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0:00 · of course the Wild West was for the most
0:02 · part not all that wild our entire vision
0:04 · is more skewed by B Westerns and dime
0:07 · novels than reality but like anything
0:09 · else there were times when truth was
0:11 · well more exciting than fiction on April
0:14 · 14th 1881 the rough and tumble boom town
0:18 · of El Paso Texas lived up to its
0:20 · reputation as the six shooter capital of
0:22 · the world in a gunfight that's more
0:24 · exciting than anything you'll find in a
0:27 · in a Hollywood western even if it's not
0:29 · nearly as well remembered as the Okay
0:31 · Corral it is history that deserves to be
0:36 · [Music]
0:39 · remembered the website of the Texas
0:41 · State Historical Association explains
0:43 · "El Paso is at the far western tip of
0:46 · Texas where New Mexico and the Mexican
0:48 · state of Chihuahua meet in a harsh
0:49 · desert environment around the slopes of
0:51 · Mount Franklin on the Rio Grand which
0:53 · has often been compared to the Nile as
0:56 · they approached the Rio Grand from the
0:57 · south Spaniards in the 16th century
0:59 · viewed two mountain ranges rising out of
1:01 · the desert with a deep chasm between the
1:03 · site they named El Paso delort the pass
1:06 · of the north the future location of two
1:08 · border cities Kaidoarez on the south or
1:11 · right bank of the Rio Grand and El Paso
1:13 · Texas on the opposite side of the river
1:16 · the border was established by the treaty
1:18 · of Guadalupe Hidalgo making quite war a
1:21 · border town in 1850 a small settlement
1:23 · called Franklin on the north side of the
1:25 · river became what the Texas State
1:26 · Historical Association calls the nucleus
1:28 · of El Paso Texas and El Paso County was
1:31 · established in March the town however
1:34 · remained quite small the city of El Paso
1:36 · was incorporated in 1873 but in 1876 the
1:39 · city council was disbanded because of
1:41 · lack of interest wild West historian
1:44 · Fred Eaged in 1982 that prior to the
1:46 · arrival of the railroad the town
1:47 · population was just some 500 and
1:49 · Mexicans far outnumbered Anglo the
1:52 · proximity to the border was a point of
1:54 · tension in 1877 a conflict over the
1:56 · possession of salt lakes at the bottom
1:58 · of the Guadalupe Mountains turned into a
2:00 · conflict between Mexicans and Anglo
2:02 · resulting in a score of deaths including
2:04 · the murder of a district judge the
2:06 · border tensions would continue as was
2:08 · often the case in the American West the
2:10 · coming of the railroad in 1881
2:12 · transformed the community as the state
2:14 · historical association explains most
2:16 · authorities agree that the arrival of
2:17 · the railroads in 1881 and 1882 was the
2:20 · single most significant event in El Paso
2:22 · history as it transformed a sleepy dusty
2:24 · little adobe village of several hundred
2:26 · inhabitants into a flourishing frontier
2:29 · community eagloff writes that by 1880
2:31 · the population had increased to 700 and
2:33 · doubled over the course of the year the
2:36 · boom brought however lawlessness rather
2:38 · than civilization the Cincinnati
2:39 · Inquirer reported in April of 1881
2:42 · "Regarding the point of maintaining
2:44 · order we saw yesterday a letter from Mr
2:46 · eh Cowing a former resident of Wyoming
2:48 · written from El Paso on the 15th which
2:50 · states "We have been here but three days
2:53 · and there have been 12 men killed in
2:54 · that time i saw four shot yesterday
2:57 · there's an army of desperados following
2:58 · the railroad construction that are the
3:00 · worst daredevils in the world." Ryan
3:03 · Heiser explained in Borderlands a
3:05 · publication of El Paso Community College
3:07 · el Paso for a time was nothing more than
3:09 · a lawless boom town riddled with crime
3:11 · of all sorts with gambling and
3:12 · prostitution as the epicenter of
3:14 · business in the town infamously known as
3:16 · the six shooter capital the murder rate
