b"LAWMAN BILLY BREAKENRIDGE WAS LAWIN PHOENIX AND TUCSONBy Bill Roberts Reprinted from The TravelerB ILL BREAKENRIDGE RAN AWAY FROM HIS HOME in Watertown, Wisconsin to join the Union Army and the Civil War. After he mustered out, Breakenridge went west to Denver. He worked at numerous jobs in and around the Colorado frontier town. Looking for fame and fortune, the young veteran joined the Third Colorado Cavalry under Colonel Chivington. During his service under Chivington, he was involved in the infamous Sand Creek Massacre. Leaving the Cavalry, Breakenridge went to work on the railroad as a brakeman on the Southern Pacific. He then became a storekeeper in Sidney, Nebraska. He had found neither fame nor fortune to this point.TO ARIZONA TERRITORY HUNTING DOWN TWO ROBBERS Billy Grounds peeking out to see where the lawmen In 1878, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona Territory andAbout a year later, Breakenridge and two otherwere. The double blast from the shotgun blew Billy took a job as deputy sheriff for Maricopa County.lawmen were tracking Billy Grounds and Zwingall the way across the cabin, where he died within While in Phoenix, he helped pioneer CharlesHunt, two men who had pulled off a robbery atminutes. Hunt, seeing Grounds mortally wounded on Genung search along the trail from Wickenburg toCharleston, Arizona Territory. Breakenridge hadthe floor, ran out the cabins back door. Breakenridge Phoenix for the missing Martin family who had leftlocated the outlaws holed up at a small ranch someran after him. Breakenridge fired four shots at Hunt, their home near rich hill and set out for Phoenix10 miles outside of Tombstone. The three lawmen hidhitting him in the back, and bringing him down.several weeks earlier. their horses and surrounded the ranches' small cabin. TO RANCHING BRIEFLYBreakenridge and Genung were just about toOne of the lawmen, John Gillespie, walked up to theIn 1884, Breakenridge gave up his deputys job and the site where the Martins had been murderedfront door of the cabin and demanded that Huntstarted ranching. After losing money for a couple when Wickenburg Rancher Brill and his foremanand Grounds surrender. The two outlaws flung theof years, he went back into law enforcement and found their burned out wagon and their remains.front door open and gunned Gillespie down. At thatbecame a deputy U.S. Marshal. That move got him Breakenridge moved from Phoenix to Tombstone forpoint, a ranch hand that had been held inside theinvolved in a case in 1889 where Major Joseph a job as deputy under Sheriff John Behan. cabin by Hunt and Grounds fled the cabin throughWham and a group of soldiers were attacked by a the front door, yelling he had nothing to do withdozen outlaws, near Fort Thomas while carrying a SALOON ENCOUNTER the two outlaws. Grounds cut him down before he$29,000 payroll.On May 25, 1881, Breakenridge walked into acould get to safety. The two lawmen remaining and Tombstone saloon. Two gunmen, William CurlyBreakenridge then opened up on the cabin. A fullThe outlaws wounded more than half the soldiers and Bill Brocius and Jim Wallace were drinking in thescale gun battle erupted. Hunt and Grounds leveleddrove off the rest. Then the gang simply rode off with place. Wallace spotted the star on Breakenridges chestsome deadly accurate shots at the lawmen. Duringthe payroll, all $29,000 of it. Marshall Breakenridge and immediately challenged the lawman to a duel.the battle, they managed to wound the two deputieslead a posse and rounded up various suspects in the Breakenridge waved Wallace off and offered to buy thewith Breakenridge. When the shooting subsided,case who were later charged with the brazen robbery. house a drink. Curly Bill then tried to pick a fightBreakenridge made his way to the cabin with a loadedMost of them were Mormons with high political with the deputy. Breakenridge just ignored Curly,shotgun, positioning himself near the front door. connections. They were defended by famed attorney walked out of the saloon and got on his horse. ThatMarcus Aurelius Smith.really infuriated the gunman, so he mounted his horseBLAST THROUGH THE DOORand followed Breakenridge down the street shoutingHe waited quietly for the two outlaws to showMajor Wham and his soldiers were unable to identify a tirade of verbal abuse and threats at the lawman.themselves. Suddenly, through the cracks in the frontany of the defendants in court and all were acquitted. Finally Breakenridge figured he had had enough ofdoor, he saw some movement inside the cabin. TheBreakenridge made no secret that political pressure Curly Bills abuse. The lawman halted his horse, pulledlawmen leveled his shotgun at the door and firedfrom the acting governor of the territory allowed the his pistol and shut Curly up with one shot. The bulletboth barrels through the plank door. The movementmen to escape punishment.entered Curly Bills neck and exited through his rightBreakenridge had seen through the cracks had been cheek, taking two teeth with it.44 January 2023"