Jessie Evans (outlaw)
Encyclopedia
Jesse Evans was an outlaw
and gunman of the Old West, and leader of the Jesse Evans Gang. He has received some attention due to his disappearance in 1882, after which he was never heard from again.
, although some historian
s believe he was born in Texas
. He was half-Cherokee, and a graduate of Washington and Lee College in Virginia
. It is unknown as to what caused Evans to go from a promising life to that of an outlaw. It is possibly due to a poor influence within his family structure, as he was arrested with both his mother and his father on June 26, 1871, in Elk City, Kansas
, for passing counterfeit
money. He was released shortly thereafter, and by 1872 he was in New Mexico
.
He began working as a cowboy
, employed by several ranches, to include that of John Chisum
. After he ended his employment with Chisum, Evans ventured to both Las Cruces
and La Mesilla, New Mexico
, where he became associated with John Kinney
. At the time, Kinney was leading one of the more well known gangs of the New Mexico Territory, called the John Kinney Gang
. Evans joined the gang, and over time he and Kinney became close. On the night of December 31, 1875, Kinney, Evans, Pony Diehl
, and Jim McDaniels went into Las Cruces. While there the gang members became involved in a disagreement and later a brawl
with soldiers of the US Cavalry stationed at Fort Seldon
. The outlaws lost the fight, and left, only to return and open fire on the saloon, killing two soldiers and one civilian, and wounding another two soldiers and one civilian.
for the murder
, but was somehow acquitted. It was around this time that Evans broke away from the Kinney Gang to form his own.
Several of the Kinney Gang members followed him as members of his new gang, to include Billy Morton, Frank Baker, Jim McDaniels, Buffalo Bill Spawn, Dolly Graham, Tom Hill, Bob Martin, Nicholas Provencio, and Manuel Segovia. Although usually referred as the "Jesse Evans Gang", they referred to themselves as The Boys. They became involved in numerous acts of robbery
and cattle rustling between 1875.
faction" prior to and eventually during the Lincoln County War
, to face off against Billy the Kid
and his faction. Despite the fame that Billy the Kid would eventually receive due to the war, by many accounts Evans was the most feared of the two factions. Evans and members of his gang harassed rancher John Tunstall
, and on February 18, 1878, Evans, Frank Baker, William Morton, and Tom Hill murdered Tunstall, which ignited the Lincoln County War.
Evans would figure prominently into the range war
, often taking the lead on operations against the Lincoln County Regulators
. His role is often downplayed, but in most documented accounts, Evans was at the front. In later letters written by Billy the Kid to Governor
Lew Wallace
, Evans was mentioned, and Billy Bonney even stated in one that he feared being assassinated by Evans. William Morton and Frank Baker were tracked down by the Regulators and killed for the Tunstall murder, and on that same day Evans and Tom Hill were rustling sheep during which Hill was killed and Evans was wounded by the sheep farmer. On April 29, 1878, Evans led a posse that killed Regulator Frank McNab
and badly wounded Regulator Ab Saunders.
On April 30, 1878, Seven Rivers Warriors
members Tom Green, Charles Marshall, Jim Patterson and John Galvin were killed in Lincoln, and although the Regulators were blamed, that was never proven, and there were feuds going inside the Seven Rivers Warriors at that time. The Regulators reacted by tracking down Manuel Segovia, the Seven Rivers gang member believed responsible for the death of McNab, killing him. Starting on July 15, 1878, Evans and his gang were a main factor in the Battle of Lincoln
, which ended in a draw with three dead on the Regulators side, and three dead on the Murphy-Dolan side, along with several wounded.
