Burt Alvord
Encyclopedia
Burt Alvord or Burton Alvord, was a little known lawman and later outlaw
of the Old West, who witnessed the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
at age 15. He began working as a deputy under Cochise County
Sheriff
John Slaughter in 1886.
Alvord quickly proved to be an able lawman and tracker, assisting in the capture and or killing of several rustlers and outlaws from 1886 to 1889. However, his reputation soon began to suffer when he showed a weakness for consuming alcohol and becoming drunk. Frequenting saloons in and around Tombstone
, he began to keep company with outlaws and gamblers, and when Sheriff Slaughter reprimanded him, he quit.
Throughout the 1890s he worked as a lawman in several towns, to include Fairbank, Arizona
and Pearce, Arizona
. By the turn of the 19th century, Alvord had formed a gang with outlaw Billy Stiles, which also included "Three Fingered Jack" Dunlop. The two began committing armed robberies in the Cochise County area of Arizona
. In mid-1899, both Alvord and Stiles were captured, but both escaped shortly thereafter. On February 15, 1900, Dunlop was killed by lawman Jeff Milton
during a foiled train robbery attempt in Fairbank, Arizona, in which gang member Bravo Juan Yoas was also wounded, and which would be the start of the downfall of the gang. Later in 1900 Alvord was captured, and taken for holding in Tombstone. Stiles went to visit Alvord, and pulled a handgun, shooting and wounding one lawman, allowing Alvord and 24 others to escape.
Alvord and Stiles again began committing armed robberies, this time while being pursued by the Arizona Rangers
. In December, 1903, both Alvord and Stiles were captured, and again they escaped. Alvord decided to attempt to fake their own deaths by using the dead bodies of two Mexican
men. It is unknown as to whether they killed the two Mexican men, or exhumed the bodies from grave
s. Either way, they sent the bodies into Tombstone, with news that it was them who had been killed. However, upon examination of the human remains in the coffin
s, the Arizona Rangers concluded that the two were still alive.
The Rangers tracked them into Mexico
, and trapped them near the village of Naco in February, 1904. In the shootout that followed, both Alvord and Stiles were wounded. Alvord spent two years in prison
, being released in 1906. He then traveled to South America
, where he was last seen working as a canal
employee in Panama
in 1910. His whereabouts afterward are unknown.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
of the Old West, who witnessed the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a roughly 30-second gunfight that took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona Territory, of the United States. Outlaw Cowboys Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran from the fight, unharmed, but Ike's brother...
at age 15. He began working as a deputy under Cochise County
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
John Slaughter in 1886.
Alvord quickly proved to be an able lawman and tracker, assisting in the capture and or killing of several rustlers and outlaws from 1886 to 1889. However, his reputation soon began to suffer when he showed a weakness for consuming alcohol and becoming drunk. Frequenting saloons in and around Tombstone
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
, he began to keep company with outlaws and gamblers, and when Sheriff Slaughter reprimanded him, he quit.
Throughout the 1890s he worked as a lawman in several towns, to include Fairbank, Arizona
Fairbank, Arizona
Fairbank is a ghost town in Cochise County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona, near the San Pedro River. First settled in 1881 in what was then known as the Arizona Territory, Fairbank, the closest rail stop to nearby Tombstone, was an important location in developing Arizona...
and Pearce, Arizona
Pearce, Arizona
Pearce, Arizona and Sunsites, Arizona are adjacent unincorporated communities in the Sulphur Springs Valley of Cochise County, Arizona, United States. The two communities are referred to as Pearce-Sunsites, Pearce/Sunsites, or Pearce Sunsites. Pearce is best known as a historic ghost town...
. By the turn of the 19th century, Alvord had formed a gang with outlaw Billy Stiles, which also included "Three Fingered Jack" Dunlop. The two began committing armed robberies in the Cochise County area of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. In mid-1899, both Alvord and Stiles were captured, but both escaped shortly thereafter. On February 15, 1900, Dunlop was killed by lawman Jeff Milton
Jeff Milton
Jeff Milton , born Jeff Davis Milton, was an Old West lawman, and the son of Confederate Florida governor John Milton.-Early life:...
during a foiled train robbery attempt in Fairbank, Arizona, in which gang member Bravo Juan Yoas was also wounded, and which would be the start of the downfall of the gang. Later in 1900 Alvord was captured, and taken for holding in Tombstone. Stiles went to visit Alvord, and pulled a handgun, shooting and wounding one lawman, allowing Alvord and 24 others to escape.
Alvord and Stiles again began committing armed robberies, this time while being pursued by the Arizona Rangers
Arizona Rangers
The Arizona Rangers is an Arizona law enforcement agency modeled on the Texas Rangers. The Arizona Rangers were created by the Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1901, disbanded in 1909, and subsequently reformed in 1957. They were created to deal with the infestations of outlaws in the sparsely...
. In December, 1903, both Alvord and Stiles were captured, and again they escaped. Alvord decided to attempt to fake their own deaths by using the dead bodies of two Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
men. It is unknown as to whether they killed the two Mexican men, or exhumed the bodies from grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
s. Either way, they sent the bodies into Tombstone, with news that it was them who had been killed. However, upon examination of the human remains in the coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
s, the Arizona Rangers concluded that the two were still alive.
The Rangers tracked them into Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and trapped them near the village of Naco in February, 1904. In the shootout that followed, both Alvord and Stiles were wounded. Alvord spent two years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, being released in 1906. He then traveled to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, where he was last seen working as a canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
employee in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 1910. His whereabouts afterward are unknown.
Resources
- Sifakis, Carl. Encyclopedia of American Crime, New York, Facts on File Inc., 1982
- Burton Alvord, lawman and outlaw