LEGENDS OF AMERICA

A Travel Site for the Nostalgic & Historic Minded

 

  

  Search

 

Legends Home

Site Map

What's New!!

 

Recommend this site

 

 

 

American History

Ghost Towns

Ghostly Legends

Historic People

Native Americans

The Old West

Photo Galleries

Roadside Attractions

Rocky Mtn Store

Route 66

Travel Destinations

Treasure Tales

Legends Blog

 

Free E-Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legends of America's Exclusive Custom Products

 

P.O. Box 19423

Lenexa, KS 66285

913-708-5119

 

 

Please report broken links, missing pictures, or other problems online by clicking HERE or send us an email.  Thanks!

    

 

 

                                                                                                             

Old West Outlaws - Last Name Begins With "M"

More Lists: Explorers | Gunfighters | Lawmen | Native Americans | Outlaws | Outlaw Gangs | Scoundrels | Soldiers | Trail Blazers & Cowboys | Vigilantes | Women

 

 

Index       << Previous  A  B  C  D  E-G  H  I-J  K  L  M  N-O  P-Q  R S-U  V-Z  Next >>

 

David C. McCanles (18??-1861) - McCanles owned the property upon which the Rock Creek Station sat on the Oregon Trail in Nebraska. On July 12, 1861, McCanles would be shot and killed by Bill Hickok, giving rise to Wild Bill's frontier legend and labeling the entire affair as the "McCanles Massacre." McCanles bought the Rock Creek property when he was on his way to the Colorado gold fields in the spring of 1859. However, after meeting a number of miners who were returning from Colorado with nothing in their pockets other than disappointment, he decided to take up “road ranching” instead. There are a number of variations on the tale of McCanles' killing, which are still in debate today. His "outlaw" persona comes from Hickok, who said he was a ruthless killer her lead a vicious the vicious McCanles Gang throughout the region. However, other versions of the tale say that while he was the local bully, and perhaps an unethical businessman, he was not an outlaw. In any event, McCanles, along with at least two other men, were shot and killed by Bill Hickok after an altercation at the ranch. More ...

 

 

David McCanles 

David C. McCanles

 

Find an Outlaw

 
Web www.legendsofamerica.com

Henry McCarty - See William Bonney

Tom McCarty (1855-1900?) - Raised on a Morman ranch in Utah, McCarty began his outlaw life at an early age and is credited with introducing Butch Cassidy to the life of banditry. When he was 18, he married Teenie Christanson, sister to Willard Christianson, aka, Matt Warner, who was also a Mormon. Somewhere around 1892, he and his brother, Bill McCarty; and brother-in-law, Matt Warner, held up a bank in Roslyn, Washington. However, when an angry crowd approached him, he opened fire, wounding two men. The next year, the McCarty brothers, along with their nephew, Fred McCarty robbed a bank in Delta, Colorado, in which, Tom shot a killed the cashier, A.T. Blachey. When citizens heard the gunfire, they rushed the bank and shot and killed Tom's brother, Bill, and his nephew. Tom McCarty was able to escape and fled to Montana where he settled down and worked as a sheepherder. However, around 1900, he was killed in a gunfight in Bitteroot County.

"Three-Fingered" Jack McDowell (18??-1864) – Immigrating from Ireland to New York in the 1840’s, McDowell fought in the Mexican War before joining the California Gold Rush. When gold and silver were discovered in Nevada , he moved there, first shooting his way around the Tuolumne County mining camps. He then moved on to Virginia City, and followed the gold once again to Aurora, Nevada . In the 1860’s Aurora was a booming mining camp with its share of bandits and other unsavory men. McDowell was right at home, running a saloon in the camp. Hooking up with John Daly , a known gunslinger, the pair ran an unsavory saloon and operated the Daly Gang which terrorized the Nevada gold fields between Aurora and Carson City. Using scare tactics known as "criminal vigilantism," they lynched anyone who resisted. The saloon quickly became known as a place where beatings, gunfights, mayhem, and murder were the norm. McDowell, Daly and two other men named William Buckley and Jim Masterson, bullied the town and cheated any card players that were foolish enough to frequent McDowell's saloon. However, after the gang cut a man's throat and threw him in to Aurora's dusty street, the fed up citizens formed a vigilante group and attacked McDowell's saloon on February 5, 1864. Dragging McDowell , Daly , Buckley, and Masterson from the saloon, they locked them up while they quickly constructed a gallows. A short time later, all for men were hanged outside Armory Hall in Aurora. Aurora, Nevada is now a ghost town located very near the California Border in Mineral County.

