b'THE PIOUS DEACON WAS AKILLER FOR HIREBy Bill Roberts Reprinted from The TravelerS OME CALLED HIM DEACON JIM. Others knew him as a killer. Some lawmen suspected him of murdering Pat Garrett. Jim Miller presented a carefully studied contradictory image that all added up to a pious killer for hire. He got away with it, carefully playing a role as the deeply religious churchgoer in the small towns of Texas and New Mexico, and even Oklahoma. Miller wore black most of the time to give him the appearance of a preacher and doing good deeds for fellow church members. At the same time, he was known to hire his gun out for anywhere from $150 to $2000 to send men to their maker, which basically was his only means of making a living. Miller usually killed from ambush.STARTED YOUNG border for a couple of years. He later bragged of killing aFrazer refused to heed his brother-in-laws advice since Jims career as a killer started early, at the age of eight.number of Mexican citizens along the border, but there isthere was no hard evidence that Miller was involved in He was born in Arkansas in 1866. Orphaned at an earlyno record of how many fell to Millers guns in this then-rustling. In a few weeks, Riggs had evidence. Miller had age, he was sent to live with his grandparents in Coreyelllawless region. gunned down and killed a Mexican prisoner the deputy County, Texas. When his grandparents were murdered, theclaimed was trying to escape. Riggs found out that the eight-year-old Jim Miller was charged with the crime. ThePecos, Texas attracted his blood scent in 1891. MillerMexican knew where Deacon Jim had hidden a couple of year was 1874. He was never tried, due to his tender age.hired on as a deputy to Sheriff Bud Frazer. Deaconstolen mules and Miller murdered him to keep him quiet. Instead, he was sent to live with his sister and brother-in- Jim immediately settled into his old pattern. He neitherRiggs even gave Frazer directions on how to get to the law, John Coop. smoked nor drank two traits that immediately endearedstolen mules Miller had hidden. Frazer went to investigate, him to the congregation of a Pecos church he joined. Hisfound the mules, and fired Miller.Ten years later, in 1884, John Coop was asleep on his frontblack broadcloth clothes, black Stetson, and black boots porch early one evening. A shotgun roared in the night andconvinced his fellow parishioners that he had indeedTHE DEACON RUNS FOR SHERIFFCoop was killed instantly. His killer galloped off into theforgone pursuing the riches of life in service to the Lord.Miller, furious at Frazer for firing him, ran against the night. Miller had not yet turned 18. He was arrested, tried,sheriff in the election of 1892. Not deterred, Miller, with and convicted of Coops murder. Miller had an alibi. HeHe married Sallie Clemens, who came to town to catch upthe support of his congregation, managed to get the office claimed he was at a church camp meeting the night Coopwith Jim. Sallie and her brother, Little Mannen Clemens,of city marshal. Marshal Deacon Jim began hiring gunmen was killed. He tried to use a young lady who was with him athad known Jim when he was riding for Mannen Sr. Littleto help him enforce law and order in Pecos. He hired the church affair. But she testified that while Miller had beenMannen was known to be just as violent as his father, if notLittle Mannen. He hired a member of John Wesley Hardins at the camp meeting, he had left her and did not return untilmore so, and the good folks of Pecos soon found they hadfamily and he hired several others with long reputations as the services had ended. yet another deputy after Miller got Sheriff Frazer to pin aoutlaws and gunmen. Frazer was out of town at the time.deputys badge on his new brother-in-law. Some in Pecos Jims own reputation for a vile temper and oft-spoken hatewere troubled by this buildup in the force of lawmen at theBy the end of 1892, Miller had a cold steel grip on Pecos. for Jim Cooper did him in with the court. The jury gavesame time rustling and horse stealing was mushroomingLaw-abiding citizens were afraid to come out of their him a life sentence in the penitentiary. The sentence wasthrough the Pecos River Valley. They wondered if Frazershomes. Millers gang was running the town and by May overturned on appeal and was never retried. Miller hadhard-bitten deputies were doing their job. Miller seemed1893, word had spread and criminals had simply taken over again simply gotten away with murder. Miller wandered intoto be out of town most of the time, on the trail of rustlers.Pecos. Some citizens sent Frazer a telegram and he headed San Saba County and then landed in McCulloch County.Problem was, he never caught any. Often Little Mannenhome. Miller had planned an ambush for Frazer at the train He was keeping bad company. Someone introduced himwould join him in tracking the rustlers. Frazer was comingdepot. The plan didnt come off. Frazer got off the train to Emmanuel Mannen Clemens, one of four murderousunder more and more criticism. flanked by Texas Rangers. The sheriff had been tipped to the Clemens brothers who had quite a reputation in the day.ambush plan. With the backup of Frazer and the Rangers, Miller went to work for Clemens, who was a cousin of theMILLER FIRED Miller was sacked as the Pecos town marshal.famed Texas outlaw John Wesley Hardin. Frazers brother-in-law, Barney Riggs, suggested to the sheriff that the first thing he might do to slow theINTO HOTEL BUSINESSANOTHER SHOTGUN AMBUSH criticism could be to fire Miller. Miller became aware ofMiller opened a hotel in Pecos, which his cronies Millers mentor Mannen Clemens was killed in Ballinger,the suspicions that he and Little Mannen were responsibleimmediately made their headquarters. With the help Texas saloon in 1887. He was gunned down by famedfor the outbreak of rustling in the valley since the two hadof the gunslingers who flocked with him, Millers reach Texas lawman Joe Townsend. Townsend was then citycome to town. He just ignored those who were accusingbecame long. In 1894, the man who had tipped Frazer to marshal of Ballinger. The famed lawman was riding homehimin particular Barney Riggs. the ambush plot Miller had set for him at the train depot in one night after killing Clemens when a shotgun roaredPecos, Con Gibson, was murdered in New Mexico. Frazer in the night. Townsend was blown out of his saddle butRiggs wasnt the type of man Miller was known to face down.was angered by his friend Gibsons murder. He finally survived, the shotgun blast having ripped his arm toThe sheriffs brother-in-law was also known to kill. He haddecided he had enough. shreds, resulting in amputation. received a life sentence in Yuma Territorial Prison for killing a man who was pursuing a woman that Riggs was courtingFrazer went down the street to the front of Millers hotel Many in Ballinger suspected Miller of the ambush. Millerat the time. Riggs had been pardoned in 1887 for saving theand waited. When Miller emerged, Frazer shouted, Miller, decided to leave Ballinger for a healthier climate. He rodewarden at Yuma from two cons who attacked the wardenyou are a thief and murderer. Here is one for Con Gibson. into southeast New Mexico and the areas along the Mexicanduring an escape attempt. Riggs killed both of the men. Frazer drew his revolver and fired. One well-aimed slug continued on page 18ArizonaRealCountry.com March 2023 17'