My ’39 Ford coupé was my first car. I was fifteen. It had belonged to Dad and my brother Virg before I got it. It had been upgraded to a bigger, more powerful ’48 Ford engine and converted to column shift.
I was on my way to Glacier Park with my cousin, Mike, when the water pump pully broke. We parked in an alley and took off hitch-hiking. When I got back the battery had been stolen. I put a for sale sign on it and left.
On February 22, 1884 John Heath was taken from jail and lynched for his part in masterminding the Bisbee Massacre.
When they hung John Heath from a telegraph pole,
it wasn’t just because of the money he stole.
Four people lay dead in the streets of Bisbee,
and the Bisbee citizens couldn’t find a tree.
Goldwater-Castaneda, was a bank and a store,
cashin’ miners’ checks and a whole lot more.
Payday came for the Copper Queen Mine,
Heath had a plan, it was clandestine.
He hired hard men, Arizona’s worst,
robbers and killers, each of them cursed.
He’d hold a dance while the others robbed the place,
then he’d lead the posse on a wild goose chase.
The plan started well, but who could foretell,
it would go to hell, as the victims fell.
A woman great with child, three other bodies piled,
tranquility defiled, a feat to be reviled.
As the killers headed out, Heath would know their route,
he led the posse round about, his aim causin’ doubt.
With his cover blown, Heath lets out a groan,
‘til the facts are known, they’ll lock him in Tombstone.
One by one the gang is run in by the law,
each plan to escape had a fatal flaw.
Sample and Howard trailed to a canyon,
maybe shoulda’ picked a better companion
Kelly spies a freight on which he will hop,
gets caught by the Marshal at the Deming stop.
Dowd and Delany head for Sonora,
Coverin’ their faces with a fedora.
Gringos cannot hide in a Mexican town,
Daniels will track both of them down.
A trial brings justice for these miscreants;
killin’ those people was a capital offence.
Heath’s separate trial, takes a little while,
he’ll smirk and he’ll smile, ‘cuz he is so vile.
Though it isn’t right, Heath’s sentence is light,
a hundred Bisbeeites, assemble in the night.
They hit the county jail, where he’s held without bail,
Heath goes kinda’ pale, justice might prevail.
They ain’t got no gallows, they ain’t got no tree,
they’ll hang him on a pole just for all to see.
Heath will proclaim he’s an innocent man,
the Bisbee Massacre wasn’t his plan.
He asks that they not fill him full of shot,
he just wants a cross and a Boot Hill plot.
Death by strangulation was the Coroner’s call,
the rope was too short and the pole was too tall.
It might be self-inflicted, one can’t never tell,
it don’t even matter, Heath is gone to Hell.
Later Sheriff Ward builds a people dropper,
so the rest can hang, legal and proper.
A crowd of two thousand in Old Tombstone,
watch them drop, their sins to atone.
Thus ends the story, I’m sorry it was gory,
there ain’t much glory in Outlaw Purgatory.
LDT May 8, ‘22
John Heath (or Heith) planned and organized the Bisbee Massacre. He knew that the Copper Queen payroll at the Goldwater-Castaneda store would be an easy prize. He recruited his accomplices in Clifton and closed his saloon there. Then he opened a new establishment in Bisbee for the sole purpose of distracting the citizenry from the robbery. On the evening of December 8, he held a big dance.
The robbery soon went horribly wrong. Two passers-by were shot and killed when they refused to comply with the robber’s instructions. When Deputy Sheriff Tom Smith tried to intervene, he was shot and killed. Annie Roberts, who was 8 months pregnant, was killed as she looked out from her boarding house.
The five robbers were tried together, but Heath managed to get a separate trial. Though some of the gang had implicated Heath earlier, they refused to testify against him. With a weakened case, the prosecution was only able to get a conviction on Second-Degree murder charges. Judge Pinney sentenced Heath to life in the Territorial Prison. His attorney immediately announced an appeal.
Angered by Heath’s light sentence, a mob formed in Bisbee. Joined by others from Tombstone, they forcibly removed Heath from the Cochise County Jail on the morning of February 22, 1884. His lynching was immortalized by frontier photographer C.S. Fly.
The other five gang members, “Tex” Howard, “Big Dan” Dowd, “Red” Sample, “York” Kelly and “Billy” Delaney were legally hung on March 28, 1884. A thousand people crowded into the grounds of the Cochise County courthouse to see the event while another thousand watched from outside. A bleachers was set up to enhance the view from outside. It was torn down the night before the executions. I believe this was the largest mass execution in Arizona history.
