William Brocius (c. 1845 – March 24, 1882), better known as Curly Bill Brocius, was an American
gunman,
rustler and an
outlaw
An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
in the
Cochise County
Cochise County () is a county in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named after the Native American chief Cochise.
The population was 125,447 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Bisbee and the most populous city is ...
area of the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
during the late 1870s and early 1880s. His name is likely an alias or nickname, and some evidence links him to another outlaw named William "Curly Bill" Bresnaham, who was convicted of an 1878 attempted robbery and murder in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
.
Brocius had a number of conflicts with the lawmen of the
Earp family, and he was named as one of the individuals who participated in
Morgan Earp
Morgan Seth Earp (April 24, 1851 – March 18, 1882) was an American sheriff and lawman. He served as Tombstone, Arizona's Special Policeman when he helped his brothers Virgil and Wyatt, as well as Doc Holliday, confront the outlaw Cochise C ...
's assassination.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which law ...
and a group of deputies including his brother
Warren Earp
Warren Baxter Earp (March 9, 1855 – July 6, 1900) was an American frontiersman and lawman. He was the youngest of Earp brothers, Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, James, and Newton Earp. Although he was not present during the Gunfight at the O.K. Cor ...
pursued
''Pursued'' is a 1947 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Raoul Walsh with cinematography by James Wong Howe, written by Niven Busch, and starring Theresa Wright and Robert Mitchum. The supporting cast features Judith Anderson, D ...
those they believed responsible for Morgan's death. The Earp
posse
Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates.
Posse may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Posse'' (1975 ...
unexpectedly encountered Curly Bill and other Cowboys on March 24, 1882, at
Iron Springs (present-day Mescal Springs). Wyatt killed Curly Bill during the shootout. In his journal written in October 1881,
George Parsons referred to Brocius as "Arizona's most famous outlaw".
Life in Arizona
Brocius arrived in Arizona Territory from either Texas or
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
about 1878, and went briefly to the
San Carlos Reservation
The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation ( Western Apache: Tsékʼáádn), in southeastern Arizona, United States, was established in 1872 as a reservation for the Chiricahua Apache tribe as well as surrounding Yavapai and Apache bands removed f ...
with a herd of cattle, before arriving in the Arizona Territory.
Brocius was an
Outlaw Cowboy and a
rustler, and was for a time also a tax collector for Cochise County Sheriff
Johnny Behan
John Harris Behan (October 24, 1844 – June 7, 1912) was an American law enforcement officer and politician who served as Sheriff of Cochise County in the Arizona Territory, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and was known for his opposit ...
, making other rustlers pay taxes on their stolen cattle (the money went into the sheriff's coffers and added to his salary).
Brocius was known for a mean sense of humor when drunk. He was reported to have perpetrated such "practical jokes" as using gunfire to make a preacher "dance" during a sermon and making Mexicans at a community dance take off their clothes and dance naked. (Both incidents were reported by Wells Fargo agent Fred Dodge in his memoirs, and both incidents are alluded to in the newspapers of the time).
Description
An unauthenticated photo of Brocius is displayed in the
Bird Cage Theater
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
Museum in Tombstone. Two other unauthenticated photos of Brocius have been provided by descendants. Several writers who knew Brocius reported that he was well-built with curly black hair and a freckled complexion.
Shooting of Fred White, 1880
In a drunken revelry, some of Curly Bill's friends were firing pistols into the air on October 28, 1880, in a dark vacant lot between Toughnut and Allen Streets, near where the Birdcage Theater now stands. Tombstone's Town Marshal
Fred White attempted to disarm Brocius and grabbed his weapon by the barrel. The gun discharged, striking White in the groin.
Wyatt Earp had borrowed Fred Dodge's pistol and he
pistol-whipped Brocius. At the preliminary hearing for Brocius afterward, Wyatt testified that he had heard White say: "I am an officer; give me your pistol." When he got close, he saw Brocius remove his pistol from his holster and White grab it by the barrel. He said he put his arms around Brocius from behind to see if he had any other weapons, and White "gave a quick jerk and the pistol went off." White fell to the ground, wounded. When the pistol discharged, Wyatt
buffaloed
''Buffaloed'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Tanya Wexler and written by Brian Sacca. It stars Zoey Deutch, Judy Greer, Jermaine Fowler, Noah Reid, and Jai Courtney.
The film tells the story of a paroled convict who will do anything ...