3:19 · was astonishingly high almost out of
3:21 · control part of the issue was the lack
3:23 · of presence of law enforcement as a 2001
3:25 · issue of Borderlands writes El Paso
3:27 · became a safe haven for all kinds of
3:29 · criminals refugees from both Mexico and
3:31 · the United States hid there since the
3:33 · closest sheriff's office was over 15
3:35 · miles away and Texas Ranger showed up
3:37 · only now and then nearby Fort Bliss had
3:39 · its hands full protecting settlers from
3:41 · Indians attempts to bring the
3:43 · lawlessness under control were well
3:45 · inconsistent the town council seemed for
3:47 · some time unsure whether to embrace the
3:49 · opportunities offered by the influx of
3:51 · gambling and prostitution or to try to
3:53 · take control of the town in the interest
3:54 · of encouraging future investment a step
3:57 · towards order was taken in July of 1880
3:59 · with the election of the first city
4:01 · marshal John B tayes who had been a
4:03 · Texas Ranger who participated in the
4:05 · assault war eagle Offer said he received
4:07 · no salary was expected to live off his
4:09 · share of fines assessed against
4:11 · offenders he arrested he served as
4:13 · marshall from July to October 1880 but
4:15 · his tenure came to an end owing to a
4:17 · pothole the El Paso Museum of History
4:19 · explains "It was poor city engineering
4:21 · that cost him his job as marshall ta had
4:23 · attempted to fill a particularly large
4:25 · street pothole with town garbage and the
4:28 · results were less than desirable in the
4:29 · city council's eyes he was replaced by
4:32 · his assistant AI Stevens who lasted just
4:34 · a month before being relieved for
4:36 · dereliction of
4:38 · duty stevens was replaced by George
4:41 · Campbell campbell had been a deputy
4:42 · sheriff in Klay County in North Texas
4:45 · came to El Paso in November of 1880 in
4:47 · anticipation of the arrival of the
4:48 · railroad where I explained he felt he
4:51 · could get in on the ground floor and
4:53 · build a prosperous future of Campbell's
4:55 · tenure historian Eugene Cunningham wrote
4:57 · in 1982 "Nothing has ever been said that
5:00 · would put doubt on his personal bravery
5:02 · but he was a gravely handicapped for his
5:04 · impartial execution of a policeman's
5:06 · duties." By a close friendship which is
5:08 · known as the sporting crowd like many
5:11 · other policemen in this condition
5:12 · Campbell found it very difficult to
5:14 · police the town and make justified
5:15 · arrest without treading the toes of his
5:17 · friends or which is always worse the
5:19 · friends of his friends but that is not
5:22 · what would lead to the resignation of
5:23 · the town's third marshall in as many
5:25 · months igluff places the blame at the
5:27 · foot of El Paso's mayor a prosperous
5:29 · businessman named Sman Schultz who had a
5:32 · reputation for taking advantage where he
5:34 · could igluff writes "The mayor was
5:36 · evidently using a similar technique on
5:38 · his city marshals he would paint a
5:39 · glowing picture of the position and the
5:41 · opportunities it offered but he would
5:43 · not provide pay." The Ashland
5:46 · Independent reported he made many
5:48 · arrests and always without harshness or
5:50 · use of any arms the mayor however being
5:52 · a merchant made his office subservient
5:53 · to his business and either would not
5:55 · fine a Mexican or make the fine very
5:58 · light because it was courting their
5:59 · trade and so likewise with the Americans
6:02 · this was of course a problem as Marshall
6:04 · Cunningham depended upon a percentage of
6:05 · fines as his salary also speculates that
6:08 · Schulz expected Campbell to supplement
6:10 · his income by shaking down gamblers and
6:12 · prostitutes something that he was too
6:14 · upright to do in any case the problem
6:17 · led to a confrontation between Campbell
6:19 · and the city council cunningham writes
6:21 · in his turn Campbell had a complaint he
6:23 · thought that the arduous duties of city
