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Ghost Cowboy is about real tales from the 19th-century American frontier, when the Old West was young. Most of the posts here are actual news items from the 1800s and early 1900s. We'll be adding "new" content every week. Travel with us and sign up for an account, and you'll be able to leave comments and post in our forums. Your trailmasters, Ken in Alabama and Dave in Virginia, don't get to saddle up and vacation out west as often as they'd like, so they started this site. Drop us a note.

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DEPREDATIONS BY INDIANS.


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New York Times / April 24, 1876

ATTACK ON A STAGE COACH -- THE PROPRIETOR BADLY WOUNDED -- THE MASSACRE AT RED CAÑON.

stalkFORT LARAMIE, April 23. -- H. E. Brown, of Salt Lake, one of the proprietors of Gilmore, Salisbury & Patrick's stage line, is lying 60 miles from here at Sage Creek badly wounded. Two ambulances and an escort, accompanied by Acting Assistant Surgeon Petteys, of the United States Army, have just been sent by Gen. Bradley to bring him here. Mr. Brown was shot by the Indians on the night of the 21st inst. He was making a night trip on one of the fast freight wagons, and was sitting by the side of the driver, when they were suddenly fired upon, a ball striking Mr. Brown near the point of the left hip, after striking the brass shell of a cartridge in his belt, which is forced into the wound, both remaining in his body and making a very bad case. He will reach here to-morrow night or Tuesday morning.

LIFE IN AN ARIZONA TOWN.


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New York Times / Sept. 13, 1885

dancerBISBEE, Arizona, Sept. 12. -- Last Thursday night a fight occurred in a gambling house here in which an unknown Mexican, who was the aggressor, was worsted. He left the place after the row and was not seen again until about 4:30 o'clock Friday morning, when he made his appearance with a repeating rifle and a belt of cartridges. When he arrived there were about 40 men in the saloon, and the Mexican, who was on the sidewalk, commenced shooting indiscriminately into the crowd. His first shot struck Dave Hickey in the jaw. The next struck James Kehoe in the left cheek bone, went through to his neck, and ranged downward into his back. It is not expected that he will recover. George Soles received the next shot through the left shoulder, but it is not thought the wound is fatal. Jack Welch received a shot in the foot, the bullet coming out at his heel. Another shot just grazed the elbow of Frank Gardiner. The Mexican fired 15 shots into the saloon in rapid succession. After cleaning out this saloon be went further up the street and fired two shots into Pierce's saloon and two more into Curtin's saloon, and then disappeared into the cañon. As he was leaving a soldier fired four shots at him without effect. No steps were taken to capture the assassin until daybreak, when citizens started in search. About 9 o'clock he was found in a Mexican house in bed, a Mexican woman putting wet cloths upon his face, which had been cut. After getting all the evidence that was necessary, a rope was procured and the assassin was taken up the cañon and­ hanged to a tree.

THE LYNCHING OF JOHN HEITH.


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New-York Times / Feb 24, 1884

HOW AN ARIZONA MOB DISPOSED OF ONE OF THE BISBEE MURDERERS.

skullTOMBSTONE, Arizona, Feb. 23. -- At 9 o'clock on Thursday morning Judge Pinney sentenced John Heith to confinement in Yuma Penitentiary for life for complicity in the Bisbee murders. Twenty-four hours later the dead body of Heith dangled from the cross bar of a telegraph pole near the foot of Toughnut-street, where it was suspended by a rope. The following are the particulars of the occurrence as near as can be gathered: About 8:30 yesterday hangmanmorning a crowd of men, mostly miners, numbering about 150, proceeded to the Court-house. Arriving there they detailed seven of their number from Bisbee, who entered and demanded that John Heith be turned over to them. The seven men approached the door leading to the corridor of the jail and one of them knocked. Being about time for the Chinaman who brings food for the prisoners to arrive, Jailer Ward opened the door unsuspiciously, and was immediately covered by weapons and told to give up the keys of the jail. Seeing any attempt at resistance would be useless he did as requested, and in a few minutes the deputation was in the presence of the sought-for man. The crowd, which by this time had filled the spacious hall, started for the street. At the door they were met by Sheriff Ward, who called on them in the name of the law to desist. The Sheriff was picked up and gently removed down the steps out of the way, while the crowd started down the street on a run. The rope had been placed around Heith's body, and about 20 men had hold of it. It never became taut during the run, the prisoner keeping up with the crowd, and showing no signs of the white feather.

NADJESKI'S LOST MINE.


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New York Times / Nov 23, 1890

A STRANGE STORY OF BORDER LIFE IN ARIZONA.

THE INDIAN WEST POINTER WHO WAS AFTERWARD AN INDIAN CHIEF -- A HIDDEN MINE OF UNTOLD WEALTH.

minerOfficers who were cadets at West Point shortly after the close of the war will no doubt remember one of their number, whose Indian blood attracted the attention of all with whom he came into contact. He was not bright, but had a magnificent physique, and finally "scraped" through the different examinations until he was graduated and assigned to one of the colored regiments then serving in the Southwest. His father was a "squaw man" among the Sioux, and it may be presumed that the young officer never saw him after becoming a cadet. The enforced idleness of garrison life was too much for the young Lieutenant, who rapidly became intimate with the worst element of the post; took more interest in draw poker than his drill, until he came to his senses with four or five months’ pay accounts "shoved up" at the post trader's. Soon after this he disappeared so completely that no trace was found of him for years; he was dropped from the rolls of the Army, after three months’ absence as a deserter, and the post trader charged up his set of pay vouchers to profit and loss.

 

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