Tom McLauryFrank McLaury (1848-1881) - The eighth of eleven children, McLaury was born in Korthright, New York in 1848. Two years later the family moved to Iowa where they settled in Belle Plaine. In 1878, Frank, along with his brother, Tom moved to Hereford, Arizona, where they met the Clanton family. Three years later they would find themselves embroiled in the bitter dispute between the Clantons and the Earps in Tombstone , Arizona. On October 26, when Virgil Earp attempted to arrest Ike Clanton, Frank and Tom McLaury, Billy Clanton and Billy Claiborne for disturbing the peace, all hell broke loose.

See Your Text Ad Here! - Get Noticed! Your text ad could be here for as little as $2.50 per month.

 

 

In what has since forever been known as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton made the mistake of cocking their pistols when approached by the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. It is not really known who fired the first shot, but Doc’s bullet was the first to hit home, tearing through Frank McLaury’s belly and sending McLaury’s own shot wild through Wyatt’s coat-tail. The 30-second shootout left three Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury dead. Virgil Earp took a shot to the leg and Morgan suffered a shoulder wound. Frank and Tom McLaury are both buried at Tombstone's Boothill.

 

Tom McLauryTom McLaury (1853-1881) - The tenth of eleven children, McLaury was born in Korthright, New York on June 30, 1853. Two years later the family moved to Iowa where they settled in Belle Plaine. In 1878, Tom, along with his brother, Frank, moved to Hereford, Arizona and met the Clanton family. Three years later they would find themselves embroiled in the bitter dispute between the Clantons and the Earps in Tombstone , Arizona. On October 26, 1881, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Tom McLaury shot Morgan Earp in the shoulder. Doc Holliday instantly countered, blowing McLaury away with blasts from both barrels of his shotgun. His brother, Frank, was also killed in the gunfight. Both are buried at Tombstone's Boothill.

 

James "Jim" P. Miller, aka: "Deacon" Miller (1866-1909) - Miller, born in Arkansas in 1866, was seemingly one of those "bad seeds" almost from the beginning. When he was still very young, he was orphaned and sent to live with his grandparents in Coryell County, Texas. When Miller was 8, his grandparents were murdered, and the boy was arrested for the crime. However, he was not prosecuted because of his age and was then sent to live his sister. Never getting along with her husband, John Coop, he shot and killed him when he was 18. Prosecuted and convicted, he won the case on appeal and was acquitted. He soon hooked up with an outlaw gang in Saba County, Texas, robbing trains and stagecoaches, and often killing in the process.

Though his reputation wasn't stellar, Miller also served briefly as a deputy sheriff and a Texas Ranger. Though Miller wasn't known for being "fast" with a gun, he was known as a mean hombre and by the late 1880's he was working as a gun for hire. During this time he is thought committed eight murders in his new line of work, as well as being involved in another six killings in saloon disputes. In April, 1909, Miller, along with three other men by the names of Jesse West, Joe Allen, and Berry B. Burrell, were arrested for the killing of Oklahoma rancher Gus Bobbitt and taken to the Ada, Oklahoma jail. Though it was well-known in the area that Miller and the others had killed Bobbitt in a murder-for-hire scheme, the evidence was not solid. Aware of this, a lynch mob of more than 150 men stormed the jail on April 19th, over powered the deputies and dragged the four men outside. All four were hanged in a livery stable behind the jail.

Jim Miller and cohorts hanged in Ada, Oklahoma

 From left to right: Jim Miller, Joe Allen, Berry Burrell, and Jesse West, hanged by vigilantes in Ada, Oklahoma, 1909.
This image available for photographic prints HERE!

