This Day…

1881-Drunken Bill Johnson attempted to assassinate city marshal Dallas Stoudenmire with a shotgun in El Paso, Texas. Johnson’s blast missed completely because he was stewed as an owl. Stoudenmire and his brother-in-law, Doc Cummings, returned fire hitting Johnson eight times. He died on the spot. Johnson was former marshall Campbell’s deputy. He was sore about the rough treatment he got when stoudenmire fired him and took away his keys to the jail.

1887-After a harrowing pursuit lasting eleven months, John Hughes, Sheriff Frank Swafford, and a deputy cornered a gang of horse thieves in northwest Texas. Four of the outlaws were killed and two were taken into custody before Hughes finally recovered his stolen horses. Hughes went on to a long and distinguished career with the Texas Rangers.

1894-The bitter rivalry between Bud Frazer and his former deputy, Killin’ Jim Miller, boiled over in Pecos, Texas. Miller got off a shot that wounded a spectator and Frazer emptied his six shooter into Killin’ Jim’s chest and walked away from the fight, but Miller survived that shooting by wearing a heavy steep plate under his coat.

1878 – The Sam Bass Gang got itself shot up by citizens in an attempted train robbers in Mesquite, Texas. The wounded train robbers were driven out of town empty handed. In a streak of bad karma the gang pulled four armed robberies that spring and gained little for their efforts besides angry pursuits.

1892 – Nate Champion and Nick Ray were murdered by a hundred or so minions of the Wyoming Stockmens Association at the Kaycee Ranch in Johnson County, Wyoming.  Ray was gunned down at daybreak outside the cabin and heroically pulled to safety by champion.  Ray soon expired and Champion was put under siege inside the cabin.  When the cabin was set afire Champion made a break for it and was shot 28 times.  He left a detailed diary of events up to the fire.

1878 – McSween Regulators, headed by Dick Brewer, tried to arrest Buckshot Roberts at Blazer’s Mill, New Mexico.  Roberts was gravely wounded by Charlie Bowdre in the gunplay, but managed to wound George Coe and John Middleton and kill Brewer with a head shot.  The Regulators abandoned the fight to seek care for Middleton and Coe.  Roberts was left to expire at the mill and was buried beside Brewer.

1882 Bob Ford, that dirty little coward, killed Jesse James with a gunshot to the back of the head.  Right afterwards he scampered down the telegraph office to claim the reward offered by Governor Crittenden.

1857 – The Fancher Wagon train, led by Captain Fancher, leaves north-west Arkansas for California. The wealthy, well-equipped group comprises 50 men, 40 women, and 50 children. They will never arrive at their destination.

1887 – Mannen Clements was killed in a gunfight in the Senate Saloon in Ballinger, Texas by city marshal Joe Townsend.

1901 – Harvey Logan, constantly on the lam for his numerous mideeds, got into a heated argument with Oliver Thornton in Paint Rock, Texas.  Thornton was quickly dispatched with fatal gunshots.

1857- President Buchanan appoints Robert J. Walker, former Secretary of the Treasury, Territorial Governor of Kansas.  Walker’s inagural address will request cooperation from both pro-slavery and Free-State factions.  Walker promises that any constitution adopted will be submitted to a fair vote.