6:25 · marshall were worth a good deal more
6:26 · than the council paid him he demanded a
6:29 · raise in his salary and the council took
6:30 · this as an excellent excuse for
6:32 · dispensing with his services campbell
6:35 · resigned at the end of December
6:37 · this brought up an interesting issue the
6:39 · position now devolved upon Campbell's
6:41 · assistant one Bill Johnson who Eagle
6:43 · describes as having a badly crippled arm
6:45 · and was known as the town drunk
6:48 · cunningham writes "So Bill Johnson was
6:50 · brought in and informed that he was city
6:51 · marshal prom that he would thereafter
6:54 · walk and act and drink as such he seems
6:56 · to have received the elevation very
6:58 · modestly not to say indifferently
7:00 · certainly it made no difference in his
7:02 · conduct what came next is a matter of
7:04 · dispute igloff writes that the impending
7:06 · resignation of the marshall set the town
7:08 · up for what was probably the wildest new
7:10 · year ever recorded in any town in the
7:12 · Wild West word leaked out and was
7:15 · intentionally passed around that there
7:16 · would be no law enforcement on January
7:18 · 1st
7:20 · 1881 cunningham faults Campbell's
7:22 · friends but Campbell's friends were
7:24 · annoyed by his deposition he had been
7:26 · the sort of city marshal to completely
7:27 · suit them and anyone could see that Bill
7:29 · Johnson was not apt to hold the office
7:30 · very long if he should be replaced by a
7:33 · stranger well it could easily prove
7:35 · inconvenient so get Campbell back his
7:37 · job was the cry the plan Cunningham
7:40 · explains was to show to city council
7:41 · what a wicked town El Paso had come to
7:43 · be how necessary it was that some strong
7:45 · hand grip the reigns how desirable that
7:48 · George Campbell be reinstated at the
7:50 · higher salary that he had demanded
7:52 · whether by a plot of Campbell's friends
7:54 · or simply the lack of law enforcement
7:56 · pandemonium Cunningham writes broke
7:58 · loose eigloff writes that within an hour
8:01 · or two into 1881 all hell broke loose in
8:03 · El Paso the downtown section was lit up
8:05 · with gun flashes cuttingham writes
8:08 · "Windows were smashed and doors were
8:09 · splintered and property in general
8:11 · pretty thoroughly wrecked." Eagleof
8:13 · notes that they placed market attention
8:14 · in their pistol practice on his honor
8:16 · the mayor's store and private residence
8:19 · while the falling out between the mayor
8:20 · and Campbell continued eventually
8:22 · leading to Campbell threatening to shoot
8:23 · the mayor and the mayor filling out a
8:25 · warrant for his arrest the town called
8:27 · on the help of attachment of Texas
8:29 · Rangers to bring order but it was only a
8:31 · temporary solution cunningham writes
8:32 · "Rangers could only be used in such a
8:34 · capacity for no more than an emergency
8:36 · the town needed a marshall." On January
8:39 · 16th they hired a man named Ed Copeland
8:41 · with a wage of $50 a month and $40 for a
8:45 · deputy this seemed to be an insult to
8:47 · Campbell as it proved that the council
8:48 · could indeed afford to pay the marshall
8:50 · a wage but the council also included an
8:52 · ordinance that the marshall had to post
8:53 · a performance bond of $500 copud was
8:56 · apparently unable to and was dismissed
8:59 · with little option the council confirmed
9:00 · Johnson again as Marshall but the
9:02 · council was looking for someone else
9:04 · someone who was without the connections
9:05 · that some insisted had resulted in bias
9:07 · by Campbell cunningham writes "The stage
9:10 · came in from New Mexico bringing a
9:12 · blonde six-footer with chin like a great
9:14 · ruffune oak
9:16 · block." Dallas Studenmire was born in
9:18 · Alabama and though underage had served
9:20 · with Confederacy in the Civil War the
9:22 · Texas State Historical Association
9:24 · writes "He arrived in Columbus Texas
9:26 · about 1867 and repeatedly killed several
9:28 · men for a while in January 1874 he was a
