washington. He was shot in the leg during an ambush by a posse from Lincoln County. Knowing that Tracy was seriously wounded in the leg, Sheriff Gardner had the field that Tracy had crawled into surrounded.

Knowing that there was no way out and a hanging was waiting for him, Harry Tracy committed suicide by shooting himself with his .30-30 rifle to avoid capture. A $4,000 reward was paid to the wheat farmers.

It is said that souvenir seekers descended on him and tore clothes from his remains, ripped hair from his scalp, and someone even stole his shoes. Harry Tracy's body was returned to Salem, where it was buried in lime outside the prison walls. His burial spot is now unknown, as nobody knows for sure where his remains are.

Harry Tracy was tracked down by several posses, Sheriffs, and City Police, for 58 days. He killed without hesitation. He was 27 when he died and was responsible for the deaths of 7 lawmen who left behind 6 wives and 19 children. He is also known to have killed at least 5 civilians and his crime partner.

As for the rest of his story, well, some have tried to say he was brave and cunning, a master at eluding the law. For me, I see Harry Tracy as just another murderer who died a coward. All bluster and no sand, he was too afraid to face a judge and jury. He was too afraid to walk-up thirteen steps to dance on the end of a hangman's noose.

Tom Correa

Lester Moore -- No Les No More

Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone, Arizona, is the final resting place for over a couple of hundred people. They include gunmen, outlaws, lawmen, gamblers, cowboys, a man wrongly hanged, blacksmiths, soiled doves, miners, businessmen and women, housewives, children, and those only known to God "who died with their boots on."

Those buried there include Marshal Fred White who was 31 years old when he was accidentally shot and killed by Curly Bill Brocius on October 30th, 1880. The reason I say "accidentally" is because that's what Marshal White himself said before he died.

Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton are there. We all know they were killed in the shootout near the O.K. Corral on October 26th, 1881.

James "Tex" Howard, William E. "Billy" Delaney, Dan "Big Dan" Dowd, Omer W. "Red" Sample, and Daniel "York" Kelly are buried there. All were the perpetrators of the Bisbee Massacre.  All were legally hanged on March 28th, 1884. 

Then there's the story of how William Kinsman ended up in Boothill. The story goes that someone put a notice in the Tombstone Epitaph that William Kinsman intended to marry May Woodman. Since they were already living together, this made Kinsman angry. 

His anger obviously overrode his better judgment and he made the big mistake of running his own ad in the Epitaph stating that he had no intentions of ever marrying May Woodman. 

On February 23rd,1883, William Kinsman was standing in front of the Oriental Saloon on Allen Street when May Woodman walked up and shot him dead. And yes, this goes to the heart of not publicly embarrassing a woman.  After all, it's one thing to be talked about in whispers and a whole other thing to be made a fool of in the local newspaper.

Woodman was sentenced to five years in Yuma Territorial Prison for killing Kinsman. The acting governor pardoned her after she had served less than one year. And while Kinsman is in Boothill, there's no telling whatever happened to May Woodman.

Jack Dunlop, the bandit known as "Three-Fingered Jack," died of gunshot wounds on February 24th, 1900, after an attempted holdup. And yes, he's there.

George Johnson's marker can be found there. It states "Here lies George Johnson, hanged by mistake 1882. He was right we were wrong. But we strung him up and now he's gone." Of course, the only problem with his marker is that no one can verify that a man named George Johnson was lynched in Arizona in 1882.

As for John Heath, he was accused of organizing the robbery that led to the 1883 Bisbee massacre. He has a grave marker near the grave of the five perpetrators of the massacre. Heath was arrested and convicted and was later removed from the Tombstone jail by an angry group of 50 citizens. 

Those citizens lynched Heath on February 22nd, 1884, from a telegraph pole on Second Street. And though there is a grave marker there for him, he was not buried in Boothill Cemetery. In fact, John Heath's body was returned to his wife in Terrell, Texas, and buried in the Oakland Cemetery there.

Thomas Harper is an outlaw supposedly buried in Tombstone's Boothill Cemetery. He was said to be a friend of Curly Bill Brocius. Harper was hanged for murder by Sheriff Bob Paul in Tucson on July 8th, 1881. And though he too has a marker there in Tombstone's Boothill, Harper is actually buried in Tucson.

