b'ONE LYNCHED, FIVE HUNGFOR 1883 HOLDUPBy Bill Roberts Reprinted from The TravelerI N THE EARLY DAYS OF ARIZONA TERRITORY, before the turn of the century, it was apparent to many pioneers of this, the Last Frontier that some fellows who drifted around the mining camps were just plain destined for the end of a rope. So it was with the John Heath bunch, all six of them.Photo courtesy of the William Ellis collection of Williams, ArizonaJohn Heath was a young man, handsome for anwho had checked into a Clifton hotel. The men took outlaw. His cronies were not necessarily young ora walk around town after dinner and a couple of handsome. They included Dan Dowd, Alias BigHeaths men held them up. Trouble was, one of the Dan; C.W. Sample, alias Big Red; James Howard,victims had a hidden gun, which he used to shoot Bill Delaney, and Dan Kelly, alias Morky. Theyone of the bandits. were known as rustlers, rowdy and ruthless around Southern Arizona Territory. They had been seenThe two men got away. The wounded hood was taken in Bonita and Maxy. And they made quite a splashto the back of a saloon. The gang swore that if their around and in Clifton, where they would brazenlycomrade died, they would kill the spotter for giving hold someone up on the road in broad daylight,them bad information. The wounded bandit died take what money the man might have, take him atthe next day at about 11 a.m. one of the Heath gangJohn Heath, right, and an unknowngunpoint to a saloon, and buy everyone in the place awalked out of the death room, found the spotterfriend, 1880drink, including their hapless victim. about where the present-day town hall is in Clifton, and shot him down. Gamblers in the various saloons acted as spotters forthe posse that had formed to hunt down the gang. the Heath gang. They were told to inform the gang ofRun Out of Town Another posse, formed in Tombstone by Sheriff Ward anyone who had money but lacked a gun on his belt.That cold-blooded act angered the citizens ofof Cochise County, headed for Bisbee to join the One day a spotter told them of two railroad menClifton, who vowed to run the Heath bunch outchase. The gang went into the Chiricahua Mountains of town. Graham County Sheriff George Stevensand split up with the $700 take from the store. organized a posse. Heath and his bunch left town and headed for Bisbee. They decided to hold up theJames Howard and C. W. Sample or Big Red company store. returned to Clifton. There, they told a dance hall girl what had happened and where they were going to It was early December 1883. Two of the ganghide. They gave the Bisbee store managers watch to a entered the store. They robbed the safe of cashbartender. The dance hall girl and the bartender told and other valuables. They took the managersDeputy George Olney. He got John Hovey and several gold watch. While this action was going on, threeMexicans and set out after the pair, capturing both other members of the gang stood outside the storealong the Blue River. The pair were jailed in Clifton.shooting to keep townsfolk off the streets. Annie Roberts was standing outside the restaurant sheRun Down In Mexicoowned when one of the slugs dropped her. JohnThe Bisbee posse was still chasing the rest of the Trapiner ran to get out of range and was cut downgang. Heath, one of the posse, was doing all he could by another slug.to throw the posse off the trail. One of the posse recognized him, however, as being one of the gang A deputy from New Mexico had just arrived inthat held up the store. He was arrested and rushed to Bisbee and was tying up his team when he heard theTombstone and the county jail. shooting. The deputy, D.T. Smith, walked toward the men firing and asked them to stop the racket. One ofBig Dan Dowd made it as far as Chihuahua, Mexico the gang asked Smith who he thought he was. Smithbefore being arrested. Delany was nailed at Minas replied he was a lawman. He was shot where he stood.Prietas, Sonora. Dan Kelly was arrested on a Southern Another man named Nally was wounded in thePacific train after it left Lordsburg, New Mexico for shooting, but he lived. El Paso. The entire bunch eventually joined Heath in the Cochise County Jail at Tombstone. All but Heath The gang mounted and rode off. John Heath thenwere tried together before D.H. Pinney, convicted and gave his partners the slip, doubled back, and joinedsentenced to be hanged on March 28.36 August 2021'