After the Lincoln War ended, Evans and gang member Billy Campbell killed an attorney
named Huston Chapman on February 18, 1879, who was the lawyer hired by Susan McSween
on behalf of her husband Alexander McSween
, who was killed during the Battle of Lincoln, and the gang was again on the run from lawmen. Texas Rangers
caught up to them near Presidio del Norte, in Mexico
. In the ensuing gunbattle, Evans shot and killed Ranger George Bingham, while gang member John Gross was wounded by the Rangers, and gang member George Davis was shot and killed by Rangers D.T. Carson and Ed Sieker. Ranger Carson was also shot and wounded. The gang had already lost several other members, killed prior to Presidio while Rangers were pursuing them, to include Dolly Graham. Evans was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison. However, he escaped while on work detail one day, but was recaptured a few months later. Sent to Huntsville Prison
, he was released in 1882 and was never seen or heard from again. Where he went and what happened to him is a mystery.
to Florida
to investigate the case of an elderly man attempting to claim his recently deceased brother's land. The deceased man had been Jesse Evans' brother. The man's name was Joe Hines, but during Morrison's interview of Hines, the latter allegedly revealed that he was really Jesse Evans and discussed his part in the Lincoln County War, and his association with Billy the Kid. He revealed that of those involved in that range war, three, including himself, remained alive; the other two were Jim McDaniels (an Evans Gang member) and Billy the Kid. Hines claimed that Billy the Kid was going by the name of Ollie P. Roberts
, living in Hico, Texas
. With some coaxing, Roberts did talk to Morrison, but eventually his story was discredited by almost all historian
s. Hines won his case, and was granted his brother's land in Florida. It has been asserted that Hines in fact had been Jesse Evans, but no one has been able to explain why, if Roberts was not Billy the Kid, Hines/Evans pointed Morrison in his direction. Morrison also attempted to track down former Evans Gang member Jim McDaniels, locating him in Round Rock, Texas
. McDaniels, along with Severo Gallegos, Martile Able, Jose Montoya, and Bill and Sam Jones, all of whom had known Billy the Kid, signed affidavit
s claiming to verify that Roberts was in fact Billy the Kid. http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t903.html
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...
and gunman of the Old West, and leader of the Jesse Evans Gang. He has received some attention due to his disappearance in 1882, after which he was never heard from again.
Early outlaw life
Jesse J. Evans was believed to have been born in MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, although some historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s believe he was born in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was half-Cherokee, and a graduate of Washington and Lee College in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It is unknown as to what caused Evans to go from a promising life to that of an outlaw. It is possibly due to a poor influence within his family structure, as he was arrested with both his mother and his father on June 26, 1871, in Elk City, Kansas
Elk City, Kansas
Elk City is a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, along the Elk River. The population was 305 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elk City is located at ....
, for passing counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
money. He was released shortly thereafter, and by 1872 he was in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
He began working as a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
, employed by several ranches, to include that of John Chisum
John Chisum
John Simpson Chisum was a wealthy cattle baron in the American West in the mid-to-late 19th century. Born in Hardeman County, Tennessee, Chisum's family moved to Texas in 1837, with Chisum finding work as a building contractor...
. After he ended his employment with Chisum, Evans ventured to both Las Cruces
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
and La Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,180 at the 2000 census...
, where he became associated with John Kinney
John Kinney (outlaw)
John Kinney was an outlaw of the Old West, who formed the John Kinney Gang.Kinney was born in Hampshire County, Massachusetts around 1847. His family later moved to Iowa, and in 1865, after the Civil War ended, Kinney enlisted in the US Army. At the rank of sergeant, Kinney was mustered out of the...
. At the time, Kinney was leading one of the more well known gangs of the New Mexico Territory, called the John Kinney Gang
John Kinney Gang
The John Kinney Gang, also known as the Rio Grande Posse, was an outlaw gang of the old West, which operated during the mid-1870s into the mid-1880s....
. Evans joined the gang, and over time he and Kinney became close. On the night of December 31, 1875, Kinney, Evans, Pony Diehl
Pony Diehl
Charles "Pony" Diehl was an Old West outlaw who crossed paths and associated with some of the most famous western characters in American history. His origins are unknown, although he is believed to have been part Cherokee....
