William "Curly Bill" Brocius

Tombstone Gang Leader

Feb 15, 2009 Jim Osborn

During the late 1800's in the Arizona territory, a vicious gang of outlaws "The Cow-Boys" emerged and were the first known crime organization in American history.

Much of “Curly Bill’s” past is sketchy because of the poor record keeping of the times and his intentional use of alias names in an attempt to hide his former criminal past and stay relatively unknown in the territories so that he could be free to rustle cattle and continue his criminal endeavors. It’s believed he was born in Texas around 1840 and turned up in Arizona approximately in 1878 where he met the local criminal element, including the “Clanton” family and helped them expand their outlaw empire.

THE COW-BOYS:

In the mid to late 1800's Texas was infested with outlaws and lawlessness. The Texas Rangers became harsh and very organized and determined to either kill or drive this outlaw element out of Texas. William "Curly Bill" Brocius (most assuredly an alias) fled Texas and headed for the Arizona territory where rumor had it a man with a fast gun and no conscience could thrive.

Upon arriving in “Tombstone” Brocius became friends with the Clanton and McLaury families who were local ranch owners and cattle rustlers. What the local crime faction needed to help it grow and thrive was a dynamic and fearless leader who could inspire a great following of thugs and a leader who was merciless and cold-blooded.

Brocius helped the Clanton’s, the McLaury’s, and dozens of other lawless men form a band of outlaws who called themselves “The Cow-Boys.” This gang of bandits grew in size in just a few short years and became a powerful and dangerous faction that completely controlled Cochise County and had the city of Tombstone at its mercy.

The gang pretty much did whatever they wanted to do and committed whatever crimes they wanted to and were not held accountable. They had Cochise County Sheriff John Behan on their pay role and in their pocket and Brocius even worked with Behan as a tax collector which allowed Behan to pocket the proceeds.

The gang chose the “Red Sash” as their symbol and every “Cow-Boy” member wore one around their neck to show their gang affiliation and to intimidate people who were afraid to stand in the way of anyone wearing the red sash for fear of reprisals.

WYATT EARP:

In 1879 Wyatt Earp and his brothers James and Virgil moved to the Arizona territory seeking their fortune in the silver-mining boomtown of Tombstone. They were later joined by brothers Morgan and Warren and also by “Doc Holliday.”

For the first year the Earp’s worked at trying to make a living mining, gambling, and Wyatt bought an interest in a local gambling hall’s faro business. But Virgil fell back on his former profession as a lawman and this would eventually put the Earp’s into a deadly conflict with “The Cow-Boys.”

Both Wyatt and Virgil would be involved in different disputes with members of “The Cow-Boy’s” and in October of 1880 Curly Bill shot and killed Tombstone town-marshal Fred White while on a drunken rampage and would be clubbed severely and arrested by Wyatt Earp.

THE GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL:

The shooting of Fred White by Brocius turned a potentially volatile situation into a blood-feud that would spin out of control in 1881. The Clanton’s and McLaury’s took a dim view of the Earp’s self imposed enforcing of the local laws and started making death threats against the Earp’s.

The Earp’s along with Doc Holliday forced a showdown with the Clanton’s and McLaury’s and in the most famous gunfight in American history, they killed Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, and Billy Clanton. The Cow-Boys were furious and promised revenge. The Cow-Boys struck back by wounding Virgil and killing Morgan Earp in a cowardly ambush attack while Morgan shot billiards.

THE EARP VENDETTA:

It was well known by Wyatt Earp that Curly Bill planned and executed the reprisals against his family. After the maiming of Virgil and the death of Morgan, Wyatt removed his family from Tombstone and sent them to California and planned a vicious campaign of vengeance against “The Cow-Boys.”

Along with Doc Holliday, Turkey Creek Johnson, Texas Jack Vermillion and a few other staunch companions the Earp vengeance posse began a war of extermination on “The Cow-Boys” which included the killing of Frank Stilwell, Indian Charlie, and anyone they saw wearing a red sash.

CURLY BILL MEETS HIS MAKER:

On March 24th Wyatt Earp and his wild band of vigilantes rode through Iron Springs, Arizona and came across a party of “Cow-Boy’s” cooking dinner on the banks of a creek. Immediately Curly Bill recognized Wyatt Earp and drew his weapons and a shootout erupted.

Curly Bill, although caught by surprise, managed to pull his revolver and shoot a hole in Wyatt’s coat. But Wyatt Earp filled with a deadly resolve and a heart filled with rage returned fire with a shotgun blast that struck Curly Bill in the chest.

William “Curly Bill” Brocius was dead at the hands of Wyatt Earp for his part in the assassination of Morgan Earp and with the power of “The Cow-Boy” gang was broken and shattered into a thousand pieces. Curly Bill was in many ways a mysterious figure and many facts are unknown about him except how he lived and how he died.

Learn more about vicious gunfighter CLAY ALLISON < click

For more on Curly Bill visit the below historical links

Tripod .com / Tombstone History

High Chapparral Historic Society.com

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