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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 four men were hanged outside Armory Hall in Aurora. Aurora,
Nevada is now a ghost town located very near the
California Border in Mineral County.
 Frank
McLaury (1848-1881) - The eighth of eleven children, McLaury
was born in Korthright, New York in 1848. Several 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.
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
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.
Sam
McWilliams, aka: The Verdigris Kid (1876?-1895) - An outlaw and member of the
Bill
Cook Gang, who operated in
Indian Territory in 1894. Though the Cook Gang was
short-lived, the gang was
ruthless and known to shoot anyone who
got in their way. Starting small, the gang first began by stealing horses
and selling whiskey, before they quickly advanced to robbing banks, stores and stagecoaches.
As the months progressed, most of the members of the gang, including
leaders Bill Cook and
Cherokee Bill Goldsby
were killed or arrested. However, Cook Gang members, Sam McWilliams and
George Sanders were still at large. In April, 1895, Sam "Verdigris Kid”
McWilliams, George Sanders and Sam Butler rode into
Braggs, Oklahoma
ordering everyone to put up their
hands.
The trio of outlaws quickly marched their
prisoners to the Madden General Store and when the store clerk
panicked and ran into the street, the outlaws shot him down. As their
hostages stood waiting, the thieves robbed the general store and
exchanged their clothing and boots for new ones. One of the hostages
was then sent to bring a horse to the store, exchanging it for one of
theirs. Fortunately, the owner of the store was not present, but
could see the robbery taking place and quickly reported it to two law
officers, one of which was U.S. Deputy Marshal Barbee. When the two
officers arrived, they shot the Verdigris Kid and Deputy Marshal
Barbee opened fire on the rest of the gang. George Sanders was also
killed, and Sam Butler, though wounded, escaped. McWilliams was 19
years old.
James
"Jim" P. Miller, aka: "Deacon" Miller (1866-1909) -
James B. Miller, aka: Killin' Jim, Killer Miller, Jim the Killer, Deacon Miller
(1866-1909) - One of the worst of the many violent men of the Old West, James B. Miller was seemingly one of
those "bad seeds" from an early age. Often impeccably dressed
with good manners, he didn't smoke or drink and often attended church,
earning him the nickname "Deacon Miller." But, he was a wolf in
sheep's clothing. Miller became a hired gun in the 1880s, a "career"
he would continue for the next two decades. Said to have committed as
many as 50 murders, he was hanged by
vigilantes
in Ada,
Oklahoma. See
full article HERE.
McClelland "Clell" Miller (1850-1876) - Born on January 9,
1850, Miller grew up to be a member of Quantrill's Guerillas under
William "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 re-interred at the Muddy Fork Cemetery, north
of the James farm in Kearney,
Missouri.
Redmond "Red”
Munkirs (or Munkers) (1845-1867) - Born in
Missouri on March 26,
1845, he was the son of Solomon Munkirs and Sarah Ferril from
Tennessee. He was thought to have ridden with Quantrill's
Raiders during the
Civil War and
afterwards joined the
James-Younger Gang. He was with the gang in their first robbery of
the Clay County Savings Association in Liberty,
Missouri on February 13,
1866. After marrying Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" Marton, he got into a
conflict with the Missouri State Militia in Clay County,
Missouri and at the age
of 21, was shot and killed by them on his front porch on May 18, 1867.
His only child, daughter Lorene Redmond Munkirs, was born five weeks
later on June 22, 1867.
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
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