One marker that is there simply reads, "DUTCH ANNIE 1883." It is an epitaph too short for someone known by the broke and desperate as a true friend. She is said to have grub-staked many. She is also said to have gone to her eternal rest with more than 1,000 people following her coffin. All paying tribute to "Dutch Annie – Queen of the Red Light District."

In Tombstone's Boothill Graveyard, there is a plot in row six that has become famous. It has become famous more for the marker that says who's there, than for the soul that's buried there.

Lester Moore has become forever known for the epitaph inscribed on his headstone. It reads, 

Here Lies

Lester Moore

Four Slugs

From a .44

No Les

No More

When was he born? No one knows. As for his death? It's said to be 1880, but no month or day is known. Then again, it could be a year other than 1880. Supposedly there was a Lester Moore who was a Wells Fargo Station Agent in the Mexico-United States border town of Naco, Arizona. in the early 1880s. As the station agent, Moore was responsible for delivering items shipped. Yes, he worked the window and dealt with all sorts of customers.

It's said that Hank Dunstan arrived at the Wells Fargo station to pick up a package he was expecting. Dunstan was surprised to see that the package was badly handled and was actually a shambles when Moore handed it to him. As expected, Dunstan wasn't happy with the condition of his delivery and soon became angry over the poor condition of the battered package.

Dunstan voiced his complaint to Moore, and soon enough they were arguing. Their argument quickly escalated to where both men reached for their guns. And yes, soon shots were fired. 

The rest of the story goes that Hank Dunstan shot Lester Moore four times with his .44 caliber revolver. Moore didn't go down without a fight since it's said that he managed to fire at least one shot. It hit Dunstan in the ribs. So when the smoke cleared, Lester Moore lay dead behind his window and Hank Dunstan lay mortally wounded. All in all both men ended up dead.

Lester Moore's body was transported to the town of Tombstone, where he was buried in the Boothill Graveyard. As for Hank Dunstan, no one knows where he is buried. That's the tale of Lester Moore as repeated for years. But frankly, there may be more to this story.

For example, as for his name, the name of Lester Moore doesn't appear in the 1880 Census. But, a Lewis Moore does show up. A reader sent me information showing that while the 1880 Census doesn't have Lester Moore listed, it does list anyone named Lewis Moore who is said to have lived in Tombstone, Pima County, Arizona Territory. It also states that Lewis Moore was born in Illinois in 1828. 

So was Lester Moore really Lewis Moore who lived in Tombstone, and was he born in Illinois in 1828?  Or, could there really have been a Lester Moore that arrived before the 1880 Census? Since it's only speculation that Moore was killed in 1880, could a Moore have been killed earlier during that time-period?

Since Cochise County wasn't founded until 1881, and subsequently their records only start that year, could there have been a Lester Moore who arrived before the 1880 Census and was killed there? If so, then why is it that it's said there was never anyone named Lester Moore who was killed in Arizona Territory? As for Lewis Moore being killed, who knows? 

Of course, what if it's simply a case of a grave marker being wrong? Was it changed at some point because it became too weathered to read? As I said, who really knows? The fact is, we don't have answers to this mystery as well as to the names of all of the unknown buried in Boothill. Yes, the same as how we also don't know who penned Lester Moore's famous epitaph. No one knows if it was the local undertaker, or just someone else good with words. 

Maybe it was someone when the cemetery was being cleaned up in the 1940s? During the 1940s, the Tombstone City Council is said to have sponsored a group to restore and preserve their Boothill. It's said that metal markers were used to replace the old wooden markers that had actually disappeared in many cases. 

During that time, it's said that as new markers were put into place, the preservation group actually researched as many of the graves as possible by contacting relatives, friends, older residents, and historical records. I can't him but wonder how they would explain Lester Moore's grave mystery? I can't help but wonder if it's true, that there was no Moore?

Tom Correa

Observing Memorial Day Is Right And Good

I've written most of this before. I've talked for years about how Memorial Day is often confused with Veterans Day.

If you haven't read it on here before, I've certainly written how Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who were killed n action, those who died while serving our nation. How in contrast Veterans Day acknowledges and celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

Formerly known as Decoration Day, I'm mentioned how it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. It was established specifically to honor those who have paid the ultimate price for us.

I've talked about how when people say "Freedom Is Not Free," they are talking about the price paid to preserve our freedom and our liberty. It is the blood of the free who fought for it. That is the price of freedom.