McClelland "Clell" Miller (1850-1876) - Born on January 9, 1850, Miller grew up to be a member of Quantrill's Guerillas under "Bloody Bill" Anderson. After the Civil War, he joined the James-Younger Gang. He participated with the gang in several robberies including a Corydon, Iowa bank in 1871. In this heist, the outlaws made off with $40,000. Miller was captured and tried for the crime but was later acquitted. Continuing his outlaw ways, he was with the gang when they attempted to rob a Northfield, Minnesota bank on September 7, 1876. However, when citizens realized a robbery was in progress, they took up arms. When the smoke cleared, Clell Miller and William Stiles, aka: Bill Chadwell were dead. The remaining members of the gang fled. Though Frank and Jesse James were able to escape, Cole, Jim and Bob Younger were captured and sent to prison. Miller was first buried in a potter's field in Minnesota, but was later reinterred at the Muddy Fork Cemetery, north of the James farm in Kearney, Missouri.

Joaquin Murrieta (1830?-1853) - Murrieta was a legendary figure in California during its Gold Rush days of the 1850's. When he tried to make his living in mining, he faced racism and discrimination. Forced to turn to a life of crime, he was seen by some as as a Mexican patriot, resisting the white settlers' domination. Others saw him simply as a bandit. Murrieta became the leader of a band called the Five Joaquins, who were said to have been responsible for the majority of cattle rustling, robberies, and murders that were committed in the Mother Lode area of the Sierra Nevadas between 1850 and 1853. In 1853. A $5,000 reward was offered for the capture of Murrieta and the California Rangers were quickly on his tale. Allegedly, the outlaw was killed by Texas Ranger, Captain Harry Love. However, there were those that disputed that the person killed by Love was actually Murrieta. More ...

Joaquin Murrieta, California bandit

Joaquin Murrieta was the leader of the Five Joaquins.

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

 

George West Musgrave, aka: Jeff Davis, Jesse Miller, Jesse Johnson, Jesse Williams  (1874-1947) - Born in Texas and raised in New Mexico, Musgrave, a cheerful and soft-spoken man, would nonetheless grow up to be a cattle rustler, robber, and all around outlaw. One of the first members of Will "Black Jack" Christian's High Fives Gang, the outlaws were responsible for Arizona's first robbery, the largest Santa Fe Railroad heist in history, and numerous post office and stagecoach robberies. Following a betrayal by fellow cowboy and ex-Texas Ranger, George T. Parker, Musgrave was charged with cattle rustling and fled. He would later kill Parker in October, 1896 southwest of Roswell, New Mexico. When Will "Black Jack" Christian was killed, Musgrave continued to ride with Black Jack's brother, Bob Christian, for a short time until the pair were arrested at Fronteras, Senora, Mexico for "shooting up the town." When they were released, Musgrave disappeared for a dozen years. Still wanted for the murder of George T. Parker, Musgrave remained free until he made the mistake of visiting Colorado, where he was recognized. Fleeing once again, he was arrested in North Platte, Nebraska in December, 1909 and returned to Roswell, New Mexico for trial. However, in June, 1910, he was acquitted. He then headed for South America, where he became a "legend"  as a leading Gringo rustler. Ill health finally ended his infamous outlaw career and he died on August 15, 1947. 

 

 

Continued Next Page

 

Free eNewsletter

 

Our eNewsletter features articles on the Old West, travel destinations, ghostly legends, and subscriber only specials from our Rocky Mountain General Store. Sent directly to your inbox, grab a cup of coffee and travel the historic paths of the American West. Sign up today!

 

 

Get Interactive!!

 

 

Forums!

 

Legends Blog!

 

Guestbook

 

We are so glad you came to visit us at Legends of America! Please, let us know what you think. Your feedback will make our website even better!

 

 

Index       << Previous  A  B  C  D  E-G  H  I-J  K  L  M  N-O  P-Q  R S-U  V-Z  Next >>

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Life Magazine, May, 1959Vintage Magazines - Legends of America and the Rocky Mountain General Store has collected a number of Vintage Magazines, including True West, Frontier Times, Treasure and more for our Old West and Treasure Hunting enthusiasts.  For most of these, we have only one available.  To see this varied collection, click HERE!

Frontier Times, March 1968    True West Magazine, February, 1967    Frontier Times, July, 1973    True West Magazine, August, 1972    True West Magazine, December, 1967

 

                                                              Copyright © 2003-2008, www.Legends of America.com