NOTORIOUS OUTLAWS OF THE WILD WEST

DOC HOLLIDAY

In the 125-year plus years since his death, his legend lives on

as debates continue about the exact crimes that John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday

committed. He earned a DDS degree in dentistry before he became a

renowned gambler and gunfighter. He moved to the southwest when he

was diagnosed with tuberculosis at age 15, which is where he took up

gambling and acquired a reputation as a deadly gunman.

THOMAS EDWARD KETCHUM

Black Jack was a cowboy who later turned to a life of crime after

leaving Texas in 1890. He joined several other outlaws of the

Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, which focused on robbing trains and ranches.

He was hanged in 1901 after being caught during one of the train robberies.

JOHN JOSHUA WEBB

A noted lawman before he turned to being a gunfighter and an outlaw,

Webb was a high profile criminal who used his connections to his

advantage. He was convicted for murder and after an unsuccessful jail

break attempt; he fled to Texas and changed his name to Samuel King,

where he died of smallpox in 1882.

HOODOO BROWN

Born Hyman G. Neil, the leader of the Dodge City Gang that terrorized

Las Vegas, New Mexico from 1879 to early 1880 was considered to be the

baddest cowboy of them all. He used his high ranking political position

to cover up most of the gang’s crimes, but the citizens of Las Vegas had

enough of his corruption and they organized vigilantes to overthrow

him in the summer of 1880.

CHEROKEE BILL

Born Crawford Goldsby, Cherokee Bill was a 19th century outlaw who

was known to have a quick trigger finger. He and his gang terrorized

the Indian Territory for over two years before he was hanged on

March 17, 1896 at the age of 20. His crime spree began when he was

just 18 years old after shooting Jake Lewis for beating up his younger

brother. He joined with outlaws Jim and Bill Cook and began terrorizing

Oklahoma until his apprehension.

ISAAC “IKE” BLACK

An outlaw in Kansas and Oklahoma, he first got into trouble with the

law for stealing cattle in Kansas, though he became more notorious for

teaming with the outlaw fugitive Zip Wyatt in early 1890’s. The pair formed

a gang and made numerous robberies in the area including the well

known post office in Arapaho and the Hightower Store.

HENRY NEWTON BROWN

Both lawman and outlaw during his life, he rode with Billy the Kid’s

gang as they rustled cattle. After the Kid returned to Mexico, he decided

to stay in Texas and took a job as a deputy sheriff in Oldham County.

He was later fired for picking fights with drunks and was hired as an

assistant marshal in Caldwell. He cleaned the tough town quickly, which

gave him the title, ‘one of the quickest men on the trigger in the Southwest.’

However, he reverted back to his old outlaw ways and was involved in a

shootout during a bank robbery. He was lynched by an angry mob in 1884.

THE BLOODY ESPINOSAS

A gang made up of cousins led by brothers Felipe and Jose, they

were feared by the residents of the Colorado Territory in 1863. They all

came from Vera Cruz, Mexico where they had witnessed the killings of

six of their family members when their town was shelled during the

Mexican-American War. They also claimed their land grant was not being

honoured due to an increasing number of white settlers squatting

in their property. Eventually, they resorted to horse stealing and

murdering white settlers. They were later killed after being tracked down

by the US Cavalry.

WILLIAM “CURLY BILL” BROCIUS

A gunman, rustler and an outlaw cowboy in Cochise County, he was

called ‘Curly Bill’ due to his thick, curly head. He became a leader in

one of the Cowboy gangs of cattle rustlers in Tombstone, Arizona. He was

also a heavy-drinker and while working as a tax collector had accidentally

killed Marshal Fred White. He was acquitted and even Wyatt Earp testified

at his defence. However, he later shot and killed him in retaliation for

the death of his brother, Morgan Earp.