9:32 · second sergeant in JR Waller's Company A
9:34 · of the Texas Rangers he then lived
9:36 · briefly in the panhandle before serving
9:38 · a stent as marshall of Sakuro New Mexico
9:41 · weer writes that his brother-in-law and
9:43 · El Paso Texas resident Stanley Doc
9:45 · Cummings convinced student to accept the
9:47 · job position a town marshal of El Paso
9:51 · he presented himself to the town council
9:53 · where Cunningham explains even more
9:55 · impressive than his record was the
9:56 · presence of the man himself he was
9:58 · lionlike as his blue eyes turned slowly
10:00 · from one to another of the council suden
10:03 · Meyer was hired while he was associated
10:05 · with several weapons including a cult
10:07 · revolver that had a saw-off barrel for
10:10 · concealment he was known to carry two
10:12 · nickelplated Smith and Wesson 44 caliber
10:14 · pistols that he drew from his trouser
10:16 · pockets which he had lined with leather
10:17 · for a quick draw thus he was called the
10:20 · two gun marshall his appointment would
10:23 · lead to confrontation quickly the
10:25 · council sent the new marshall to collect
10:26 · the keys from Johnson but Johnson proved
10:28 · uncooperative weiser writes "According
10:30 · to nearby witnesses testimonies Stude
10:33 · Meer approached and asked the
10:34 · intoxicated Johnson for the keys the
10:36 · drunk mumbled that he had to go home to
10:38 · figure out which keys were his and which
10:39 · were the cities an impatient Stude again
10:42 · demanded the keys though Johnson
10:44 · continued his delay living up to his
10:46 · tough and uncompromising reputation
10:48 · Stude Meer physically turned Johnson
10:50 · upside down and personally retrieve the
10:52 · keys himself leaving the drunken former
10:54 · deputy marshal publicly humiliated the
10:57 · website Legends of America notes
10:59 · Studenmire was wasting no time living up
11:01 · to his formidable
11:02 · reputation meanwhile more trouble was
11:04 · brewing the bodies of two Mexicans were
11:07 · discovered near a ranch outside of town
11:09 · apparently the two had been tracking men
11:10 · who had stolen cattle when they were
11:12 · killed a local rancher named Johnny Hail
11:14 · a suspected rustler was suspected hail
11:17 · was part of the sporting crowd a friend
11:19 · of George Campbell and was brought in by
11:21 · the Texas Rangers and a posy of some 75
11:24 · Mexicans was allowed into town a deputy
11:26 · sheriff and former US marshal named Gus
11:28 · Crimcow was brought in to translate
11:30 · during the ensuing
11:31 · inquest during a recess Hail confronted
11:34 · Crimcow the exact situation was well
11:36 · confusing the Galveastston Texas Daily
11:39 · News reported that John Hail who is said
11:41 · to be a bad man when under the influence
11:42 · of liquor made an unsuccessful attempt
11:44 · to intimidate the new marshall Mr
11:46 · stommyer who entered on duty today hail
11:50 · fired at Crimall a policeman and killed
11:52 · him grim call firing at the same time at
11:54 · Hail and wounding him student Meyer then
11:56 · killed Hail and a Mexican accidentally
11:58 · with the same shot gw Campbell a friend
12:00 · of Hail attempted to draw his pistol and
12:02 · was mortally wounded by the Marshall but
12:05 · to underline the confusion the news also
12:07 · offered another account saying that the
12:09 · conflict was because a dispute arose
12:11 · about those armed Mexicans between GW
12:13 · Campbell John Hail and Crimall a
12:15 · policeman hail covered Crimall and
12:18 · shooting commenced hail shot Grim Call
12:20 · and the Marshall shot Hail and a Mexican
12:22 · accidentally he also shot Campbell the
12:24 · San Francisco Chronicle reported that
12:26 · the fight was the result of a conflict
12:28 · between Americans and the Mexicans the
12:30 · row became general and the bullets flew
12:32 · thick during the melee John Hall
12:34 · mistaking one Krempton for a Mexican
12:36 · shot and instantly killed him and was
12:37 · himself shot by an American the town