Brocius and arrested him. Brocius complained, "What have I done? I have not done anything to be arrested for."
[ Quoted from the December 27, 1880 edition of the ''Arizona Daily Citizen'']
Brocius fearful of lynching
White was carried to a doctor and they initially thought he would recover, and the next day, he gave a statement that exonerated Curly Bill of murder, but that night, White's condition worsened.
[ Brocius later claimed that his gun discharged accidentally and reportedly immediately regretted shooting White. He testified at his trial that he did not consider himself to have committed a crime. Brocius waived his right to a preliminary hearing, apparently because he feared a ]lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
, as White was very popular as town marshal. Brocius was anxious to be moved out of town. Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the population ...
Deputy Sheriff Earp and George Collins immediately took Brocius to Tucson for trial.
Brocius exonerated of White's death
White died two days after Curly Bill shot him. Before dying, White testified that he thought the pistol had accidentally discharged and that he did not believe that Curly Bill shot him on purpose. Wyatt Earp supported this testimony, (ironically, given his later vendetta against Brocius and the rest of the Cowboy gang) as did a demonstration that Brocius's pistol could be fired from half-cock, and the fact that it had been found to contain six rounds, with only one of them fired. After spending most of November and December 1880 in jail awaiting trial, Brocius was acquitted with a verdict of accidental death.
Wyatt told his biographer John H. Flood, Jr., many years later that he thought that Brocius was still armed at the time and did not notice that Brocius' pistol lay on the ground in the dark, until Brocius was already down. Despite being responsible for the deaths of several other men during his life, Brocius had apparently personally liked White and maintained that his death had been an accident.
Outlaw Cowboy
Brocius was described by contemporary author Billy Breakenridge
William Milton Breakenridge (December 25, 1846 – January 31, 1931) was an American lawman, teamster, railroader, soldier and author.
Early life
Breakenridge was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, to George D. and Elisa Ann Breakenridge. United ...
in his book, ''Helldorado: Bringing the Law to the Mesquite,'' as being the most deadly pistol shot of the Cowboys: "able to hit running jackrabbits, shoot out candle flames without breaking the candles or lantern holders, and shoot quarters from between the fingers of volunteers". When drunk, Brocius was also known for a mean sense of humor and for such "practical joke
A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
s" as using gunfire to make a preacher "dance" during a sermon or forcing Mexicans at a community dance to take off their clothes and dance naked. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
agent Fred Dodge reported both incidents in his memoirs, and both were alluded to in local newspapers.[
]
Shooting of Dick Lloyd
On March 8, 1881, Brocius and his friend Johnny Ringo
John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...
rode to Maxey, near Camp Thomas, Arizona. Cowboy Dick Lloyd got drunk while playing poker in O'Neil and Franklin's saloon. After shooting and wounding one man, Lloyd rode his horse into the saloon where Brocius was drinking. Brocius and several other men resented the interruption, and about a dozen of them, including Brocius, shot and killed Lloyd. Owner O'Neil took the blame and was acquitted.
Shot in face
On May 25, 1881, Brocius was drinking heavily in Galeyville with his friend of several months and Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the pa ...
veteran Jim Wallace and eight or nine other cowboys. Wallace insulted Brocius' friend and ally, Tombstone Deputy Marshal Billy Breakenridge
William Milton Breakenridge (December 25, 1846 – January 31, 1931) was an American lawman, teamster, railroader, soldier and author.
Early life
Breakenridge was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, to George D. and Elisa Ann Breakenridge. United ...
. Breakenridge ignored him, but Brocius took offense and insisted that Wallace accompany him and apologize to Breakenridge. Brocius threatened to kill him. Wallace complied, but Brocius afterward heaped abuse on Wallace, announcing, "You damned Lincoln County son of a bitch, I'll kill you anyhow." Wallace left the saloon and Curly Bill followed him. Feeling threatened, Wallace shot Curly Bill, wounding him in the cheek and neck.
Deputy Breakenridge arrested Wallace, but the court ruled he acted in self-defense. Curly Bill may have first met Pony Diehl
Charles "Pony Diehl" Ray (possibly "Deal") was an Old West outlaw in the New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory. He was accused by Wyatt Earp of having taken part in an attempt to kill his brother, Virgil Earp. Diehl was not tried due to a lac ...
around this time, as well. Diehl was implicated in several Cowboy criminal activities later on.