Contemporary News clippings from the Bisbee Massacre:
Contemporary Newspaper clippings from the Arizona Weekly Citizen 1883-84
Early Photo of Bisbee, Arizona
The Bisbee Massacre
Initial Report of the Bisbee Massacre
Tonbstone Dec. 10.
About 11:30 o’clock last night a couple of couriers reached Tombstone from Bisbee with news of an appalling and bloody tragedy enacted in that place a few hours previous. Tho names of the parties bringing the news are Wm. Wallace and James Kregman. From the former was gathered the following details of the crime which tor coolness and audacity, coupled with reckless and bloody disregard of human life has no parallel in Arizona. Shortly after seven o’clock a party of five men, mounted and armed, rode into town, and when within, a hundred yards or so or the store ua. a. uosicnnua dismounted, leaving their horses in charge of one of their number, boldly walked up to the store mentioned. Two of the party entered the store and the others remained on the outside. Going up to n clerk, one of the robbers demanded the money in the safe, accompanying the demand with the remark to “Be damned quick about it” After getting the money he went into the rear room, where Castaneda was lying sick, and jerking him roughly from the bod said, “where is your money?” Castaneda replied that it was in the safe. The robber, who was evidently posted, walked to the bed and turning down a pillow, took from under it a sack containing about 1,000. The whole amount procured y the robbers will not exceed $3,000. While two men were robbing the store, the balance of the gang began shooting indiscriminately at every person in sight. One story is they first warned parties to get off the street before firing; this however is denied. The first intimation citizens had of what was going on was the sound of rifle shots; desultory at first, but rapidly resolving into a regular fusillade. Wonder-struck at the sound, they hastened to the scene, and saw the party of men mentioned, mount their horses and deliberately rode off in the direction of the way in which they came; -but a minute elapsed however, before it was known from the reports of rifle heard, were not echoes of bravado, but the death knell of human beings. The parties killed outright are J. C. Tappenierr, assayer at the Copper Queen mine, and D. T. Smith, a well-known rancher on the San Pedro (also a Cochise County Deputy Sheriff) who had also business interests in Bisbee. In addition to these are J. A. Nolly (or Knolly), better known by the sobriquet of “Tex.,” who is engaged in the lumber business, who was shot in the breast receiving a wound from which he cannot recover; Mrs. Robert Roberts, keeper of a boarding house, received a wound in the spine which will undoubtedly cause her death. Tappenier and Smith were both shot in the head and killed instantly; the former failing in the Bon Ton saloon, and Smith falling a short distance from hitf Mrs. Roberts, hearing the noise of firing, came to the door of her house, and received her death wound while looking in the direction from which the shots came. Nolly met his fate in about the same manner.’ All parties who were in the immediate vicinity of Castaneda’s store were assassinated in a spirit of pure demoniacal and fiendish murder. The entire transaction occurred in the space of five minutes. Reports of rifles followed by the immediate departure of the bandits, and before the citizens could realize the danger that was upon them the band rode far out of the camp. A hurried consultation resolved, that messengers should be dispatched to the sheriff’s office and a posse organized to go in pursuit, as soon as light would permit the following of the trail.
Immediately upon the reception of the news, Under Sheriff Wallace dispatched a Deputy Sheriff Bob Hatch to the scene, who will head the pursuing party. In addition, he organized a party under the leadership of Deputy S. Bryant and sent them also. The prevalent theory is the outrages mentioned were committed by a gang who recently robbed the Southern Pacific train at Gage Station.
Tombstone, Deo. 10.
After leaving Bisbee the robbers rode down to a milk ranch eight miles where they watered their horses and were heard joking as to who should wear a couple of gold watches taken at Castaneda’s store. The trail was struck here and followed to near Soldiers’ Hole where it split. Deputy Sheriff S. Bryant and posse are now out.
The amount taken from Castaneda’s will not exceed $3,000, about half of which was taken from under the head of Castaneda who was lying in bed sick in the rear room. Mrs. Roberts died a few hours after being shot. Nolly was alive at last accounts. The body of D.T. Smith was brought here and the funeral is now in progress. Later. A messenger has just arrived who states that Nolly has since died.
