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The
Three Guardsmen - This name was given in Old
West literature to describe the three effective
U.S. Deputy Marshals, Bill
Tilghman
(1854-1924),
Chris Madsen (1851-1944), and
Heck Thomas
(1850-1912). In 1889, this trio began the "cleaning up" of
Indian
Territory ,
which at the time, was known as a wild and lawless place. Working under
Judge Isaac
Parker in
Fort Smith,
Arkansas, the three men arrested more than 300
outlaws
in the next ten years and killed many others. Their main claim to fame was
their relentless pursuit of the members of the
Doolin-Dalton Gang, eliminating many of them systematically, and
apprehending those that would surrender.
 Benjamin "Ben" Thompson,
aka: Shotgun Ben
(1843-1884) - Born in
Knottingly, Yorkshire, England
on November, 2 1843, the
Thompson family immigrated to the United States
in 1851. Settling in Austin,
Texas,
Thompson became a printer working for
various Austin newspapers. At the age of 15, he wounded his first man, in
an argument about his shooting abilities. By 1859,
Thompson had moved to
New Orleans where he worked for a bookbinder and killed his first man when
he saw him abusing a woman. When the
Civil War began, he returned to
Texas,
enlisting with the 2nd
Texas
Cavalry. After fatally shooting a teamster in an argument in May, 1865, he
fled to Mexico.
Returning to
Texas,
he wounded his brother-in-law who was abusing his pregnant sister and
spent two years in the
Texas
State Penitentiary. Afterwards, he headed to Abilene,
Kansas,
hoping to change his fortunes. For the next several years he moved about
Kansas
and Colorado,
primarily as a professional gambler and involved in several shootouts.
Later he returned to Austin once again
where he became the city marshal in December, 1880. In 1882, while still
serving as an Austin marshal,
Thompson quarreled over a card game in
San Antonio,
where he killed the owner of the Vaudeville Theatre, Jack Harris,
allegedly his 21st victim. Though he was acquitted of murder, he was
assassinated on March 11, 1884,
in the Vaudeville Theatre, in
revenge for the killing of Jack Harris.
More
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Zan L. Tidball -
A U.S. Marshal assigned to
Arizona
Territory on July 18, 1882, Tidball replaced
Crawley P. Dake, who had been heavily criticized after the
Gunfight at the O.K. Corrall in
Tombstone,
Arizona in
October, 1881. Though Tidball, who was from the east, came well
recommended and had previously served as a Department of Justice Examiner,
Arizona leaders were not impressed and were not happy to have an
"outsider" placed within their midst. In fact, the Arizona Miner
complained, "Whey he was appointed is more than we can say." Soon after
his appointment, he made a powerful enemy in San Carlos Indian Agent,
Joseph C. Tiffany, who would later accuse Tidball of various misdeeds
including bribery. During his tenure, Tidball was tasked with picking up
Geronimo
on a murder warrant from the Army, to whom the Indian Leader had
surrendered. However, Tidball was tricked by a young lieutenant and
Geronimo
got away.
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William "Bill" Tilghman
(1854-1924) - Bill
Tilghman
was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa on July 4, 1854. He moved with his family
later to a
homestead in
Atchison,
Kansas.
At the age of 15,he left home and became a buffalo hunter, which
quickly brought him into conflict with the
Indians,
resulting in a skirmish in September, 1872, in which he killed seven
Cheyenne
brave. In 1874, he narrowly escaped being lynched after he was
falsely accused of murdering a man in Granada,
Colorado.
Though a life long teetotaler, he opened a saloon in
Dodge City,
Kansas
in 1875 and soon accepted an offer from
Bat Masterson to become a deputy sheriff. In 1889, he
established a homestead at Guthrie,
Oklahoma
and was soon appointed as a
U.S. Deputy Marshal.
In this capacity,
Tilghman,
Heck Thomas
and
Chris Madsen
became known as the
Three Guardsmen, as they were instrumental in taming the lawless territory.
After he retired as a
U.S. Deputy Marshal
in 1910, he was elected to the State Senate. However, just a year later he
became the Chief of Police of Oklahoma City. At the age of 70, he was
still acting as a lawman when he was appointed as the marshal of Cromwell,
Oklahoma.
After surviving decades of tough
outlaws,
he was shot and killed on November 1, 1924 while he attempted to arrest a
corrupt Prohibition Officer by the name of Wiley Lynn.
More ...
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After surviving decades of tough
outlaws,
Bill
Tilghman
was shot and killed by a corrupt Prohibition
Officer in 1924.
This image available for
photographic prints and
downloads
HERE!
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George Tyng
- Tyng was hired by the U.S. Army in July, 1872 to provide beef to the
remote military installations in
Arizona
Territory. He was later appointed to complete the unexpired term of the
Yuma County Sheriff. However, he resigned the position a year later when
he accepted a position in the private sector. On January 30, 1874, he was
made a U.S. Marshal for
Arizona
Territory, replacing the disgraced Isaac Dickason. After a long line of
incompetent marshals,
Arizona
leaders hoped that Tyng might change the position, prompting the Prescott
Arizona Miner to say, "We learn from a friend in Washington that
Arizona
marshals have until now stood in bade repute.” However, Tyng failed to
live up to their confidence. Upon taking the position, he find the office
disorganized and could not find existing records, who he, himself, had
accused of "maladministration.” However, Tyng did little better, acting
unsure of himself and doing little to address current or past problems.
Later in the year, he took a leave of absence for health reasons and
resigned on December 15, 1874. He was succeeded by Francis H. Goodwin.
Continued
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