Shooting of the Haslett brothers
In July 1881, Bill Leonard and Harry Head attempted to rob William and Isaac Haslett's general store in Hachita, New Mexico
Hachita is a census-designated place in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 49 as of the 2010 census. Hachita has a post office with ZIP code 88040. New Mexico State Road 9, New Mexico State Road 81, and New Mexico St ...
. The Haslett brothers killed Leonard and Head during the hold-up. Some modern researchers state that Brocius and friend Johnny Ringo rode to New Mexico to avenge their friends' deaths and killed both Haslett brothers.[ However, no witnesses to this crime were found nor to Curly Bill's involvement in the Hasletts' death.
Four months after Brocius was shot, on October 6, 1881, George Parsons rode through the McLaury brothers' ranch in ]Sulphur Springs Valley
The Sulphur Springs Valley is a valley in the eastern half of Cochise County, Arizona. The valley covers an approximated vertical rectangle west of the Chiricahua Mountains–Dos Cabezas Mountains complex. The Sulphur Springs Valley is the larg ...
as part of an Indian scouting party, and noted that Brocius had not yet fully recovered from his wound, but was well enough to ride.[ Quoted from the May 26, 1881 edition of the ''Arizona Daily Citizen''] For this reason, many historians doubt that Brocius took part in killing William and Isaac Haslett.[
]
Participation in Skeleton Canyon Massacre
In July, some reports say that Brocius ambushed a Mexican trail herd in what became known as the Skeleton Canyon Massacre
:''These events should not be confused with the Skeleton Canyon Shootout in 1896.''
The Skeleton Canyon massacres refer to two separate attacks on Mexican citizens in 1879 and 1881. Skeleton Canyon is located in the Peloncillo Mountains (Hidalg ...
. Six'' vaqueros
The ''vaquero'' (; pt, vaqueiro, , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in Mexico from a methodology brought to Latin America from Spain. The vaquero became t ...
'' were killed and the remainder captured, then possibly tortured and murdered.[ Curly Bill reportedly sold the stolen Mexican ]beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
to Newman Haynes Clanton
Newman Haynes Clanton (c. 1816 – August 13, 1881), also known as "Old Man" Clanton, was a cattle rancher and father of four sons, one of whom was killed during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Two of his sons were involved in multiple confli ...
the next month. When Old Man Clanton was herding the beef on the trail to Tombstone, he and four others were ambushed in the Guadalupe Canyon Massacre
The Guadalupe Canyon Massacre was an incident that occurred on August 13, 1881 in the Guadalupe Canyon area of the southern Peloncillo Mountains – Guadalupe Mountains. Five American men were killed in an ambush, including "Old Man" Clanton, t ...
and murdered by Mexicans. No reports were verified of Curly Bill's involvement in these episodes, nor was he charged with any crimes related to these events.[
Brocius was still recovering from being shot in the face by Wallace only six weeks earlier. Some modern researchers doubt that he was well enough to take part in these events.][
]
Assassination of Morgan Earp
Following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a thirty-second shootout between lawmen led by Virgil Earp and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cowboys that occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in ...
on October 26, 1881, Brocius robbed the Tombstone– Bisbee stagecoach on January 6, 1882, and the Tombstone-Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
stage the next day. Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp gathered a posse and rode after the men, but was unable to find them in the Chiricahua Mountains
The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest. T ...
. Brocius returned to Tombstone on March 17.[ He was named by ]Pete Spence
Pete Spence (born Elliot Larkin Ferguson; 1852–1914) was a small-time criminal known for his association with outlaw Cowboys Frank and Tom McLaury, and Ike and Billy Clanton, of Tombstone, Arizona Territory. Spence was also a suspect in the ...
's wife Marietta Duarte as a participant in the assassination of Morgan Earp. Justice of the Peace Wells Spicer
Wells W. Spicer (1831–1885 or 1887) was an American journalist, prospector, politician, lawyer and judge whose legal career immersed him in two significant events in frontier history: the Mountain Meadows massacre in the Utah Territory in 1857; ...
disallowed her testimony because it was hearsay
Hearsay evidence, in a legal forum, is testimony from an under-oath witness who is reciting an out-of-court statement, the content of which is being offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. In most courts, hearsay evidence is inadmis ...
and because she could not testify against her husband. Lacking evidence, the prosecution dropped all charges against the Cowboys. Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp killed outlaw Cowboy Frank Stilwell
Frank C. Stilwell (1856 – March 20, 1882) was an outlaw Cowboy who killed at least two men in Cochise County during 1877–82. Both killings were considered to have been self-defense. For four months he was a deputy sheriff in Tombstone, ...
in Tucson on March 20, 1882, while guarding his brother Virgil en route to California.
