Dallas Stoudenmire - Taming El Paso, Texas

OLD WEST LEGENDS

Dallas Stoudenmire - Taming El Paso

A gunfighter and lawman, Stoudenmire was born in Aberfoil, Alabama on December 11, 1845, one of nine children born to Lewis and Elizabeth Stoudenmire. In 1862, he joined the Confederate Army serving in the 45th Alabama Infantry, during which he was wounded a number of times and carried two bullets with him for the rest of his life.

When the war was over he moved on to Columbus, Texas around 1867, where he was said to have killed a number of men. Though definitely dangerous, the 6’4” man was said to have been quite a gentleman around the ladies, who found his handsome face and sharp dress quite attractive. However, Dallas had an extremely bad temper, especially when intoxicated. Continuing to hone his shooting skills, he became equally accurate with both hands and always wore two guns. During these years he worked variously as a sheep farmer, a carpenter, wheelwright and merchandiser.

Some time later Dallas joined the Texas Rangers and in 1874 was serving as a second sergeant in J. R. Waller's company. Afterwards, he lived briefly in the Texas Panhandle, in Mexico during the days of Maximillan, and served a short stint as a marshal in Socorro, New Mexico.

Dallas Stoudenmire is credited with taming the lawless town

of El Paso, Texas.

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While he was in Socorro, his brother-in-law, "Doc" Cummings, who lived in El Paso, Texas convinced him that he should come there and take up the marshal’s position. At the time, El Paso had a reputation as a violent town and the city hoped to bring in someone from the "outside” who had a reputation that was as "tough” as the town. Stoudenmire fit the bill. In early April, 1881, Stoudenmire traveled to El Paso and was hired almost immediately, starting his new position on April 11th. He was the sixth town marshal in just eight months.

His first task was to get the city jail keys from a deputy marshal who also just happened to be the town drunk. When Stoudenmire approached the drunken deputy, Bill Johnson, to get the keys, Johnson mumbled that he would go home and figure out which ones they were. However, Stoudenmire became impatient, demanding the keys immediately. When Johnson continued to delay, Dallas physically turned the man upside down, took the keys, and threw him to the ground. Stoudenmire wasted no time living up to his tough reputation, along with humiliating Johnson.

Just three days later he was involved in one of the most famous gunfights in Texas, referred to as the "Four Dead in Five Seconds" gunfight. On April 14th, while Constable Krempkau was in Keating’s Saloon, one of the worst pestholes in El Paso, Texas, he got into an argument with ex-City Marshal, George Campbell. Also in the saloon was one of Campbell's friend’s, a man named John Hale. Hale, who was drunk and unarmed, pulled one of Campbell's two pistols, shouting, "George, I've got you covered!" Hale then shot Krempkau, who fell wounded against the saloon door. Realizing what he had done, Hale ran behind a post in front of the saloon just as Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire appeared with his pistols raised. Stoudenmire then shot once but the bullet went wild, hitting an innocent Mexican bystander. When Hale peeked out from behind the post, Stoudenmire fired again, hitting Hale between his eyes and killing him instantly. In the meantime, when Campbell saw Hale go down, he exited the saloon, waving his gun and yelling, "Gentlemen, this is not my fight!" However, the wounded Krempkau disagreed and though down, fired at Campbell, striking him in the wrist and in the toe. At the same time, Stoudenmire whirled and also fired on Campbell, pumping three bullets into his stomach. As Campbell crashed to the dusty street, he shouted, "You s.o.b., you have murdered me!" When the dust cleared, both George Campbell and Constable Kremkau lay dead. In less than five seconds in a near comic opera gun battle, four men lay dead. This gunfight was well publicized in newspapers in cities as far away as San Francisco and New York City and made Stoudenmire a legend.

El Paso, Texas street scene, 1888.

This image available for photographic prints and

downloads HERE!

Just three more days later, on April 17th, violence would erupt again, when the wealthy Manning brothers, who were friends of Hale and Campbell, convinced a drunken Bill Johnson to assassinate Stoudenmire. However, it took little convincing on Johnson’s part as he was still suffering the humiliation he had felt at Stoudenmire’s hands less than a week past. Johnson then hid behind a large pillar of bricks with his shotgun and waited. A short time later, he heard the voices of Stoudenmire and his brother-in-law, "Doc” Cummings. As he started to take aim, the drunken fool fell down instead, accidentally firing two harmless blasts into the air. The marshal wasted no time returning fire, sending a number of bullets his way and leaving Johnson dead on the dusty street.

