Killing of Frank Stilwell

Frank C. Stilwell (1856–March 20, 1882) was a complex figure in the American Old West, known as an outlaw, sometime deputy sheriff, and businessman in Arizona Territory. Born in Iowa, Stilwell moved with his family to Kansas Territory along the Santa Fe Trail. After his parents’ divorce in 1863, he was raised by his father, a Union Army veteran who participated in Sherman’s March to the Sea. Stilwell’s early life was marked by frontier instability, which shaped his later path as a man entangled in violence and crime.

By 1877, Stilwell had arrived in Arizona with his brother Simpson Everett “Comanche Jack” Stilwell, a noted Indian fighter and scout who took a more honorable path. Frank, however, became associated with the notorious Cochise County Cowboys, a loosely organized group involved in cattle rustling and other illicit activities. He worked as a teamster, miner, and entrepreneur, owning interests in mines, a saloon, a wholesale liquor business, a stage line, and livery stables in Charleston and Bisbee. He also partnered with ex-Texas Ranger Pete Spence in a Bisbee saloon.

Stilwell’s criminal record began to take shape in 1877 when he shot and killed Jesus Bega near Miller’s Ranch in Prescott, Arizona, after an argument over Bega serving tea instead of coffee. He was acquitted on grounds of self-defense. In 1879, Stilwell was charged with the murder of Col. John Van Houten in a dispute over claim-jumping in Pima County. Van Houten was beaten to death with a rock, but Stilwell and co-defendant James Cassidy escaped indictment due to insufficient evidence. These incidents established Stilwell’s reputation as a violent man, though he avoided legal consequences.

In 1881, Stilwell briefly served as a deputy sheriff under Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan, a key figure in the escalating feud with the Earp brothers—Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan—and their ally, Doc Holliday. Stilwell’s association with Behan and the Cowboys placed him in direct conflict with the Earps, who represented law enforcement and opposed the Cowboys’ criminal activities. Stilwell was also implicated in the September 8, 1881, Bisbee stage robbery alongside Pete Spence, though both were acquitted due to lack of evidence. This event further strained relations with the Earps, particularly after Wyatt, acting as a deputy U.S. marshal, arrested Stilwell and Spence.

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Its Aftermath

The tensions between the Earps and the Cowboys culminated in the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona. Although Stilwell was not present at the gunfight (he was in jail in Tucson at the time), his close ties to the Cowboys, including Ike Clanton and the McLaury brothers, made him a suspect in subsequent events. The shootout left three Cowboys—Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton—dead, intensifying the feud.

Following the gunfight, threats against the Earps escalated. Cowboy Frank McLaury warned Morgan Earp that the McLaurys would kill the Earps if they attempted further arrests of Stilwell, Spence, or their allies. The Tombstone Epitaph reported “veiled threats” against the Earps, fueled by misreports that Stilwell and Spence had been arrested for a separate stage robbery near Contention City, which added to perceptions that they were being unfairly targeted.

On December 28, 1881, Virgil Earp was ambushed and severely wounded, losing the use of his left arm. The Earps suspected Cowboy involvement, including Stilwell. Then, on March 18, 1882, Morgan Earp was assassinated while playing billiards in Tombstone. Shot through a window, he died within an hour. A coroner’s inquest, led by Dr. H. M. Mathews, named Stilwell, Pete Spence, Indian Charlie, Frederick Bode, and an unnamed “half-breed” as suspects, based partly on testimony from Spence’s wife, Marietta Duarte, who said the group returned home an hour after the shooting and that Spence threatened her to remain silent. Despite the suspicions, there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Stilwell or the others.

The Killing of Frank Stilwell

The assassination of Morgan Earp set the stage for Wyatt Earp’s vendetta, a campaign to exact revenge on those he believed responsible. On March 20, 1882, Wyatt, his brother Warren, Doc Holliday, Sherman McMaster, and “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson escorted the crippled Virgil Earp and his wife, Allie, to Tucson to board a train for California, where they could find safety. The group traveled by buckboard to Contention City, then by train to Benson, and finally to Tucson, arriving at dusk. Tucson was celebrating the activation of its first gaslights, and the festive atmosphere was punctuated by celebratory gunfire, which masked the violence about to unfold.