STORY of the tragedy. A history of the tragedy at Bisbee Some months ago, and none other to equal its cool and deliberate arrangements and final devilish consummation, can be found in the annals of the white citizens of Arizona, was finished today. It is an oft-repeated story, but upon the death of the remaining five of the perpetrators, the narrative in concise form is worth republishing. Along in last November, six men, John Heath, O. W. Sample, Wm. Delaney, Dan. Dowd, John Kelly and Tex Howard were in and about Clifton. They were men without regular occupation, and wore generally considered bad in example if not in deed. On the morning of the 27th of November, Heath, an old saloon keeper at Clifton, went to a saloon opposite n residence which ho said he had purchased, and handing the proprietor a key, asserted: ” That is my home across the street, and I expect my wife here in a few days. I am going out with the boys, to be gone a short time. When I come back I will have plenty of money, and don’t you forget it”
THE PLOT: Heath and Tex Howard left Clifton the same day together. According to Heath’s own evidence, he ran across Sample, Dowd and Kelly, out of Clifton, some ten or fifteen miles. They journeyed to Buckle’s ranch. There they met Wm. Delaney, who at that time was under the name of Johnson. They knew him to be escaping from Clifton for having killed three men in a saloon brawl, a few months previous. Having become desperate, he was only too glad to join the gang. While at Buckle’s they conspired to take in Bisbee. It was understood, after the preliminary arrangements wero made, that Tex and Heath should proceed to that town first and gather points. The other four men wero to remain at Buckle’s camp, or somewhere in the near vicinity. Heath guaranteed to pay all the expenses of the crowd. Heath and Tex then went to Bisbee, and put up at the same hotel, and fed their horses at the same corral. Heath, upon arriving there, pretended to be looking for a business opening. After some apparent investigation he entered into partnership with a man by the name of Wade. They were to start a dance ball. Heath made strenuous effort to open it by the 8th of December. On that day the Copper Queen Mining Company paid the monthly wages of the men they had employed. It was customary at that time and for a long time previous, for the general merchandise and banking firm of Castaneda & Co., of Bisbee, to cash the checks of the minors. These papers were drawn on San Francisco. and of course, the above firm demanded a discount for profit. Just before pay day Castaneda & Co. placed a sufficient sum in hard money in their safe to meet these profitable demands. This Tex and Heath learned and upon this information they acted. Tex was immediately dispatched to Buckle’s ranch, 35 miles distant, to tell the others to be on hand on December 8th, and that they were expected to take in the store of Castanega & Co. Heath only opened the dance hall to draw the crowds of hard working miners from the streets, so that his colleagues in crime, summoned by him from the ranch, could accomplish their purpose without much molestation. When Tex Howard was dispatched upon his errand to Buckle’s ranch, it was his intention, pursuant to orders from Heath, to continue his journey to Clifton, where he was to remain until the theft and murders, if necessary, had been accomplished, and then from that point to give succor, in the way of provisions and assistance to the other participants, when they escaped from Bisbee. It was agreed that Heath should remain in his temporary saloon, and the day after to enter into presumably active search for the criminals. He believed that he had the cunning to lead the authorities from the right track of the fugitives and thereby allow the latter to get to a place of safety. However, Tex, before leaving Bisbee, heard that Deputy Sheriff Daniels had said that he suspected Tex of being one of the Gage tram robbers. This made Tex mad, and he swore he would return to the town with the gang and make Daniels suffer by taking a hand in the Bisbee onslaught. They left the camp in a body, and stopped on the fatal morning of December 7th three miles from Bisbee. People passing at the time definitely identified Kelly and Dowd, during their trial, as being in the camp.
ARRANGING THE BATTLE. Tex Howard, as agent for Heath, arranged the plans that were carried out that night. At 7 o’clock of the evening of the 8tb, five of as bad characters as wore ever known to border civilization rode along up the main street of Bis bee. According to the programme Kelly, Tex Howard, and Sample entered Castaneda’s store, leaving Dowd and Delaney outside, it was understood that the latter two were to order every person passing in close proximity to the store to enter it. When they had taken their agreed positions, a scene occurred which has few parallels in the history of frontier fatalities. Inside the store stood Tex Howard with a revolver in each hand, and compelling the few customers he found there to keep their hands above their heads and utter not a word. Every man or woman were forced into the room by Dowd and Delaney, and were obliged to acquiesce to Howard s demands or suffer death. In the meantime, Kelly had ordered the clerk of the store to open the safe. He took all the cash therein found. Sample in the same few moments was robbing Castaneda who, lying sick in a back room, was unable to do- fond himself.
