Frank M. Canton (born Josiah Horner, September 15, 1849September 27, 1927) was an American Old West fugitive who had a career as a deputy U.S. marshal under an assumed name. Although an ex-sheriff stock detective in Wyoming, Canton and his associates were accused of operating more by assassination than the law. Extrajudicial measures such as the lynching of

Ellen Watson Ellen Liddy Watson (July 2, 1860Van Pelt, p. 157. – July 20, 1889) was a pioneer of Wyoming who became known as Cattle Kate, an outlaw of the Old West, although the characterization is a dubious one, as subsequent research has tended to se ...

inflamed public opinion against the long-established big ranchers Canton worked for, and to re-establish control over grazing they funded an all-out assault on those small operators considered to be rustlers. Canton directed

Frank Wolcott Frank Wolcott (1840–1910) was an officer in the Union Army, a law man and a rancher. Biography Early life Wolcott was born December 13, 1840 in Canandaigua, New York. He served in the Union Army in the Civil War, and was promoted to the ...

's imported gunmen in their planned vigilante campaign, known as the

Johnson County War The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893. The conflict began when cattle companies started ruthlessly persecuting ...

, which was quickly ended by a local posse. Finding himself a marked man in Wyoming, Canton considered it opportune to leave the state. He spent most of the rest of his working life in law enforcement for the court of

hanging judge "Hanging judge" is a colloquial phrase for a judge who has gained notoriety for handing down punishment by sentencing convicted persons to death by hanging, or otherwise imposing unusually harsh sentences. Hanging judges are officers of the court ...

Isaac Parker Isaac Charles Parker (October 15, 1838 – November 17, 1896), also known as “Hanging Judge” Parker, was an American politician and jurist. He served as a United States representative from Missouri and was appointed as the first United Stat ...

Biography

Early life

Josiah Horner was born on September 15, 1849, in Harrison Township, Henry County, Indiana and drifted into

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

working as a cowboy. In 1871, he started robbing banks and rustling cattle, which at the time was a

capital offense Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

. On October 10, 1874, Horner got into a gunfight with some

Buffalo Soldier Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...

s, killing one and wounding the other. In 1877, he was arrested for robbing a bank in

Comanche, Texas Comanche is a city located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,335 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Comanche County. History A military road known as the "Corn Trail" came through in 1850 to supply are ...

. He escaped from Texas Ranger custody and fled to

Ogallala, Nebraska Ogallala is a city in and the county seat of Keith County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,737 at the 2010 census. In the days of the Nebraska Territory, the city was a stop on the Pony Express and later along the transcontinental ...

, and took up ranching under the alias Frank M. Canton.

Johnson County War

Frank Canton hired on as a stock detective for the

Wyoming Stock Growers Association The Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) is an American cattle organization started in 1872 among Wyoming cattle ranchers to standardize and organize the cattle industry but quickly grew into a political force that has been called "the de facto ...

at a time of in escalating tension between the wealthy cattlemen, rustlers and the burgeoning population of homesteading incomers who were by sheer numbers putting an end to "free ranging", and altering the balance of political power. Elected sheriff of

Johnson County, Wyoming Johnson County is a county in the north central part of the U.S. state of Wyoming. At the 2020 United States Census, the population was 8,447. The county seat is Buffalo. Kaycee is the only other incorporated town in the county. Johnson Count ...

in 1885, he was seen as a strong right hand of the cattle barons, and the tone of a letter from the Pinkerton Agency recommending

Tom Horn Thomas Horn Jr., (November 21, 1860 – November 20, 1903) was an American scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West. Believed to have committed 17 killings as a ...

to Canton confirms that he took a very hard line against rustling suspects. He served for four years, but resigned after the foreman of the one of the big ranches suspiciously escaped his custody. Although still working part-time as a U.S. Deputy Marshal, rumours circulated he was as much paid assassin and intimidator as detective. The unsolved shooting dead of a law abiding homesteader who had said Canton threatened his life because he had evidence against Canton's friends as culprits in an earlier murder made him distrusted by the homesteading faction. With a mob forming, Canton was arrested, but several big ranchers stood surety for him and his lawyer got him released, whereupon he left the state. By the time further evidence against him was found he was in Illinois, and the matter was dropped. During the

, Canton returned as local guide for

's largely Texan hirelings who were to execute a death list of alleged rustlers Canton had drawn up. On April 9, 1892, Canton led the so-called Regulators to the "KC Ranch", where their number one targets Nate Champion (a witness against some of Canton's friends for a murder) and Nick Ray were staying. Ray was shot and killed in the opening minutes of the ensuing gunbattle. Champion killed at least four of the Regulators and wounded others. At 5:00 p.m., Canton set the house on fire. Champion burst out of the house firing his

Winchester rifle Winchester rifle is a comprehensive term describing a series of lever action repeating rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Developed from the 1860 Henry rifle, Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeaters. The Mo ...

and was shot 28 times. Two days later a huge posse, led by Sheriff Angus surrounded the Regulators at the "TA Ranch" and only the

U.S. Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one r ...