Death at Iron Springs
On March 24, 1882, the Earp party was expecting to meet Charlie Smith at Iron Springs (later Mescal Springs), in the Whetstone Mountains
The Whetstone Mountains is a mountain range in Cochise County, southeastern Arizona.
Geography
The range is located south of Interstate 10, between the Santa Rita Mountains to the west, and the Dragoon Mountains to the east. Higher elevations ...
. Smith was bringing cash from Tombstone about to the east to help pay posse expenses. As they surmounted the edge of a wash near the springs, they stumbled upon Brocius, Pony Diehl
Charles "Pony Diehl" Ray (possibly "Deal") was an Old West outlaw in the New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory. He was accused by Wyatt Earp of having taken part in an attempt to kill his brother, Virgil Earp. Diehl was not tried due to a lac ...
, Johnny Barnes, Frank Patterson, Milt Hicks, Bill Hicks, Bill Johnson, Ed Lyle, and Johnny Lyle, cooking a meal alongside the spring.
Shootout with Wyatt Earp
According to Wyatt Earp — and an anonymous report to ''The Tombstone Epitaph''— he was in the lead of the posse when they suddenly came upon the Cowboys' camp at the springs from less than 30 feet (9m) behind an embankment. The Cowboys began firing just as Earp dismounted, and thought for a moment they had shot him, but had hit his saddle horn instead. Texas Jack Vermillion
John Wilson Vermillion (1842–1911), also known as "Texas Jack" or later as "Shoot-Your-Eye-Out Vermillion", was a gunfighter of the Old West known for his participation in the Earp Vendetta Ride and his later association with Soapy Smith.
Ea ...
, whose horse was killed, remained cool under fire and stuck close to Wyatt during the fight. Doc, Johnson
Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...
, and McMaster fired their weapons and sought cover. Warren Earp
Warren Baxter Earp (March 9, 1855 – July 6, 1900) was an American frontiersman and lawman. He was the youngest of Earp brothers, Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, James, and Newton Earp. Although he was not present during the Gunfight at the O.K. Cor ...
was away on an errand at the time.
Eighteen months prior, Wyatt Earp had protected Brocius against a mob ready to lynch him for killing Town Marshal Fred White, and then provided testimony that helped spare him from a murder conviction. Now Brocius fired at Earp with his shotgun from about , but missed. Earp returned fire over his horse using a 22-inch, 10-gauge shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
. He killed Brocius with a load of buckshot to the stomach, nearly cutting him in half. Brocius fell into the water at the edge of the spring.
The Cowboys fired a number of shots at the Earp party, but the lawmen's fire was so intense that those Cowboys who could, left. Earp's long coat was punctured by bullets on both sides. Another bullet struck his boot heel and his saddle horn was hit, as well, burning the saddle hide and narrowly missing Wyatt. Firing his pistol, Earp shot Johnny Barnes in the chest and Milt Hicks in the arm. Vermillion tried to retrieve his rifle wedged in the scabbard under his fallen horse, exposing himself to the Cowboys' gunfire. Doc Holliday helped him gain cover. Earp had trouble remounting his horse due to a cartridge
Cartridge may refer to:
Objects
* Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition
* ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device
* Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators
Other uses
* Cartridge (surname), a ...
belt that had slipped down his legs. He was finally able to get on his horse and retreat. McMaster was grazed by a bullet that cut through the straps of his field glasses.[
Earp biographer John Flood wrote that The Cowboys buried Brocius' body on the nearby ranch of Frank Patterson near the Babocomari River. This is close to the original McLaury ranch site about 5 miles (8 km) west of Fairbank (before the McLaurys moved to the Sulphur Springs Valley in late 1880) and is believed to have originally belonged to Frank Stilwell. Brocius's grave site has never been identified.]
