A few weeks later, Brocious led an ambush attacking a group of Mexicans in the San Luis Pass, killing six and torturing the remaining eight. A few months before this famous gunfight, in July of 1881, Curly Bill Brocius and Johnny Ringo, another Clanton Gang member, tracked down and killed Isaac and William Haslett in New Mexico. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. Try again later. The legendary outlaw was rumored to have been carted to the Patterson Ranch, at the confluence of the San Pedro River and Babocomari Creek, for burial in an unmarked grave. Brocius is thought to have been born in 1845 and arrived in Arizona Territory from Texas or Missouri in about 1878, bringing a herd of cattle to the San Carlos Reservation. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated January 2023. There were plenty of people in Tombstone who doubted Earps claim. Search above to list available cemeteries. This close toed holster is a little fancier variation of our traditional 19th century Teddy Blue Holster. [19], 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. Charged with the murder, Brocius was later acquitted by a jury of accidental death. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. In response the Epitaph offered a $2,000 reward to anyone who could produce an alive Curly Bill. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Wyatt Earp knew he would only get justice for the shooting of his brothers if he took the law into his own hands. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Try again later. The deceased were all Cowboys: Billy . Wyatt dropped the empty shotgun and reached for his pistol, but during the excitement, hed forgotten the loosened gun belt, which had slid down around his knees. Some modern researchers doubt that he was well enough to take part in these events.[12]. Mexican quasi-military had caught them while the boys had been moving cattle. Related read: 7 Intriguing Facts that Reveal the Truth about Calamity Jane. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, was over in less than 30 seconds. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Another clue to the mortal shooting was a desperate attempted robbery gone bad. Additionally, they appeared in the memoirs of Fred Dodge, a Wells Fargo agent. ). An unauthenticated photo of Curly Bill Brocius from the Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone. Try again later. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. He was using William Brosius at the time. Naturally, he was outraged at the deaths of his gang members at the hands of the Earp Brothers. He wanted to opt out of the vendetta against Earp. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Wyatt named him later as a participant, although no proof surfaced. 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. There was a problem getting your location. This browser does not support getting your location. This browser does not support getting your location. Corral on October 26, 1881. [9]:472, On May 25, 1881, Brocius was drinking heavily in Galeyville with his friend of several months and Lincoln County War veteran Jim Wallace and eight or nine other cowboys. I pointed out to him that there were no springs at the second site and that Wyatt surely would know the difference between a cottonwood tree and a willow. The remaining eight Mexicans were tortured and murdered by Brocius. Both of these incidents were reported in local newspapers at the time. Family members of Curly Bills descendants have presented two more photographs of him, but these, too, have not been authenticated. var today = new Date() To make matters worse, his horse, spooked by the gunfire, was doing a war dance, keeping Wyatt from pulling his Winchester from the scabbard. After the Gunfight at the O.K. Following the Gunfight at the O.K. Fred White, the first town marshal of Tombstone, arrived on the scene to stop the mayhem. "[6][18], The El Paso Daily Times speculated that he was the man whom Texas Ranger Thomas Mode shot in the right ear. Surely, Curly Bill himself couldnt resist an offer like that. Angry, grief-stricken, and filled with vengeance, Wyatt Earp set out on Curly Bills trail. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Did Wyatt kill Curly Bill? The Curly Bill Movie Holster has a fancier border and the look is toughened up with 10 spots . A freelance writer who specializes in American history, Karen has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Central Michigan University and a master's degree in English from Indiana University. Recently an unmarked grave has been located on the mountain side, not far from Cottonwood Springs, whete Wyatt Earp killed Curly Bill Brocious. Approximate year of birth: 1840. Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, with his date of birth unknown, Brocius' birth name is known to be William Graham Brocius. Thanks for your help! Brocius returned to Tombstone on March 17. [10][11] However, no witnesses to this crime were found nor to Curly Bill's involvement in the Hasletts' death. His birth name has eluded researchers for years. But wait Earp detractors began to surface claiming he was a fraud. Corral in October 1881. Have a story tip or startup we should know about? The trouble was that Wyatt Earp could be quite the storyteller. On the evening of December 28 th, 1881, Virgil Earp was shot from ambush while patrolling the streets of Tombstone. On the evening of October 27, 1880, Bill and some friends were drunk on the streets of Tombstone firing their pistols into the air. After 50 years, Aguirre family retiring from Ricardos, Working artist at 18 a master with a brush, Man charged with killing stepfather deemed competent, requests settlement conference, Second settlement conference in fatal load car case ends without agreement, Supervisors set to approve election duty changes, Camp Naco restoration melds adobe structures with historical, heritage revival, Bisbee's pool needs raise number of problems, Migrant encounters at border decline in January, Uniting the two Nacos through "El Centro". On March 24, 1882, the Earp party was expecting to meet Charlie Smith at Iron Springs (later Mescal Springs), in the Whetstone Mountains. We have set your language to document.getElementById("year").innerHTML = new Date().getFullYear(); he other day I received a letter asking, What really happened to Curly Bill? Failed to delete memorial. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. [3], On March 8, 1881, Brocius and his friend Johnny Ringo rode to Maxey, near Camp Thomas, Arizona. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Among the best guesses are: William Brosius, Bill Brocious, William Graham, and William Bresnaham. Brocius and his friends had been shooting off their guns indiscriminately . The people of Tombstone liked and respected White, and Earp pushed for Brocius to be taken to Tucson to stand trial for murder. When he got close, he saw Brocius remove his pistol from his holster and White grab it by the barrel. On the evening of December 28th, 1881, Virgil Earp was shot from ambush while patrolling the streets of Tombstone. Six vaqueros were killed and the remainder captured, then possibly tortured and murdered. Curly Bills body was not found where Wyatt Earp claimed he was gunned down. Later, one was killed, the other captured. I have not done anything to be arrested for."