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Monday, December 3, 2018
Texas History Minute Texas native Charlie Siringo enjoyed a career in law that took him across the country, leading to adventures with some of the Dr. Ken most noted names Bridges of the Old West. His years took him from cattle drives across Texas to chasing down Billy the Kid in the New Mexico Territory. His clever undercover techniques helped him capture dozens of some of the most wanted dangerous outlaws on the frontier. With more than 20 years with the Pinkerton Detective Charlie Siringo Agency, Siringo tangled through Wikipedia photo some of the most chaotic chapters in the history of the West. Siringo retired from the Pinkertons in 1907 at age 52. His By the late 1890s, Butch Cassidy dogged determination and and his Wild Bunch gang had innovative undercover techniques committed a string of armed resulted in his arresting more than robberies in Wyoming, Colorado, one hundred criminals in his and Utah. Cassidy joined forces career and gaining a respected with Harry Longabaugh, also reputation across the country. known as the Sundance Kid, in 1897. After two dramatic, highly- The agency, however, refused to publicized train robberies in the let go of Siringo. They would summer of 1899 in Wyoming and pursue him for the rest of his life the New Mexico Territory, the as he tried to publish his stories. Pinkertons assigned Siringo and He wrote three books on his time several others to bring them in. with the Pinkertons, which each facing protracted court action. The Wild Bunch Gang had already Pinkerton agents went so far as to killed several people in shootouts, buy every available copy of the and Siringo knew he could not take books to make sure they would them head on. Siringo instead went not get into circulation. undercover, posing as a murderer on the run, and joined the Wild In 1916 at age 61, Siringo briefly Bunch, carefully collecting served as a New Mexico Ranger, information along the way. He rode riding through the dry lands and with the gang for a year through the sharp ravines in pursuit of cattle mountains and desert plains. He thieves and bandits. Two years sent information to other Pinkerton later, he could no longer keep up operatives and lawmen, leading to the unforgiving pace of a Ranger, the arrest of several members of the and his faltering finances led him Wild Bunch. Before Cassidy and to retire from ranching as well. Sundance knew what was He moved to California and met happening, their gang was falling up with his old friend Wyatt apart. Siringo had so successfully Earp. The two aging gunmen disrupted their operation that the soon became celebrities in Los gang fled to Texas before breaking Angeles as they charmed actors up in 1901. Butch Cassidy and the and starlets with their tales of the Sundance Kid then fled to Bolivia Old West. In 1927, Siringo once and into legend. again published a book of his exploits, Riata and Spurs, only to After apprehending several other again have the Pinkertons try to outlaws in his travels, Siringo was block its publication. After back in Colorado in 1903. Once several months of legal again, Siringo found himself wranglings, the book was finally undercover with a mining union as published as a watered-down and the Colorado Labor Wars erupted. fictionalized series of tales. He Contract disputes had escalated into died quietly at his home just open gunfights between miners and outside Los Angeles in 1928 at owners. The Colorado National the age of 73, just three months Guard had declared martial law in before Earp. response. Owners hired the Pinkertons to protect their interests Their deaths effectively closed at all costs. Violence grew even the door to the whirlwind early worse after the state ignored a new days of the West. Siringo law mandating miners work no continued to be remembered long more than eight hours daily. afterward, often referred to in Siringo again supplied intelligence modern western novels and on union activities. He later movies. The City of Santa Fe revealed how mine owners also named a street for him, and a TV forced him to rig the balloting in the movie about his life appeared in vicious 1904 Colorado 1994. gubernatorial race. In his memoirs, he later called his activities in Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, Colorado “a dark blot on my writer, and history professor. He conscience.” can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com. © 2018 The Howe Enterprise
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