Proof of death
Fred J. Dodge, an undercover operative for Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
in Tombstone, asked Curly Bill's associates about his death. He wrote that he talked to "J. B. Ayers, a saloonkeeper of Charleston where the outlaws and rustlers headquartered, told me that the men who were in the fight told him that Wyatt Earp killed Curly Bill and that they took the body away that night and that they buried him on Patterson's ranch on the Babocomari."[ The Tombstone ''Nugget'' first put up a $1,000 reward for proof Curly Bill lived, and ''The Tombstone Epitaph'' countered with a $2,000 reward. Neither was ever collected.][ Brocius was not wanted by the law in Arizona and if he was not dead had no reason to disappear. He also was unlikely to return to Texas, where according to Wyatt Earp's recollection, he was probably still wanted for murder.]
Other names
Because of his nickname, "Curly Bill" Brocius has been confused with "Curly Bill" Graham, a different outlaw of the same geographical region and time period. Graham was killed in a gunfight by Deputy Sheriff James D. Houck on October 17, 1887, and buried in Young, Arizona
Young is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 666 as of the 2010 census, up from 561 in 2000.
Geography
Young is located in northeastern Gila County at (34.1116 ...
, and is not considered by historians to be the same Curly Bill of Charleston and Tombstone. Brocius' birth date, birth name, and birthplace are not known.[
In newspapers of the time, Brocius was known alternately as "Curly Bill" and "Curley Bill." His surname has also been spelled as "Brocious", although the former is the spelling used for his maildrop in Arizona Territory, according to one published letter of the time.][
]
Origins in Missouri
Historical research into Brocius' death turned up two possible earlier identities. Denis McLoughlin in ''The Encyclopedia of the Old West'' reports that Brocius was from Missouri and named William B. Graham. He said Brocius rode for various Texas cow outfits and was known in Kansas.
Origins in Texas
While on the way to Tucson, Brocius asked Wyatt Earp to recommend an attorney. As reported in ''The Tombstone Epitaph'':[
Wyatt looked into the story about Brocius' time in Texas and learned that Brocius had been convicted of robbery in El Paso, Texas, during which a man had been killed. Zabriskie had prosecuted Brocius for the crime, and "he was tried and sentenced to the penitentiary, but managed to make his escape shortly after being incarcerated."]
The ''El Paso Daily Times'' speculated that he was the man whom Texas Ranger Thomas Mode shot in the right ear.
Modern researchers have linked Brocius with a man known as William "Curly Bill" Bresnaham, who was convicted in a robbery attempt in Texas in 1878, along with another known cowboy of the Tombstone area named Robert Martin. The men were convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, but both escaped, presumably to the southwest Arizona Territory. Since both Robert Martin and Curly Bill became known as leaders of the rustlers in Arizona Territory, they are likely the same Robert Martin and Curly Bill of the Texas crime.[
According to historian Robert M. Utley, Robert Martin was a member of the ]Jesse Evans
Jesse Evans (c. 1853 — unknown; disappeared 1882) was an American outlaw and gunman of the Old West, and leader of the Jesse Evans Gang. He received some attention due to his disappearance in 1882, after which he was never seen or heard from ag ...
gang of outlaws in New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
during the mid- to late 1870s. Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...
briefly joined this group before going to work for John Tunstall
John Henry Tunstall (6 March 1853 – 18 February 1878) was an English-born rancher and merchant in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. He competed with the Irish Catholic merchants, lawmen, and politicians who ran the town of Lin ...
.[ Evans's gang, a loose-knit consortium of desperadoes known as "The Boys", ended up fighting against the "Regulators" during the ]Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the pa ...
. Because of the time frame, the location, and his friendship with Martin, Curly Bill Brocius may have been a member of the Evans gang, as well.[
]
Portrayals in film and television
* Brocius is played by Joe Sawyer
Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name.
Early life
Sawyer was born August 29, 1 ...
in the film '' Frontier Marshal'' (1939).
* Brocius is played by Edgar Buchanan
William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the ''Petticoat Junction'', ''Green Acres'', and ''The ...
in the film ''Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die
''Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die'' is a 1942 American Western film about the Gunfight at the OK Corral. It is directed by William McGann and stars Richard Dix as Wyatt Earp, Kent Taylor as Doc Holliday and Edgar Buchanan as Curly Bill Bro ...
'' (1942).
* Brocius is absent from ''My Darling Clementine
''My Darling Clementine'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature (as Doc Hollid ...
'' (1946)
* William Phipps played Brocius in 16 episodes from 1956 to 1961 of the ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
/Desilu
Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...
Western television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
, ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before ''Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely base ...