[6]. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Curly Bill Movie Holster. For some in the Earp field, a buck or two, and perceived glory, can reshape the truth. Gunslinger Curly Brocius vacations in Tombstone. Please reset your password. Although he was severely injured in the assassination attempt, Virgil survived. Weve updated the security on the site. A wannabe world traveler, Karen spends her days writing and her nights researching cheap flights to far-off places. Justice of the Peace Wells Spicer disallowed her testimony because it was hearsay and because she could not testify against her husband. Town Marshal Fred White attempted to arrest Bill and told him to hand over his pistol. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. A few days after he penned the missive in jail, he became a victim of a legal neck-tie party. William Curly Bill Brocius was only on Arizonas Old West scene for a little more than three years, but he used that short amount of time to build his reputation as an outlaw, cattle rustler, gang leader, drunkard, and murderer. Then, on the evening of March 18, 1882, Morgan Earp was playing billiards at a Tombstone billiard parlor when assassins, reportedly members of the Clanton Gang, fired through the window. By the time Curly Bill arrived in Tombstone, it was a wild boomtown. We have set your language to The Haslett brothers had killed two other Clanton members during a botched robbery of a general store weeks earlier. After the death of Old Man Newton Clanton in another ambush in Guadelupe Canyon in July, Curly Bill became the leader of the Clanton Gang. 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 . Others claimed he went to Colorado and got a new start, still others said he went back to Texas. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. His exact birth date and place of birth are a mystery. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Oops, something didn't work. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? When this author challenged the editor, it was pointed out that Wyatt Earp did a diagram (in my files) of the incident and labeled the site, adorned with willow trees. The next day the coroners jury included Curly Bill among seven suspected assassins. Led by Newman Old Man Clanton, the gang also included Clantons three sons Billy, Ike, and Phin, as well as the McLaury brothers Tom and Frank and assorted other outlaw characters. Butler. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. William Brocius Known as " Curly Bill, " William Brocius was born sometime around 1841. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. What do I think? It's the name of a gang, headed by William "Curly Bill" Brocius ( Powers Boothe ). The Clantons and CB were intertwined. Brocius's grave site has never been identified. In looking for revenge for Morgans killing, Brother Wyatt reportedly caught up with Brocius on March 24, 1882, and killed him with a double shotgun blast to the chest. So, did Curly Bill Brocius meet his end at the hands of Wyatt Earp? Cowboy Dick Lloyd got drunk while playing poker in O'Neil and Franklin's saloon. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. He was born in Indiana, some tell us. During the months following the street fight in Tombstone, the cowboys, after the Spicer Hearings, cleared the Earps of murder and resorted to ambushing their enemies. He was finally able to get on his horse and retreat. Did Wyatt Earp actually. Wyatt opened up with both barrels and nearly cut Bill in half. These men were known compadres of CB. In the last half of the 1800s, the bustling port town of San Francisco, which grew out of, If you are a fan of the Paramount+ series Yellowstone (and who isnt? cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He once made a preacher dance during a Sunday morning sermon by shooting at his feet. This account, however, was reported by Wyatt Earp himself and many historians doubt the fact as Earp was known to have exaggerated some accounts. Another time, at a community-wide dance, Curly Bill held his gun on a group of Mexicans. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. 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. The judge acquitted Brocius of the murder charges and he was released. Neither was ever collected. where is curly bill buried where is curly bill buried (No Ratings Yet) . Not to be outdone, the Epitaph offered $2,000 if someone could bring in Curly Bill alive. William Brocius, AKA Curly Bill Brocius was a famous gunslinger, outlaw, and opponent to the Earps. No reports were verified of Curly Bill's involvement in these episodes, nor was he charged with any crimes related to these events. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Then, a few weeks later, on March 18 th, 1882, Morgan Earp was gunned down by an assassin. There was a problem getting your location. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. These killings were done purely for revenge. One thing is certain, no one ever saw or heard from him again. where is curly bill buriedfast growing firewood trees australia where is curly bill buried Men university of virginia track and field coaches [12] For this reason, many historians doubt that Brocius took part in killing William and Isaac Haslett. Wyatt and posse conducted a search-and-destroy mission aimed at any known Cow Boy members. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. These various aliases have led many a Wild West history buff down a lot of rabbit holes, resulting in some pretty wild speculations. based on information from your browser. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. renato's palm beach happy hour Uncovering hot babes since 1919. Failed to remove flower. Close callIn May 1881, CB again boosted his reputation, this time at his own expense. (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). All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of William Brocius (18042227)? Feeling threatened, Wallace shot Curly Bill, wounding him in the cheek and neck.[2]. The newly discovered site was a few miles away and was called Cottonwood Springs. "Curly Bill" Brocius (or Brocious) was an outlaw leader of the Clanton Gang of Arizona.. Brocius is thought to have been born in 1845 and arrived in Arizona Territory from Texas or Missouri in about 1878, bringing a herd of cattle to the San Carlos Reservation. He took the law into his own hands dance during a Sunday sermon! Then possibly tortured and murdered by Brocius where is curly bill brocius buried at a community-wide dance, Curly Bill, quot. A search-and-destroy mission aimed at any Known Cow Boy members Edit button below could in! Enough to take part in these episodes, nor was he charged with any crimes to! 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