I've tried to impress upon people how Memorial Day is that one day a year set aside to remember and give our grateful thanks to those who made the supreme sacrifice and were killed in the defense of our nation, all for us. How Americans use Memorial Day to acknowledge, to say "thanks," to the One Million Three Hundred Twenty One Thousand Six Hundred plus men and of our military who have been killed while serving our nation.


You've heard me say how those men and women died serving in the performance of protecting and preserving our freedoms, our liberties, our abilities to live the way we do. Yes, I've talked before about how they died for us. And I've talked about how observing their sacrifice on Memorial Day goes to the heart of our responsibilities as United States citizens.

Granted there are a few "officially" recognized responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. Such as:

• Support and defend the Constitution.
• Stay informed of the issues.
• Participate in the democratic process and vote.
• Respect and obey the law.
• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others.
• Participate in your local community.
• Pay taxes.
• Serve on a jury when called upon.
• Defend the country if the need should arise.

But really, there are other responsibilities as well. Such as:

•  Supporting those who are presently serving in our military
• Thanking those who have served with honor.
• Providing care for our wounded.
• Remembering those who have died for us.

So yes, I've written about how we as a people must never forget those who have died for our nation. How it's another responsibility of ours as citizens, and how it goes to the heart of who we are as a people and our individual sense of self-respect.

I've talked about every American taking a moment to say a prayer, raise a glass, salute, or just close our eyes and whisper "Thank you!" And yes, I've done this because observing Memorial Day is doing that which is right and good.

So yes, let's all remember to wish God's blessings on those who have died in uniform. Yes, those who have paid the highest price for freedom.

And from me to you, I hope and pray God blesses you for remembering them.

Tom Correa

My VA Doctor Is Leaving And I Will Miss Her

Doctors come and doctors go in the world of the Veterans Administration. But frankly, I'm sad to see my recent doctor go. And since I told her that I was going to write a post to thank her for all that she has done for me, and she only asked that I withhold her name, I'm not going to mention her name in this article. At least not now while she is still at the VA.

But frankly, while I've written other articles about nurses who have preformed their jobs above and beyond the norm of what's out there, I think the VA should know who their better doctors are. Yes, in the same way that they should know who their worse doctors are.

Since starting my healthcare at the VA back in 1995, I have had at least a dozen doctors as my primary physicians. As for my urologists and other specialized medicine doctors, I lost count years ago.

Yes, I've been seen by a lot of doctors at the VA. I've seen a lot come and go. And while there have been way too many for me to remember them all, sadly the bad one's are the doctors that I've found myself and others talking about. Yes, at least talked about more than the good ones. Yes, sadly that's the case.
I've only asked to replace one doctor in the last 20 plus years. I remember how he walked into the examining room that I sat in and never looked at me. He went right to his computer and worked there for almost 15 minutes before telling me that he reordered my medication and would see me in 6 months. Never looking at me, even after he stood up and said, "Thank you," as he walked out.

While he was an extreme, a number of the doctors at the VA have behaved in similar ways. Maybe that's why a lot of Vets feel the VA is just a sort of production line? Production line medicine where you're just a number in their computer system.

That's probably the reason that I was sorry to hear that my doctor at the VA Clinic in Modesto California, had retired. He was the doctor that I'd seen the longest of everyone. He was as professional as can be expected, but he was also friendly and personable. And to me, that made him a great doctor.

Someone reading this is going to write to say that he or she knows a grouchy curmudgeon who is a wonderful doctor. And really, that's fine. I'm not saying that grouchy doctors, doctors who are very friendly, aren't good doctors. But for me, for what I like, for my taste, I see don't like going to see a doctor or going to a hospital, so when I get there I like courteous neighborly receptionists, a friendly staff, and a doctor that is interested in what ails me.

I've had the "all business, take a number, sit down, go here, you're time is up, see you in six months" type of doctor's visit. And friends, I don't like it. No, like most of us, I really don't like it. Call me old fashion, but I like the doctor who at least can give the appearance of caring.

After I blew my back out and went to vocational rehabilitation, I returned to college to obtain a degree in inspection technology. While training to be a welding inspector, during a practical examine, my instructor failed me even after I breezed through the process that I needed to preform for my certifications. When I asked my instructor why I failed? He responded that I would be a better inspector if I included "the magic." And yes, I learned a great lesson that day.