THE FOUR. KILLED. While the last mentioned three men were holding at bay a dozen persons in the building and robbing the premises. The work oi death was proceeding without Delaney seemed bent upon killing somebody, and kept up a continual shooting. The first fatal ball struck Deputy Sheriff I. D. Smith, who approaching the two men announced his office and ordered them to keep the peace. This ball it has been proven, was fired by Dowd. Johnny Tappenier and a man named Knolly were also shot dead for not wishing to enter the store, as directed. Mrs. Robert J, who was watching the terrible scene, from the doorway across the street, was struck dead by a stray bullet. She was eight months with child. The two men in the store accomplished their part of the business in a few minutes, and passing out, mounted horses, and with the rest oi the gang rapidly left town, firing indiscriminately as they went.
SMILING HEATH. Heath, the man who planned the murder and robbery, during the exciting time stood smiling behind the bar of his dance hall, endeavoring by his generous hospitality to keep all in who were there, and draw all he could from the streets.
THEIR CAPTURE. Leaving Bisbee with only about 3.000 anu some jewelry, the gang proceeded eastward till they reached Soldier’s Hole. Here they divided their booty. Dowd and Delaney going into Sonora, and Howard, Kelly, and Sample turning to the north, bound for Clifton. A sheriff’s posse under Deputy Daniels followed their trail thus far, guided by Heath and Frost The two latter here left the posse and came to Tombstone, where they were arrested on suspicion. Frost was discharged on examination. Passing through the Chiricahua Mountains they were discovered in camp near Galeyville about three days after the raid, and given chase by U. S. Deputy Marshal Saunders, of Deming. In his posse were J. 31. Wilkins and A. Guzman, of this city, who happened to be in Galeyville on business at the time. The three robbers escaped in a snow storm. Saunders mistook them for the train robbers. Continuing their way north they left Kelly at the railroad, who stole a ride to Deming on a freight train. Immediately on his arrival he was arrested on the supposition of being a train robber, but was subsequently turned over to Sheriff Ward on December 11th. Sample and Howard, on their arrival at Clifton, told their mistresses the whole story of the Bisbee raid, and showed their spoils. They left Clifton, and camped in a box canyon about forty miles above Clifton where they were captured by a Sheriff’s posse on December 17th, under deputies Hovey and Hill. When Dowd and Delaney left their three companions at Soldier’s Hole, they turned into Sonora, and traveled together as far south as Bavispe. Here Delaney left Dowd, and went to Magdalena where he was recognized. He pretended to be seeking work, and was directed to Minas Prietas, where so many Total Wreck miners are at work. The Superintendent was instructed to give him work, and thus detain him till his arrest could be made, which was effected about January 15th. Meanwhile Deputy Sheriff Daniels got on their track, and arrived at Bavispe just ono hour after Dowd had left to cross the Sierra Madre for Janos. Daniels followed on alone through a perilous Indian country. Arriving at Janos he found Dowd had just gone to Corralitos. He went there and by help of the superintendent of the mines there arrested Dowd on New Year’s Day. He was then driven to a station on the Mexican Central railroad called San Jose, a distance of 110 miles from Corralitos. Here Dowd was locked in an express car, and brought on to American soil without the formalities of red tape.
THE TRIAL. The prisoners were incarcerated in the Tombstone jail. On February 8th they were indicted. All excepting Heath wero placed on trial, and on the 11th of the same month they wero convicted of murder in the first degree. Their counsel applied for a new trial. This was denied by Judge Pinney, and February 20th they were sentenced to death. Heath’s trial followed. Strangely the verdict in his case was in the second degree. He was sentenced to prison for life. This occurred on February 21. The next morning (Washington’s birthday) he was taken from the jail by citizens and hung to a telegraph pole.
John Heath was taken from jail in Tombstone by an angry mob from Bisbee and hung on a telegraph pole. on February 22, 1884. The mob was incensed by the fact that he got a life sentence instead of the death penalty in his trial.
JOHN HEATH was hanged to this pole by the CITIZENS or COCHISE COCNTY for participation in the Bisbee Massacre as a ft oven accessory
Tombstone, Feb. 22. Yesterday morning John Heath was sentenced to imprisonment for life for complicity in the Bisbee murders. About ten ‘minutes since his body was cut down from a telegraph pole at the edge of town, and is now at the morgue awaiting the coroner’s inquest. Shortly before 8 o’clock about ono hundred men, principally miners from the Contention and Grand Central mines, which had been shut down, went to the courthouse. Selecting seven of their number from Bisbee, they went to the door leading to the jail and rapped lor admittance, the remainder of the crowd staying outside. It was about the hour when breakfast is brought to the prisoners and the jailor, Billy Ward, thinking it was a man with food, opened the door without looking to see who his visitors were.