's arrival rescued Canton and his companions from having to surrender. With the newspapers portraying them in a favourable light due to the influence of powerful ranching interests, Canton like the other regulators was freed. He again put several hundred miles between him and Wyoming, this time for good.

Life in Oklahoma

Continuing in law enforcement Canton traveled to what is now Oklahoma, and as a Deputy U.S. Marshal based out of

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

, he worked with other famous lawmen such as

Heck Thomas Andrew "Heck" Thomas (January 3, 1850 – August 14, 1912) was a lawman on the American frontier, most notably in Indian Territory. He was known for helping bring law and order to the region. In 1889 as a deputy in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he trie ...

, Chris Madsen,

Bass Reeves Bass Reeves (July 1838 – January 12, 1910) was an American law enforcement official, historically noted as the first black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. During his lo ...

and

Bill Tilghman William Matthew Tilghman Jr. (July 4, 1854 – November 1, 1924) was a career lawman, gunfighter, and politician in Kansas and Oklahoma during the late 19th century. Tilghman was a Dodge City city marshal in the early 1880s and played a role in ...

in the Indian territories. In 1895, Canton joined a

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 ...

that tracked down Bill and John Shelley, who had escaped from the

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska ...

jail and barricaded themselves in a cabin across the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

. After 5 hours and more than 800 shots fired, Canton sent a burning wagon into the cabin, and the outlaws surrendered. On November 6, 1896 in Pawnee, Oklahoma, Canton shot dead Bill Dunn in the street. As Canton told it, Dunn said "Damn you, Canton. I've got it in for you!" before reaching his pistol, which got caught in his suspender while Canton drew and fired hitting Dunn in the head and killing him instantly. If this truly happened, it would be one of the very few examples of an incident resembling a Western film-style fast draw shooting actually occurring; the local law enforcement that Canton worked with ruled it

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force ...

Later life

In 1897, Canton went to

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

to follow the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...

, but his work as a Deputy U.S. Marshal ended in disputed circumstances with assertions he had misused public money. He returned to the states in 1907 and became Adjutant General for the Oklahoma National Guard. Canton confessed that he was Horner, and the Governor of Texas granted him a pardon.

End of life

By 1925, age had visibly overtaken Canton. He had grown bald, his vision was impaired and light-sensitive and he had almost completely lost his hearing. Unable to perform as a cattleman or a lawman, he was then unemployed. The Texas Cattlemen's Association awarded him a small pension. His unmarried adult daughter, Ruby, helped support Canton and his wife, Annie, moved into Ruby's home. On September 1, 1927, he could not get out of bed, so Ruby summoned a doctor. After examining the patient, the doctor announced that he had terminal cancer and would have to remain in bed, since he had only a few days to live. On September 15, the family celebrated his seventy-eighth birthday at Ruby's home. Canton died on September 27, 1927, in

Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest ci ...

."Horner, Joe (a.k.a. Frank M. Canton)", in ''The Encyclopedia of Lawmen, Outlaws, and Gunfighters'' by Leon Claire Metz (Infobase Publishing, 2003) p122

Dramatic representations

* Canton is played by

Sam Waterston Samuel Atkinson Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television and, film. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, and has receive ...

in '' Heaven's Gate'' (1980). He is portrayed, however, as a senior

cattle baron Cattle baron is a historic term for a local businessman and landowner who possessed great power or influence through the operation of a large ranch with many beef cattle. Cattle barons in the late 19th century United States were also sometimes re ...

, rather than a detective and lawman. * Canton is the basis for Jesse Jacklin in the 2002 television movie ''

''. * Canton, played by

Ed Nelson Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series '' Peyton Place''. Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV programs, more than 50 mov ...

, is a guest character in the "What Happened at the XST?" episode (1972) of ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...

''. * Canton was Owen Wister's direct inspiration for "The Virginian".

References

Bibliography

* Canton, Frank M., (1930). - ''Frontier Trails: The Autobiography of Frank M. Canton''. - Edited by Edward Everett Dale. - Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin. - . *:Reprint: 1966. - Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. - . * DeArment, Robert K. (1996), ''Alias Frank Canton''. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.

External links

Gunslinger.com

at www.netw.com
thewildest.org

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Canton, Frank

by Karl Smallwood
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canton, Frank 1849 births 1927 deaths American bank robbers American cattlemen Contract killers Cowboys Fugitives Farmers from Indiana Farmers from Wyoming Gunslingers of the American Old West Lawmen of the American Old West Outlaws of the American Old West People from Henry County, Indiana People from Johnson County, Wyoming People from Ogallala, Nebraska Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons United States Marshals