Yes, it was about "the magic". In other words, the process, the show, the ability to demonstrate why I have the credentials that I do, the reason that someone has hired me, the ability to show a client that I give a shit about what I'm inspecting, the thing that people want to see no matter whether it's calling in an inspector, going to a barber, or going to a doctor. People want the magic.

My old doctor who retired from the VA in Modesto understood giving a patient the magic. And yes, my doctor who is now leaving understands the same. And yes, like the doctor who retired, my doctor who I will certainly miss gives the one the magic. It comes naturally with her caring personality.

Within this last year, this doctor has taken a hard look at the medications that I take. And for her, the status quo was not good enough and she changed my medications and adjusted my routine on taking certain meds. And in doing so, my treatment plan has been changed for the better. Yes, because of her, I feel better.

She had me make a followup appointment to go over the changes, looking for any adverse reactions, weighing the benefits of the changes, and taking a look if any other changes were needed. All with feedback from me.

After our last followup, I told my wife how impressed I was with her care and concern. Her dedication and extra effort. I also told my wife about how she was leaving the VA.

Even though I know the odds are against her being my doctor again, I hope she returns to the VA one day. I know real well that the VA and other Veterans will benefit greatly from her being a part of the VA healthcare system. We have too many doctors who appear cold and uncaring, or tell Vets how limited they are. We need doctors that take the extra time. We need doctor's who understand that a great bedside manner combined with a positive attitude inspires patients to have more confidence in them and the VA in general.

Advice, reassurance, a positive attitude, and real support from a doctor goes a long way when it comes with dealing with patients. Especially with a patient who is reciprocal by being honest and forthright. A patient with a positive attitude who is willing to trust their doctor. Yes, a patient that actually wants to follow his or her treatment plan. A patient who doesn't walk out saying, "I don't care what the Doc wants me to do."

And sadly, I've known a few who were that way. They didn't like their doctor, or they felt their doctor didn't understand what they were going through, so they opt to being their own doctors. In almost every situation, a patient does more harm than good acting in that way. And the truly sad part about that is, it could probably avoided with a little communication.

To me, as in marriage, communication with one's doctor is vital to making life better. In a doctor–patient relationship it's great to know that your doctor cares. The relationship between a doctor and a patient in central to the practice of healthcare. In fact, it is said to be essential for the delivery of high-quality health care. And yes, even more than that, the doctor–patient relationship forms one of the foundations of contemporary medical ethics.

For a patient, at least for me, finding a doctor who is empathetic, sincere, open to options, someone who listens and is engaged, is a big deal. This doctor has been the first in a great number of years who had actually asked me probing questions to help adjust my medications so that I can get the highest benefit from what I'm taking. Not just there to issue refills and send me on my way, but really help me. Imagine that.

People have called me all sorts of things. And yes, I can assure you that some of those things have never passed for blessings. But if there is one thing that no one will ever be able to call me, well that's "ungrateful."

And this post, well this is post is me saying, "Thank you, Doc!" 

It's my way of saying that I can't thank you enough. And yes, that I will surely miss you. Yes, you've been that great a doctor. You are that caring. You are not what we have many of at the VA. And yes, because of who you are, you will be missed.

As for those in her future who will be blessed enough to have her as their doctor, I remind you to be grateful. She is not someone who will shove you out the door when your time is up, or say things just to pacify you. She will be who she is. She is kind yet no non-sense. She is an old fashion caring physician who will talk to you straight, and not beat about the bush. She will certainly find out if you're sincere about you working your wellness program. And yes, she will help you fight what's ailing you because she has the ability to understand what you are going through.

The fact is, in your efforts to get well, she will give you the advice and knowledge you need. All as professional as the day is long. All while caring about your medical needs.

Yes, you need to be honest with her and she in return gives you what you need to get well. No, not as some paternal figure. But instead, as an ally in your fight to achieve what you need to be healthier than before you walked into her office. Some call this collaboration by this name or that, but I like to think of it as an alliance that benefits both you the patient and her the doctor.

You benefit from her wisdom, experience, education, and interest in seeing you well. She benefits because you didn't withhold any information, and that makes her job easier. For me. my not withholding what she needed to know gave her all of the variables she needed to find the right medication and create the right treatment plan for me. Yes, communication and information benefits both you and her.

