Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight

Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight
Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight
	Dallas Stoudenmire
Location	El Paso Street, El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates	31°45′50″N 106°29′42″W / 31.764°N 106.495°W
Date	April 14, 1881
Deaths	4

The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight was a famous gun fight that occurred on April 14, 1881, on El Paso Street, in El Paso, Texas. Witnesses generally agreed that the incident lasted no more than five seconds after the first gunshot, though a few would insist it was at least ten seconds. Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire accounted for three of the four fatalities with his twin .44 caliber Smith & Wesson revolvers.

Background

On April 14, 1881, a group of about 75 heavily armed Mexicans moved into El Paso, Texas, looking for two missing vaqueros named Sanchez and Juarique, who had been searching for 30 head of cattle stolen from Mexico. Solomon Schutz, mayor of El Paso, made an exception for the Mexicans, allowing them to enter the city limits with their firearms. Gus Krempkau, an El Paso County constable, accompanied the posse to the ranch of Johnny Hale, a local ranch owner and suspected cattle rustler, who lived some 13 miles (21 km) northwest of El Paso in the Upper Valley. The corpses of the two missing men were located near Hale's ranch and were carried back to El Paso.

A court in El Paso held an inquest into the deaths, with Constable Krempkau, who was fluent in Spanish, acting as an interpreter. The verdict was that Sanchez and Juarique had been in the vicinity of Hale's ranch looking for the stolen cattle. The court determined that the American cattle rustlers, among them Hale, had feared the men would discover the cattle and return with a larger, armed Mexican force. Two American cattle rustlers, Pervey and Fredericks, were accused of the murders of Sanchez and Juarique after they were overheard bragging about killing two cowboys when they found them trailing the herd to Hale's ranch during the night of April 13 or in the early morning of the 14th.

Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered in El Paso, including John Hale and his friend, former town marshal George Campbell. There was tension among some of the Americans, who were concerned that the Mexicans, with a combination of anger, restlessness, and being heavily armed, would become violent while demanding justice for their two murdered comrades. At the inquest, Pervey and Fredericks were formally charged with the murders and immediately arrested. Court was adjourned and the crowd dispersed. The arrestees were scheduled for trial at a later date. With the formerly tense situation defused, the Mexicans returned to Mexico with the two corpses for proper burial.

The gunfight

Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire, a noted gunfighter who had only started as town marshal on April 11, was present in the court room. After the court adjourned, he walked across the street for dinner. Constable Krempkau went to a saloon next door to retrieve his rifle and pistol. There, a confrontation took place with George Campbell over remarks he allegedly made about Krempkau’s translations and his apparent friendship with the Mexicans. John Hale, who was reportedly unarmed, was heavily intoxicated and was also upset with Krempkau’s involvement in the matter. Hale grabbed one of Campbell's two pistols and yelled, "George, I've got you covered!" He then shot Krempkau, who reeled backward. Slumping against a saloon door, Krempkau drew his own pistol.

Marshal Stoudenmire heard the shot, jumped up from his dining chair at the Globe Restaurant, pulled out his pistols, and ran out into the street. While running, Stoudenmire fired wildly, killing Ochoa, an innocent Mexican bystander who was running for cover. As the first shot was heard, John Hale jumped behind a thick adobe pillar. When he peered out from behind the pillar, Stoudenmire fired and struck Hale between the eyes, killing him instantly.

Campbell stepped from cover with his pistol drawn, saw Hale lying dead, and yelled to Stoudenmire that this was not his fight. However, Constable Krempkau, mistakenly believing that Campbell had shot him, then fired his pistol twice at Campbell before losing consciousness from loss of blood. Krempkau's first bullet struck Campbell's gun and broke his right wrist, while the second hit him in the foot. Campbell screamed in pain and scooped up his gun from the ground with his left hand. Stoudenmire whirled away from Hale and instantly fired at Campbell, who dropped his gun again, grabbed his stomach and collapsed onto the ground. Stoudenmire walked slowly toward Campbell and glared at him. In agony, Campbell yelled, "You big son of a bitch! You murdered me!" Stoudenmire said nothing. Both Campbell and Krempkau died within minutes.

After just a few seconds, four men lay dead or dying. Three Texas Rangers were standing nearby, but did not take part, saying later that they felt Stoudenmire had the situation well in hand.