According to Wyatt Earp’s later accounts, he received word—likely via telegraph in Benson—that Stilwell and Ike Clanton were in Tucson, possibly planning to ambush the Earps. Clanton later claimed they were at the train station to meet a witness, McDowell, for a grand jury hearing, but Wyatt believed they were armed and waiting to attack Virgil. As the train approached the Tucson Southern Pacific Depot, near the Porter Hotel (later renamed the San Xavier Hotel), Wyatt’s posse spotted Stilwell and Clanton on a flatcar in the train yard, allegedly armed with shotguns under their coats.

What followed was a chaotic and brutal encounter. As the Earp party confronted Stilwell and Clanton, both men fled. Stilwell, running in the dark train yard, dropped his weapon and stumbled. Wyatt pursued him and, according to his 1926 account with John H. Flood, caught up to Stilwell, who tried to fend off Wyatt’s shotgun with his hands. Wyatt fired both barrels at close range, striking Stilwell under the ribs. The coroner’s report detailed a gruesome scene: Stilwell’s body, found the next morning 100 yards north of the station, was riddled with two rounds of buckshot (one in the leg, one in the chest with powder burns) and four additional bullet wounds, suggesting multiple shooters. Wyatt later claimed Stilwell’s last words were “Morg! Morg!,” possibly referencing Morgan Earp. Other accounts, including Virgil’s March 1882 interview with the Arizona Daily Star, alleged Stilwell confessed to Morgan’s murder before dying, naming his accomplices. However, the reliability of this confession is debated, as it aligns with the Earps’ narrative.

The Arizona Daily Star on March 22, 1882, condemned the killing as an act of “desperadoes” seeking vengeance, noting its boldness in a busy depot and suggesting Stilwell was targeted as a friend of Ike Clanton, whom the Earps may have initially sought. The Tombstone Epitaph and other newspapers reported the coroner’s jury verdict that Stilwell died from shots fired by Wyatt Earp, Warren Earp, Doc Holliday, and others. The severity of Stilwell’s wounds—described as “the worst shot-up man” some had ever seen—underscored the vengeful nature of the attack.

Aftermath and Legal Consequences

The killing of Stilwell marked the beginning of the Earp Vendetta Ride, a series of retaliatory killings targeting suspected Cowboys. Arrest warrants were issued by Pima County Sheriff Bob Paul for Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Warren Earp, Sherman McMaster, and Jack Johnson, and a grand jury indicted them for murder. However, Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan, a Cowboy ally, did not serve the warrants when he had the chance, possibly intimidated by Wyatt’s armed posse. Wyatt initially agreed to turn himself in but instead fled to Colorado, where he and his men evaded prosecution.

Stilwell’s body was buried in Tucson’s old cemetery with, according to some reports, only Ike Clanton as a mourner. His brother, Comanche Jack, traveled to Tombstone seeking revenge but left without confronting the Earps. The killing fueled public outrage, with newspapers like the Arizona Weekly Citizen decrying the lawlessness of the Earps’ actions, though some viewed it as frontier justice.

Historical Significance and Legacy

The killing of Frank Stilwell is a pivotal moment in the lore of the American West, epitomizing the violent feuds and blurred lines between law and vengeance in Arizona Territory. It is commemorated by life-sized statues of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday at the site of the former Tucson Southern Pacific Depot, now part of the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, which offers tours of the historic site. The original depot and Porter Hotel were destroyed by fire and demolition in the early 20th century.

Stilwell’s life and death have been depicted in popular culture, notably in the 1993 film Tombstone (played by Tomas Arana) and the 1994 film Wyatt Earp (played by John Dennis Johnston). He also appeared in Season 5 of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (played by John Baxter). A fictionalized version of Stilwell, spelled “Stillwell,” is the antagonist in Disney’s 1975 film The Apple Dumpling Gang, loosely inspired by the historical figure.

Stilwell’s story reflects the duality of the frontier: a man who was both a businessman and an outlaw, caught in a deadly conflict between rival factions. While the Earps framed his killing as retribution for Morgan’s murder, critics argue it was an extrajudicial execution, highlighting the lawlessness of the era. The lack of definitive evidence against Stilwell for Morgan’s murder leaves open questions about the justice of his death, making it a subject of ongoing debate among historians.

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Sources

• Wikipedia: Frank Stilwell
• Legends of America: Frank C. Stilwell
• Destination4x4: Frank Stilwell
• HistoryNet: The Stilwell Shooting Near the Tucson Depot
• True West Magazine: Blood on the Tracks