So be grateful that she's your doctor. Be grateful that you have found a doctor that cares. Because frankly, you will gain immensely from her being your treating physician. She is definitely someone with the knowledge and expertise a patient needs. With a willingness to be honest with her, having her as your doctor is having a great ally indeed.

And yes, that's just the way I see things.

Tom Correa  

Wyatt Earp’s 1911 Faro Con Game -- The New York Times

Wyatt Earp

Dear Friends,

I keep getting emails from people saying that he was a famous gunfighter before his involvement in fixing the 1896 Fitzsimmons vs. Sharkey Heavyweight Championship Boxing Scandal. But frankly, from what I can see, that's not true. And while some Old West historians, obviously fans of Wyatt Earp, say he was widely known as a gunman due to what took place near the OK Corral, that's really wishful thinking on their part.

Like it or not, Wyatt Earp was never famous for being a lawman while he was alive. Fact is, while there were many who wanted to achieve the status of Wild Bill Hickok while they were alive and be legends in their own time, very few made it. Wyatt Earp was not one of them.

Wyatt Earp became widely known nationally, infamous when he was the referee who carried out the fixed Heavyweight Champion Fight in San Francisco in 1896. 

With his connection to that fixed fight, his participation in other criminal enterprises such as his gold brink scam and his claim jumping in Idaho, as well as his associations with well-known criminals, were uncovered. With these revelations, he became very well known as being part of the criminal types who were only allowed to walk the streets because they hadn't done enough to get sent to prison and be kept there.

After posting facts about Wyatt Earp's nefarious past, readers have written to ask where I get some of this information from? Well, below is a copy of an article from The New York Times about his arrest as part of a con game to bilk some sucker out of a great deal of money, especially for the times.

On July 22nd, 1911, The New York Times wrote:

Earp’s Faro Plan Fails

Marshal who disqualified Fitzsimmons arrested in raid.

Los Angeles, California, July 22nd, 1911 -- Wyatt Earp, Arizona Marshal of early days, who in 1896, as a prize fight referee disqualified Bob Fitzsimmons for a doubtful foul and awarded a decision to Tom Sharkey, was remanded to prison today for failure to produce $500 bond for his arraignment on a ‘get-rich-quick’ charge.

Earp and his two companions, Walter Scott and E. Dunne, who are also in jail, will plead next Tuesday. J.Y. Peterson, a realty broker, told detectives that Earp had unfolded to him a scheme to break a faro bank which Earp was operating as an employee.

According to Peterson, he was to appear in the gambling room with $2,500, and by means of marked cards was to be permitted to win $4,000, to be shared with Earp, Scott and Dunne. Peterson pretended to acquiesce in the arrangement, but when the big winning was to have taken place detectives whom he had previously informed raided the place. The faro outfit was confiscated.”

-- end of The New York Times article.

This took place after Wyatt Earp returned from Alaska. Because of his being exposed in the Fitzsimmons fight in 1896, Earp's reputation was one as someone notorious. Because he was caught refereeing a fixed heavyweight boxing championship fight, which ended up with Earp in court at the center of the 19th century's biggest controversy in sports gambling, he was considered someone to be watched, someone who needed to be put on the radar of local law enforcement agencies up and down the West Coast.  

While there are "Wyatt Earp fans", who try to play down his shady reputation among law enforcement, even to the point of making up stories of his being an undercover officer for departments in Southern California. The hard truth is that he was on police "Watch Lists," no different than other criminal types in the day. 

We can see firsthand what The New York Times wrote about his arrest in 1911. The Los Angeles Police Department Bunco Squad spoke to The Los Angeles Times concerning Earp's complicity in an attempt to cheat a man out of a quarter of a million dollars. You can read their statement below.

So really, if you don't believe The New York Times, here's a report on the same crime from July 25th, 1911, when The Los Angeles Times wrote:

"The charge of vagrancy against Wyatt Earp, Walter Scott, and Harry Dean whom J. Y. Peterson, a real estate man, complained had attempted to fleece him out of a large amount of money in a game of Faro Friday night, will be charged in Police court today to one of having conspired to conduct a gambling game.

The fact that detectives broke into the Auditorium Hotel, 507 West 5th, where the game had been set up and arrested the trio before operations had begun prevents the placing of the more serious charge, conspiracy to defraud, against them. The charge of conspiracy as applied in the case against the three men is a misdemeanor and is to be disposed of in Police court.