Aftermath

Three days after the gunfight, on April 17, 1881, James Manning, a friend of Hale and Campbell, convinced former deputy Bill Johnson to assassinate Stoudenmire. Stoudenmire had publicly humiliated Johnson days before. Late at night of April 17, an intoxicated Johnson was hiding behind a pillar of bricks, but his wobbly legs gave in and he fell backward, squeezing the double triggers of his double barreled shotgun into the air and narrowly missing Stoudenmire. Stoudenmire immediately fired his pistols and sent a volley of eight bullets at Johnson, shooting off his testicles. Johnson bled to death quickly.

This began a feud between Stoudenmire and Manning and his brothers George and Frank. Eventually, Stoudenmire's brother-in-law Stanley "Doc" Cummings and later Stoudenmire himself died at the hands of the Mannings, who were acquitted in two trials where the juries were packed with their friends.^[1]

References

^ James Manning died in 1915; George and Frank Manning died in 1925

Metz, Leon Claire. 1979. Dallas Stoudenmire: El Paso Marshal. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. 162 p.

External links

[1] James Manning died in 1915; George and Frank Manning died in 1925

[1]

v t e Gunfights and feuds in the Old West
Gunfights	Gunfight at Hide Park Goingsnake massacre Battle of Bates Point Gunfight at Blazer's Mill Battle of Lincoln (1878) Variety Hall shootout Mussel Slough Tragedy Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight Guadalupe Canyon Massacre Battle of the Plaza Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Trinidad Gunfight Vaudeville Theater ambush Hunnewell gunfight Frisco shootout Battle of Cimarron Battle of Stone Corral Battle of Tres Jacales Battle of Ingalls Gunfight at Morenci Blackwell gunfight Shootout on Juneau Wharf Hot Springs gunfight Shootout at Wilson Ranch Gunfight in Moab Battleground Gunfight Chinese Massacre Cove Big Fight at the Jenkins Saloon Thibodaux massacre Gunfight at Spokogee Canyon Diablo shootout Shootout in Benson Naco Gunfight Battle of Eufaula Shootout in Sonoratown Gleeson gunfight Power's Cabin shootout Skeleton Canyon shootout
Duels and showdowns	Broderick–Terry duel Sandbar Fight Hickok–Tutt Shootout Duels of Jim Levy Duels of Tom Carberry Short–Courtright Shootout Bull–Peel duel Mart Duggan duel Anderson-McCluskie duel Canton–Dunn Shootout Long Branch Saloon gunfight South Pass Shootout Walker–Graham duel Burton Mossman duel Silks–Fultom duel Higgins–Standifer duel Western Code Duello
Feuds	Railroad Wars County seat war Tutt–Everett War Regulator–Moderator War Lincoln County War Lee–Peacock feud Sutton–Taylor feud Horrell–Higgins feud Brooks–Baxter War Colorado Railroad War Earp Vendetta Ride Dodge City War Flynn–Doran feud Gray County War Jaybird–Woodpecker War Enid–Pond Creek Railroad War Brooks–McFarland feud Reese–Townsend feud McIntosh County Seat War Deschutes Railroad War Boyce–Sneed feud Placer County Railroad War Bellevue War Colorado Labor Wars Idaho labor strike
Range wars	Johnson County War Mason County War Pleasant Valley War Castaic Range War Colorado Range War Colfax County War San Elizario Salt War Pecos War Porum Range War Fence Cutting Wars Sheep Wars Sheepshooters' War Stuart's Stranglers Hashknife Outfit Deep Creek murders Spring Creek raid
Robberies	Jonathan R. Davis Gunfight Northfield Bank Robbery Skeleton Canyon massacres Battle of Coffeyville Canyon Diablo Train Robbery Wham Paymaster robbery Black Bart Robberies Fairbank Train Robbery Gage Train Robbery Big Springs Robbery Overland Flyer Train Robbery Baxter's Curve Train Robbery Jarbidge Stage Robbery
See also	Gunfighter Cowboy Lexington murders Bisbee massacre Hay Meadow massacre Rock Springs massacre Morewood massacre
Further information: List of Old West gunfights, List of Old West gunfighters, and List of Old West lawmen

Background

The gunfight

Aftermath

See also

References

External links