12:39 · marshal having tried unsuccessfully to
12:41 · quell the disturbance took part himself
12:42 · and fatally wounded one Campbell and a
12:45 · Mexican
12:46 · the Deadwood South Dakota Pioneer Times
12:48 · wrote yet another account hail fired and
12:50 · killed John Crympton a policeman who
12:52 · fired at the same time and wounding the
12:53 · new elected Marshall Studenmire and
12:55 · killing Hail and a Mexican bystander
12:57 · with the same shot george Campbell a
12:59 · friend of Hales attempted to draw his
13:01 · pistol and was mortally wounded by
13:02 · Marshall Studenmire
13:04 · there is disagreement still today over
13:06 · the exact sequence of events but it is
13:08 · clear that Hail fatally shot Kimaw
13:10 · although some accounts have him being
13:11 · drunk and using one of Cample's pistols
13:13 · and Student Meer running towards the
13:15 · sound of the shots shot Hail and an
13:17 · innocent bystander and then he killed
13:19 · the former marshal George Campbell
13:21 · exactly why is not clear eagle writes
13:23 · based on Campbell's own account that
13:25 · Student Meer first shot Campbell in the
13:27 · arm and then shot a mortal wound as
13:28 · Campbell tried to draw his revolver
13:31 · cunningham writes that Campbell had
13:32 · drawn his revolver and backed away
13:34 · saying "This is not my fight." And
13:35 · Student Meer seeing him with his gun out
13:37 · shot legends of America writes that Crim
13:40 · mortally wounded shot Campbell in the
13:41 · wrist and toe and Student Meer saying
13:43 · Crimcow shooting assumed that he had
13:45 · been shot by Campbell and responded
13:47 · several accounts say that Campbell shot
13:48 · four times in the stomach cried "You big
13:51 · son of a [ __ ] you murdered me." Hail
13:53 · and the unnamed Mexican bystander were
13:55 · dead campbell and KMCO mortally wounded
13:58 · died shortly after legends of America
14:00 · writes "Four men laid dead in less than
14:02 · five seconds in a near comic opera gun
14:05 · battle." The gunfight was well
14:06 · publicized in newspapers and cities as
14:08 · far away as San Francisco and New York
14:10 · City and made Student Meer a legend the
14:13 · confusing fight became known as the four
14:15 · dead in 5 Seconds gunfight the gunfight
14:19 · was certainly proof that the Wild West
14:20 · could be quite violent especially in a
14:22 · boom town like El Paso where rapid
14:24 · growth brought all sorts of social
14:26 · conflict and order was slow to establish
14:28 · the conflict would go on the drunk
14:30 · Johnson tried to get revenge against
14:32 · Student Meer ambushing him with a double
14:34 · barrel shotgun and proving what a town
14:36 · drunk he was by missing with both
14:38 · barrels he was killed by Student Meer
14:40 · but Stude Meer was then killed a year
14:42 · later by another member of the sporting
14:44 · crowd who was exonerated by a jury made
14:46 · up mostly of his own friends who were
14:48 · the good guys and who were the bad guys
14:50 · it's not really clear igloff and
14:52 · Cunningham disagree over George Campbell
14:54 · with Cunningham describing him as a
14:56 · crony of criminals while Eigloff
14:59 · describes him as an honest lawman who
15:01 · was given a raw deal some describe
15:04 · Studen Meyer as a stout lawman who
15:06 · brought order to lawless El Paso others
15:08 · describe him as a tyrant who terrorized
15:11 · the city meanwhile none of these names
15:13 · are nearly as well known as Wyatt Herp
15:15 · or Doc Holliday or Batmasterson and
15:18 · certainly the conflict was not nearly as
15:20 · well known as Billy the Kids Lincoln
15:22 · County War and the gunfight not nearly
15:24 · as well known as the Okay Corral heck
15:26 · it's never even been portrayed in film
15:29 · in the end the four men killed in 5
15:31 · Seconds gunfight is little more than a
15:33 · footnote in the sorted history of the
15:36 · Wild
15:37 · West i hope you enjoyed watching this
15:40 · episode of The History Guy and if you
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