This, of course, further enraged the Manning brothers who would eventually take their revenge. In the meantime, Stoudenmire continued to take a hard line against the lawless city of El Paso. Between the April shooting of Johnson and the next February, Dallas killed another six men in shootouts during arrest situations. The city's violent crime rate began to drop as Stoudenmire’s legend grew.

In February, 1882 Dallas briefly returned to Columbus, Texas, where he married Isabella Sherrington. During his absence, on February 14th, James Manning killed Stoudenmire's brother-in-law and good friend, Stanley "Doc" Cummings. While Manning and Cummings were in the Coliseum Saloon, owned by Manning, the pair began to argue. The dispute escalated until gun smoke filled the room. When the air cleared, Cummings had stumbled outside the saloon door where he had fallen dead. Manning was arrested but at his trial, it was determined that he had acted in self defense.

With a jury filled with local residents, many who were friends of the Mannings, Stoudenmire was enraged. Unfortunately, the only man who had been able to control the marshal’s temper was the now dead Cummings. The angry Stoudenmire also began to drink heavily and often confronted those people that he felt were responsible for Manning’s acquittal. It became so bad, that many people avoided coming into town or visiting the saloons for fear of running into him. Though he had proved his effectiveness as a lawman, his actions began to turn the locals away from him. He was also a newcomer in a town where the Mannings had many friends.

City officials tried to control Stoudenmire, his drinking, and his actions by passing a law making it illegal for officers of the law to drink publicly and subject to a fine if caught. However, it was Stoudenmire himself who collected the fines, so the law failed and Stoudenmire continued to drink. In the meantime, his actions became more and more confrontational and bizarre. Sometimes, he was known to use the St. Clement’s Church bell for target practice as he patrolled the streets, was suspected of spending unauthorized funds, and argued constantly with city officials. His list of enemies grew, including El Paso Times editor, George Washington Carrico, who alleged the city's crime rate varied inversely with the sobriety of its marshal.

By May 27, 1882, the town had finally had enough and the council announced they were going to fire the marshal. However, when Stoudenmire confronted them, drunk, and dared them to take his guns or his job, they backed down. However, two days later a sober Stoudenmire resigned. He then began to run the Globe Restaurant, which had formerly belonged to his brother-in-law, Doc Cummings. In July, he also accepted an appointment as a U.S. Deputy Marshal. This, however, did not stop him from using his gun to settle arguments and his ongoing feud with the Manning brothers continued.

In fact, the feud ran so deep that local residents prevailed upon Stoudenmire and the Mannings to sign a "peace treaty” that was published in the El Paso Herald. But, Dallas continued to make threats every time he was drinking.

On September 18, 1882, Stoudenmire and the Manning brothers – Doc, Frank, and Jim, met again in one of Manning’s saloons to sign another "peace treaty.” However, Doc and Dallas soon began to argue about the first peace treaty and before you know it, they both had pistols in their hands. Doc fired first, shattering Stoudenmire's left arm and causing him to drop his gun. A second bullet hit Stoudenmire’s shirt pocket that was filled with papers. Though it didn’t break the skin, it knocked him backwards into the saloon doors and out on to the street. A two handed shooter, Dallas pulled his other gun and shot Doc as he came through the door, hitting him in the arm. Jim Manning followed and fired two shots, one going wild and the other hitting Stoudenmire behind his left ear, killing him instantly. Though the former marshal was very dead, an enraged Doc Manning proceeded to pistol-whip him with his own gun.

James and Doc Manning were arrested but were acquitted when the ruling was found to be self-defense.

Stoudenmire’s funeral was held at El Paso's Masonic Lodge #130 before his wife had wife had his body shipped to Columbus, Texas for burial. He is buried in the Alleyton, Texas cemetery.

The Mannings continued to live in El Paso, and soon their killing of Dallas Stoudenmire was all but forgotten.

During his life Stoudenmire was involved in more gunfights than most of his better known counterparts, such as Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Elfego Baca, Luke Short, Doc Holliday, and John Selman. He is credited with successfully taming one of the most violent town’s in the Old West.

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