Instantly he was covered with weapons, and a demand was made of him for the keys of the jail. Seeing resistance was useless he quietly gave them up and a party proceeded to enter Heath’s a cell, and unshackling him and brought him into the corridor of the jail. It was the first intention to hang him to the banister of the stairs leading to the second story, but this plan was abandoned and the crowd started for the telegraph line at the lower edge of town. At the door of the court house they were met by Sheriff Ward, who throwing up bis hands, exclaimed with show of authority, “Stop this! You have got to stop this right here!” Before he could realize what had happened he was picked up and thrown down the steps, and the crowd proceeded with the prisoner down Toughnut Street until reaching a certain place selected for the execution. The trip from jail to the point mentioned was made on a run, Heath keeping in the lead.
Arriving at the place Heath pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and sai,. “Boys, you are hanging on innocent man, and you will find it out before those other men (referring to Dowd and pals sentenced to be hanged on the 28th of March) are hung. Tie this handkerchief over my eyes. I am not afraid to die. l have ono favor to ask, that you will not mutilate my body by shooting into it after I am hung.” His eyes were bandaged as desired, and in a moment bis body was dangling on the end of a rope from the cross bar on the telegraph pole. Heath throughout showed great nerve, and had it not been for the absolute certainty of bis guilt his life would probably have been spared. No attempt was made to molest the other prisoners under sentence of death, the community waiting to see them legally executed. If not disposed of in this way. they will follow the same road just travelled by Heath.
Heath’s Hanging The coroner’s jury found verdict that Heath came to his death in Tombstone, on the 22d of February. 1884,from the effects of Emphysema of the lungs, which might have been and probably was caused by strangulation, self-inflicted or otherwise, as in accordance with the medical evidence. A placard was posted on the telegraph pole where Heath was found suspended and dead, bearing in following inscription:
Five of the perpetrators of the Bisbee Massacre were legally hung in the Cochise County Courthouse yard on March 28, 1884. All are buried in Tombstone’s Boot Hill Graveyard.
TOMBSTONE, March 28.–At eighteen minutes past one to-day the Bisbee murderers paid the penalty of their crime by death. Fully two thousand witnessed the execution, one-half within the jail yard and the others on house-tops in the vicinity.
The doomed men slept well last-night and arose this morning in apparently good spirit- They laughed and joked with those admitted to see though noticeably paler then u v. (sic). The morning was occupied in shaving and dressing them; then the baptism of Howard and Sample and with their spiritual advisors. Cashman was constantly with them. Though talkative they told no secrets. The death warrant was read within the jail by Sheriff Ward by request of the prisoners. At one o’clock precisely they were led to the scaffold, neither shacked or handcuffed. Not one of them showed the slightest symptoms of fear, and when asked what they had to say Sample spoke first. He asserted he was an innocent man; that he wanted a Christian burial, and further that Heath was innocent. Howard and Dowd merely approved his remarks. Delaney added that although in the last stage .of life if he had had a fair trial he would not have been hanged. Kelly expressed the wish to have Father Gallaher care for his remains. These remarks only occupied three minutes, after that the drop fell. All but Dowd died without a struggle. The latter’s body was convulsed for a couple of minutes. The physicians declared all dead at 1:26; the best of order prevailed and immediately after he announcement of death the crowd quickly dispersed. Of the five men Delaney was the coolest; Dowd was very pale and said little, although, while the rope was being put around his neck turned to the deputy saying, “pull that tight,” but just as the cap was put over their faces all cried out: “Good bye.” Before leaving the jail, they told the reporter they forgave all and hoped everybody would forgive them.
View of the dDead Bodies. Special to the Citizen. TOMBSTONE, March 28- By two o’clock the bodies had been cut down and conveyed to the morgue where hundreds are now thronging to obtain a view of the dead faces. The necks of all are broken but Dowd’s. He was strangled. There will be no inquest and tomorrow the remains will be turned over to the Catholic church for burial. Link: Arizona Weekly Citizen: March 29, 1884
I grew up in Glasgow, Montana. During world War II, Glasgow was the site of a satellite B-17 bomber training base. When they left, it became Glasgow’s airport. My parents used to talk about the days when the young pilots would buzz the Nurses who lived in the Nurses Home across the street from us. I somehow got the impression this guy fell out while waving to his girlfriend. That seems unlikely if he wound up in a field 10 miles away.
Glasgow Courier May 13, 1943 Clinton H. Jackson fell out of a B-17 near Glasgow, Montana My parents said they used to buzz the Nurses Home across the street from us. Sgt Clinton Harding Jackson 1920-1943
Outlaws, Outrages and Outright Lies 