, and Jim McDaniels went into Las Cruces. While there the gang members became involved in a disagreement and later a brawl
BRAWL
Brawl is a real-time card game designed by James Ernest and released in 1999 by Cheapass Games.-Gameplay:Like Spit or Icehouse, players in Brawl do not take turns, instead either making a move or staying inactive as best suits their strategy at that moment...
with soldiers of the US Cavalry stationed at Fort Seldon
Fort Seldon
Fort Selden was a US Cavalry fort named in honor of Henry R. Selden, and located in Doña Ana County, 12 miles north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The fort was in operation from 1865 through 1891, and through its years it garrisoned numerous units of the famed Buffalo Soldiers. General Douglas...
. The outlaws lost the fight, and left, only to return and open fire on the saloon, killing two soldiers and one civilian, and wounding another two soldiers and one civilian.
Forming of his own gang
Kinney had been badly wounded in the earlier fight, and needed to heal. A short time after that night, while Kinney was still healing, Evans and gang member Samual Blanton shot and killed Quirino Fletcher in Las Cruces, for reasons still not known. There was also alleged to have been a third shooter present, a man named Morris, but that is unconfirmed. Evans stood trialTrial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, but was somehow acquitted. It was around this time that Evans broke away from the Kinney Gang to form his own.
Several of the Kinney Gang members followed him as members of his new gang, to include Billy Morton, Frank Baker, Jim McDaniels, Buffalo Bill Spawn, Dolly Graham, Tom Hill, Bob Martin, Nicholas Provencio, and Manuel Segovia. Although usually referred as the "Jesse Evans Gang", they referred to themselves as The Boys. They became involved in numerous acts of robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and cattle rustling between 1875.
Lincoln County War and after
In late 1877 the gang was hired by the "Murphy-DolanLawrence Murphy
Lawrence Murphy was an Irish-American businessman of the Old West, and a main instigator of the Lincoln County War.-Early life:...
faction" prior to and eventually during the Lincoln County War
Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...
, to face off against Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
and his faction. Despite the fame that Billy the Kid would eventually receive due to the war, by many accounts Evans was the most feared of the two factions. Evans and members of his gang harassed rancher John Tunstall
John Tunstall
John Henry Tunstall , born in England, became a rancher and merchant in New Mexico, where he became a prominent figure and was the first man killed in the Lincoln County War, an economic and political conflict perhaps compounded by ethnic rivalries.-Early life and education:John Henry Tunstall was...
, and on February 18, 1878, Evans, Frank Baker, William Morton, and Tom Hill murdered Tunstall, which ignited the Lincoln County War.
Evans would figure prominently into the range war
Range war
A range war is a type of conflict that occurs in agrarian or stockrearing societies. Typically fought over water rights or grazing rights to unfenced/unowned land, it could pit competing farmers or ranchers against each other...
, often taking the lead on operations against the Lincoln County Regulators
Lincoln County Regulators
The Lincoln County Regulators was a deputized posse in Lincoln County, New Mexico during the Lincoln County War, consisting of a dozen or so members who wanted revenge for the killing of their boss, John Tunstall...
. His role is often downplayed, but in most documented accounts, Evans was at the front. In later letters written by Billy the Kid to Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
, Evans was mentioned, and Billy Bonney even stated in one that he feared being assassinated by Evans. William Morton and Frank Baker were tracked down by the Regulators and killed for the Tunstall murder, and on that same day Evans and Tom Hill were rustling sheep during which Hill was killed and Evans was wounded by the sheep farmer. On April 29, 1878, Evans led a posse that killed Regulator Frank McNab
Frank McNab
Frank McNab was a member of the Regulators who fought on behalf of John Tunstall during the Lincoln County War.Of Scottish origin, McNab was a "cattle detective" who worked for Hunter, Evans, & Company, which was managed by New Mexico cattleman John Chisum. McNab's job was to track down those who...
and badly wounded Regulator Ab Saunders.