'', with Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–196 ...
in the role of frontier deputy marshal Wyatt Earp. One of the episodes, "Let's Hang Curly Bill", is the story of an older marshal, Fred White (Sam Flint
Sam Flint (born Samuel A. Ethridge; October 19, 1882 – October 17, 1980) was an American actor.
Flint appeared in more than 230 films, often as a "judge, lawyer, military officer, senator, sheriff, chief of police, or doctor."
Flint was ...
), who is mortally wounded when he takes the gun from a drunken Curly Bill, who is celebrating his birthday in a saloon in Tombstone. A town mob demands that Curly Bill be hanged, but Earp puts dynamite under the main street to protect his prisoner until the trial. Earp must defend Curly Bill in court because White accidentally caused Curly Bill's gun to discharge; White signed a statement prior to his death attesting to the circumstances of the tragedy.
* Robert Foulk
Robert C. Foulk (May 5, 1908 – February 25, 1989) was an American television and film character actor who portrayed Sheriff H. Miller in the CBS series '' Lassie'' from 1958 to 1962.
Early years
Foulk attended the University of Pennsylva ...
portrayed Brocius in three episodes of the Western television ''Tombstone Territory
''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second seaso ...
'': "Gunslinger from Galeville", "Ride Out at Noon", and "Skeleton Canyon Massacre" (1957–1958).
* Harry Bellaver
Harry Bellaver (born Enricho Bellaver; February 12, 1905 – August 8, 1993) was an American stage, film and television actor who appeared in many roles from the 1930s through the 1980s.
Early years
Bellaver was born in Hillsboro, Illinois, the ...
portrayed Brocius in the 1959 episode "Bad Gun" of the series '' Wanted Dead or Alive''.
* Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, he ...
played Brocius in the film ''Hour of the Gun
''Hour of the Gun'' is a 1967 Western film depicting Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday during their 1881 battles against Ike Clanton and his brothers in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and the gunfight's aftermath in and around Tombstone, Arizona, ...
'' (1967).
* Robert Yuro played Brocius in the episode "A Mule ... Like the Army's Mule" (October 5, 1968) of the television anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...
, ''Death Valley Days
''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...
'', hosted by Robert Taylor, and also starring Sam Melville
Samuel Joseph Melville (born Samuel Joseph Grossman, 1934 – September 13, 1971), was the principal conspirator and bomb setter in the 1969 bombings of eight government and commercial office buildings in New York City. Melville cited his opposi ...
as Army Lt. Jason Beal and Luke Halpin
Luke Austin Halpin (born April 4, 1947) is a former American actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver and pilot. He became a child actor at the age of eight and is widely known for his role as Sandy Ricks in the feature films '' Flipper'' and ...
as Sandy King
Sandy King (1852? – November 9, 1881) was an outlaw of the Old West, and a member of the loosely knit gang the Cowboys in Cochise County, Arizona Territory, during the period when the outlaws clashed with deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp in Tom ...
, the youngest member of the Brocius gang at the time.
* Wes Hudman earlier played Brocius in the 1955 episode, "Death and Taxes" of ''Death Valley Days'', hosted by Stanley Andrews
Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program ''Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the first ...
. In the story line, novice deputy Bud Payson (Wayne Mallory) while courting the sheriff's daughter, June (Eve Brent), enlists the aid of Curly Bill Brocius to assist him in collecting property tax
A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...
es from a large area of the Death Valley country which had not been previously taxed.
* Powers Boothe
Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor. He won an Emmy in 1980 for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'', "C ...
played Brocius in the 1993 film, '' Tombstone'', starring Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...
as Wyatt Earp. This movie draws heavily on the Breakenridge book ''Helldorado''.
* Lewis Smith played Brocius in the film, ''Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which law ...
'' (1994), starring Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
as Earp.
References
Further reading
* Farmer, Randolph W. (2012). ''Curly Bill: Horse Thief, Cattle Dealer, Murderer, Lawman: 1858–1909''. Tucson, AZ: Westernlore Press. . .
* Gatto, Steve (2003). ''Curly Bill: Tombstone's Most Famous Outlaw''. Protar House: Lansing, MI. .
* Sifakis, Carl (1982). ''Encyclopedia of American Crime''. New York: Facts on File Inc.
External links
Quotes from historical documents
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brocius, William
1840s births
1882 deaths
Outlaws of the American Old West
Cowboys
People from Tombstone, Arizona
Gunslingers of the American Old West
Deaths by firearm in Arizona
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States
Cochise County conflict