All the paraphernalia which was found in the room when the police broke in is in the hands of the police. It consists of a Faro layout, dealing box, a deck of cards which has in the center of each a small hole so the dealer can see at a glance if the second card down is odd or even, one hundred chips such as are used in the regulation faro game."

-- end of The Los Angeles Times article.

So why wasn't he tried? From everything that I've read on this, the only reason he wasn't charged with a felony was because of poor evidence handling on the part of the police at the time. If that hadn't been the case, Wyatt Earp would have been taken to trial over the Faro Con Game instead of having the charges dropped.

As for those who say this was just one arrest, the fact is that Wyatt Earp was arrested a total of 11 times in his life. And yes, I agree with those who say that that fact in itself qualifies him to be considered a life-long habitual criminal. It certainly would classify him as such in today's world.

All of this supports the reasons why law enforcement during the time saw Wyatt Earp for what he was, just a con-artist and criminal who was fortunate to evade the law most of his life.

Tom Correa

Wyatt Earp -- In The News 1870 to 1880

Wyatt Earp



In a recent post, I talked about how Wyatt Earp really became know on a national level as a result of him becoming the center of controversy in the fixed Fitzsimmons vs Sharkey Heavyweight Championship Boxing Match in 1896.

As I stated in my other article, Wyatt Earp -- Not Mentioned OK Corral Gunfight Reports, "he wasn't very well known until he took part in the fixing of the Fitzsimmons vs Sharkey Heavyweight Championship Fight in 1896. Fact is, during the post-fight investigation, Earp's wrongdoing as an accomplice in fixing that fight made him famous -- if not infamous."

Now that's not to say that he wasn't mentioned in a newspaper here and there before that, he was just not the center of attention. On a national level, in nationally syndicated stories, the Fitzsimmons vs Sharkey Heavyweight Championship Fight made him the center of attention from coast to coast. Not as a lawman, but as a desperadoes, a con artist, and crook.

After that prizefight, Wyatt Earp was in all sorts of articles connected to that prizefight. There were articles about his shady past, his arrests as a horse thieve and a pimp, his arrest for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit in San Francisco, and even articles about how he was picked to referee the fight, as well as an article talking about his having to appear in a San Francisco court which ultimately declared him a penniless vagrant incapable of paying any imposed fines.

In the article Wyatt Earp -- Not Mentioned OK Corral Gunfight Reports, I looked at how Wyatt Earp was hardly even mentioned in accounts of what took place at that lot near the OK Corral. Below are a few examples of Wyatt Earp appearing in newspaper articles before the OK Corral:

South-West Missourian, June 16, 1870 -- "One of our citizens had a brother from a distance call to see him on Monday last . . . they started . . . to have a good time . . . . Taking aboard a good supply of 'forty rod,' . . . Constable Earp found one of them . . . incapable of taking care of himself and took him down to the stone house . . . . As Mr. Earp was turning the key . . . the other came staggering up enquiring for his brother. Mr. Earp opened the door and slid hm in. . . . Mr. Earp met another hard case . . . a tramping butcher, who asked Mr. Earp to purchase him a pencil in place of one he alleged Mr. Earp had borrowed . . . he shared the same fate of the other two." 

Wichita Beacon, December 15, 1876 -- "On last Wednesday Policeman Erp found a stranger lyning near the bridge in a drunken stupor. He took him to the 'cooler' and on searching him found in the neighborhood of $500 on his person. He was taken next morning before his honor, the police judge, paid his fine for his fun like a little man and went on his way rejoicing. He may congratulate himself that his lines, while he was drunk. were cast in such a pleasant place as Wichita as there are but a few other places where that $500 roll would ever had been heard from. The integrity of our police force has never been seriously questioned." 

Wichita Beacon, Janaury 12, 1876 -- "Last Sunday night, while policeman Erp was sitting with two or three others in the back room of the Custom House saloon, his revolver slipped from his holster and in falling to the floor the hammer which rested on the cap, is supposed to have struck the chair, causing a discharge of one of the barrels. The ball passed through his coat, struck the north wall then glanced off and passed out through the ceiling. It was a narrow escape and the occurence got up a lively stampede from the room. One of the demoralized was under the impression that some one had fired through the window from the outside."

A June 8th, 1878 article in the Dodge City Times mentions the salary of that city's police department. Along with others on the department, Earp is mentioned as being paid $75 a month as Assistant City Marshal to Charlie Bassett who was the City Marshal. Bassett is listed as making $100 a month.