On April 30, 1878, Seven Rivers Warriors
Seven Rivers Warriors
The Seven Rivers Warriors were an outlaw gang of the Old West known primarily due to their part in the Lincoln County War.-Formation:The gang was initially formed during the mid-1870s by disgruntled small ranchers, feeling themselves victimized by the large cattle holdings of ranchers such as John...
members Tom Green, Charles Marshall, Jim Patterson and John Galvin were killed in Lincoln, and although the Regulators were blamed, that was never proven, and there were feuds going inside the Seven Rivers Warriors at that time. The Regulators reacted by tracking down Manuel Segovia, the Seven Rivers gang member believed responsible for the death of McNab, killing him. Starting on July 15, 1878, Evans and his gang were a main factor in the Battle of Lincoln
Battle of Lincoln, New Mexico
The Battle of Lincoln in New Mexico from July 15 through July 19, 1878 was the largest armed conflict of the Lincoln County War, a now famous range war which took place in Lincoln, New Mexico. The "war" led to the notoriety of gunman Billy the Kid...
, which ended in a draw with three dead on the Regulators side, and three dead on the Murphy-Dolan side, along with several wounded.
After the Lincoln War ended, Evans and gang member Billy Campbell killed an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
named Huston Chapman on February 18, 1879, who was the lawyer hired by Susan McSween
Susan McSween
Susan McSween was a prominent cattlewoman of the 19th century, once called the "Cattle Queen of New Mexico", and the widow of Alexander McSween, a leading factor in the Lincoln County War, and who was shot and killed by members of the Murphy-Dolan faction.-Early life, Lincoln County War:Born Susan...
on behalf of her husband Alexander McSween
Alexander McSween
Alexander McSween was a prominent figure during the Lincoln County War of the Old West, and a central character, alongside John Tunstall, opposing the "Murphy-Dolan Faction".-Early life:...
, who was killed during the Battle of Lincoln, and the gang was again on the run from lawmen. Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
caught up to them near Presidio del Norte, in 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...
. In the ensuing gunbattle, Evans shot and killed Ranger George Bingham, while gang member John Gross was wounded by the Rangers, and gang member George Davis was shot and killed by Rangers D.T. Carson and Ed Sieker. Ranger Carson was also shot and wounded. The gang had already lost several other members, killed prior to Presidio while Rangers were pursuing them, to include Dolly Graham. Evans was arrested, tried and sentenced to prison. However, he escaped while on work detail one day, but was recaptured a few months later. Sent to Huntsville Prison
Huntsville Prison
Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville or Huntsville Unit , nicknamed "Walls Unit," is a Texas state prison located in Huntsville, Texas, United States. The approximately facility, near Downtown Huntsville, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal...
, he was released in 1882 and was never seen or heard from again. Where he went and what happened to him is a mystery.
Mystery solved?
In 1948, probate investigator William V. Morrison was sent from St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to investigate the case of an elderly man attempting to claim his recently deceased brother's land. The deceased man had been Jesse Evans' brother. The man's name was Joe Hines, but during Morrison's interview of Hines, the latter allegedly revealed that he was really Jesse Evans and discussed his part in the Lincoln County War, and his association with Billy the Kid. He revealed that of those involved in that range war, three, including himself, remained alive; the other two were Jim McDaniels (an Evans Gang member) and Billy the Kid. Hines claimed that Billy the Kid was going by the name of Ollie P. Roberts
Ollie P. Roberts
Brushy Bill Roberts , a.k.a. Ollie P. Roberts or Ollie L. Roberts, attracted attention by claiming to be the infamous western outlaw Billy the Kid...
, living in Hico, Texas
Hico, Texas
Hico is a small city located in Hamilton County in Central Texas. The population was 1,341 at the 2000 census. The town motto is "Where Everybody Is Somebody!" The county seat is Hamilton some twenty miles to the south on United States Highway 281....
. With some coaxing, Roberts did talk to Morrison, but eventually his story was discredited by almost all historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s. Hines won his case, and was granted his brother's land in Florida. It has been asserted that Hines in fact had been Jesse Evans, but no one has been able to explain why, if Roberts was not Billy the Kid, Hines/Evans pointed Morrison in his direction. Morrison also attempted to track down former Evans Gang member Jim McDaniels, locating him in Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887....
. McDaniels, along with Severo Gallegos, Martile Able, Jose Montoya, and Bill and Sam Jones, all of whom had known Billy the Kid, signed affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
s claiming to verify that Roberts was in fact Billy the Kid. http://www.thesignsyndicate.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t903.html