b'Bandits continued from page 19Two masked men came out of the brush. TheySo it went, in the late 1870s around Tucson, with ordered Felix LeBlanc, who had replaced Red Jack asstage after stage. Bill Brazelton didnt drink or gamble. a passenger at the Riverside station, to get out of theHe spent little money. He just robbed stages for coach. They forced LeBlanc to help Humphrey getthe excitement and enjoyment of relieving wealthy the heavy express box down from the boot and breakpassengers of their money. He had but one confidant, it open. The bandits took $2000 in silver and a largea man at a livery stable who knew when wealthy quantity of gold from the box, packed the loot on onepassengers were going to be on a particular stage. of the stage horses and rode off. Some werent wealthy. One of Bills victims was a newspaperman. He had but $10 on him. Bill gave him The body of Johnnie Collins was brought into Florenceback $5 saying it might be needed. the next morning. Sheriff Doran and under-Sheriff Scanlon set out for the scene. The tracks led from theSheriffs deputies finally learned of the groom that was scene down the San Pedro River road to Dudleyville,Bills lone confidant. They hung the man up by his heels where the lawmen learned Red Jack had ridden throughuntil he agreed to take them to the place where he met on a hired horse, heading for the Redfield Ranch. Theywith Brazelton. The man insisted that the deputies kill also learned that two men rode through DudleyvilleBrazelton or Bill would surely kill him for betraying early Saturday morning at a full gallop with guns drawn.him. Bill and his confidant met in a deep mountain On down the road at Mesaville they learned that Lengorge overgrown with trees. Sheriff Shibell and his Redfield and Frank Carpenter had met Red Jack andfive-man posse lay down behind a fallen tree to await furnished him with a fresh horse. Carpenter then wentBrazeltons arrival.into Mesaville on foot. The posse soon tracked the pair to the Redfield Ranch. There they found Joe Tuttle, LenFinally, a lone horse appeared through the timber and Redfield, and several other tough-looking men. Whenrode out into a small clearing. A revolver gleamed in the the posse searched the house, they found a U.S. Mailhorsemans right hand. A Winchester rested across his sack, the shotgun that killed Collins, and some $1,000Bill Brazelton lap. The sheriff issued his command and six rifles fired in $20 gold pieces. The pair of saddlebags lost by thealmost simultaneously. The lone highwayman threw his robbers at the scene was identified as Len Redfields.right hand, driven by pain and instinct, into the air in It was a little after this time that a lone highwaymana vain attempt to shoot. He then fell to the ground, his Tuttle, Redfield and Frank Carpenter were arrested andbegan holding up stages in southern Arizona. Peopleblood flowing from six large holes in his body. There taken to Florence to jail. U.S. Marshal Evans and severalstarted to remember Bill Brazelton as a young man whowas a $5000 reward on Bill Brazeltons head. Territorial deputies soon arrived from Phoenix with a writ issuedworked in a livery stable in Tucson. When he wasntGovernor Hoyt was notified and the governor sent by Associate Justice Pinney to move the prisoners toworking, he was practicing with his handgun. Onetelegrams throughout the territory informing all that Bill Phoenix for their own protection. One of Redfieldsold-timer recalled that the young Brazelton got so heBrazelton was dead.relatives was with the marshal. could turn a somersault with a gun in hand and when he came upright he could shoot a half dollar every timeBills body was taken into Tucson. The next morning it The citizens of Florence quickly organized a justicefrom 25 yards away. was propped up against an adobe wall and photographs committee and refused to honor Pinneys writ. Theywere taken. How many stages Bill robbed was not closed all the businesses, armed themselves and marchedA lone stage robber had been terrorizing the stage roadsknown. Some undoubtedly were blamed on him that 100 strong to the jail. Tuttle had confessed that he andin the Tucson area for a couple of years when a stage setactually was the work of copycat bandits. Bill never shot a Charles Hensley had been the holdup men and thatout from Tucson one day carrying seven men all heavilyor endangered the drivers or passengers. He merely took Redfield and Red Jack were the masterminds of the crime.armed. They had heard of the lone highwaymen andwhat they had, making off with their wealth with a glow Thats all the Florence citizens committee needed. Theyplanned to deal with him. Brazelton, somehow, heard ofof satisfaction. He lived alone, worked alone and claimed went into the jail, took Tuttle and Redfield from their cells,them as well. He took a position on the stage road someonly one man, a livery stable groom, as a friend. That and hung them from the ceiling joist in the hallway. 20 miles outside of Tucson. About 11 am he heard theman betrayed him and sent him to his grave. stage approach. The driver and passengers could not see Red Jack and Hensley were still at large. Some two monthsBrazelton. He had taken later they were reported near Willcox. The Southerna position just over the Pacific made a special engine and cars available to Sheriffbrow of a hill. He satOn the evening of August 10th, Red Jack Paul of Tucson and his posse. On October 3, 1883, thethere on his horse, hiswas there when a heavy express box posse left the train at Willcox and rode to a freightersrifle leveled until the camp where Red Jack and Hensley had holed up. Thestage came over thewas loaded into the boot of the Globe posse surrounded the camp. A shootout followed andhill. Suddenly, both the Red Jack was killed. Hensley was wounded but manageddriver and passengersstage. Red Jack paid passage and loaded to escape. The next day, Hensley was found in a gulchwere looking down thehimself, his saddle and bridle for the trip. 10 miles west of Willcox. Though wounded he was stillbarrel of Bills rifle. They full of fight. In the gun battle that erupted, Sheriff Paulsknew at once what thatWhen the stage approachedhorse was shot from under him. Finally the lawman killedmeant. He was one ofRiverside Station at the Gila River Hensley. The tally ended with four highwaymen dead inthe deadliest shots in payment for the life of Johnnie Collins. the territory.crossing, Red Jack began to singLone Stage Robber of Tucson Bill ordered them not toloudly. Two men rode out of aHis name was Bill Brazelton. He was a latecomer tomove a hand. None did.mesquite thicket, circled thestage robbing. He didnt get into the profession untilTheir pistols remainedRiverside station and rodehe was nearly 50 years old. Brazelton was from Tucson.holstered at their sides, He did, however, show his face once in Prescott. Intheir rifles remained onon up the roadthe summer of 1876, William Brazelton placed anthe coach floor. Theyto Globe.ad in the Prescott paper. It was for a show on theknew one motion meant courthouse plaza. The show had many wonderfuldeath. He ordered them features, according to the ad, but the main attractionto get out of the coach would be Brazelton himself, swallowing a wagon wheel.and lay down their arms slowly. They did. On the day of the show, Brazelton was at the entranceHe ordered them to give up all their money collecting admission money himself. He then told theand valuables. They did that too, piling audience he had to go rustle up the rest of his troupe.some $12,000 worth of cash and property in The crowd waited patiently and then became impatient.the road. Bill then ordered them back in the Brazelton never returned. Nor did his troupe if therecoach and ordered the driver to drive on.ever was one. 20 December 2019'