From that article, the things that I found interesting is that it was only a four man police department. The two others listed as policemen on the force were John Brown and Charles Trask. Surprisingly John Brown made the same salary as Earp did even though Earp was listed as the Assistant City Marshal. Charles Trask is listed as making $52.50. And no, I don't know why such an odd amount.

Tombstone Daily Epitaph, July 29, 1880 -- "The appointment of Wyatt Earp as Deputy Sheriff, by Sheriff Shibell, is an eminently proper one, and we, in common with the citizens generally, congratulate the latter on his election. Wyatt has filled various positions in which bravery and determination were requisites, and in every instance proved himself the right man in the right place. He is a present filling the position of shotgun messenger for Wells, Fargo & Co., which he will resign to accept the later appointment."

Tombstone Daily Epitaph, October 31, 1880 -- "From Deputy Sheriff Earp we learn that the man who killed Marshal White is an old offender against the law. Within the past few years he stopped a stage in El Paso County, Texas, killing one man and dangerously wounding another. He was tried and sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, but managed to make his escape shortly after being incarcerated. The facts leaked out in this way: On the road to Tucson, Byoscins (sic) asked Earp where he could get a good lawyer. Earp suggested that Hereford & Zabriske were considered a good firm. Broscins (sic) said that he didn't want Zabriskie, as he had prosecuted him once in Texas. Inquiry on the part of Earp developed the above state of facts." 

As for those newspaper articles regarding the shootout at the OK Corral where Wyatt Earp was mentioned in The Salt Lake Herald, October 28th, 1881, in a small article entitled Battle with Cowboys on page 2 near the bottom stated "Wyatt Earp was wounded slightly" -- which of course we know he wasn't.

 

All misspellings and errors were not corrected for these articles.

Tom Correa

I'm Suspended From Facebook For 30 Days

Dear Facebook Friends,

Because of a comment that I made on a political meme that I shared, I have been suspended from posting on Facebook for 30 days. While I'm fine with Facebook's decision on my personal  timeline, I don't agree with Facebook suspending me from posting history and other educational material on my American Cowboy Chronicles' wall.

But since now I have 30 days off from Facebook, I'm planning a number of things to take up my time. For example, I'm thinking of training for a shot at Mount Everest, maybe going on a cruise to the Panama Canal, or maybe go up to Wyoming and visit with friends and take in a rodeo or two.

Maybe I'll go out to Arizona and visit my brother, or take a trip back home to Hawaii and visit my Uncle Herbert. Maybe get more work in on my BLM Mustang, and get her to the point of being handled easier. Maybe get in more Cowboy Action shooting.

Then again, I could go up to Twin Falls, Idaho, and visit my nephew. From there I could go up to Yellowstone. I've always loved Yellowstone. Of course, from there I could go visit a friend or two in Texas. You know them, they're your friends who always say to drop in when I'm "in the neighborhood" while knowing full well you live in another state.

Yes, being suspended from Facebook for 30 days actually gives me a number of options. I can get away from this damn computer more. I can actually go and talk with friend face to face, hear every inflection in their voices and take note of every expression on their faces. Yes, the inflections and expressions are what speaks volumes that one can't get when talking over the phone or when "chatting" on Facebook.

My confession is that I've used Facebook to fight the Fake News, the horrible slander from the Left, the hate for America by those ungrateful Liberals out there who have had everything handed to them. Like many others, I've voiced my anger at the refugee, economic, and social problems created by the Obama administration during the last eight years. I voiced my disdain at Democrats who put the concerns for their party ahead of the concerns and needs of our nation. And yes, as for my blog, I've used Facebook to distribute my articles in an effort to get real factually correct information out to people. Yes. all while loosing a lot of sleep in the process.

So there you have it. Here you go! During the next 30 days of being suspended from Facebook, I'm going to get more sleep for a while. I'm leaving the good fight up to those who I know are also voicing their anger at the problems created by the Obama administration. Who are also voicing their disdain at Democrats who demonstrate no love for America.

Realistically, I know that I was just one little voice among the many out there who are raising up. And though I'm suspended right now, I know I will be back. And with that, I want to say good night to my Facebook friends. See you in 30 days.

And until we meet again, stay vigilant.

Tom Correa