Warner Elmore Scott (1865–1950) was a Kentucky native from a horse farming family who became entangled in his brother Walter “Death Valley Scotty” Scott’s infamous 1906 staged “Battle” of Wingate Pass, a hoax to deceive gold mine investors.
Early Life
Warner Elmore Scott was born in 1865 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, into a family deeply rooted in the region’s horse farming and harness racing traditions. He was the son of George E. Scott, a horse breeder, and Anna Calhoun (though some records list his mother as Elizabeth Perry, likely due to genealogical discrepancies). Warner was one of at least six children in the Scott family, which included his younger brother Walter Edward Perry Scott (born September 20, 1872), who would later become famously known as “Death Valley Scotty.” Other siblings included brothers Bill (possibly William), Lynn, and George, making Walter the youngest. The family traveled extensively along the harness racing circuit during Warner’s childhood, exposing him to a nomadic lifestyle from an early age.
As a young man, Warner ventured west to seek opportunities in the American frontier. By the early 1880s, he had settled in Nevada, where he worked as a cowhand on the ranch of John Sparks, a prominent cattleman who later became the governor of Nevada (serving from 1903 to 1908). Warner’s brother Bill joined him there, and the two established themselves in the rugged ranching life near Wells, Nevada. This move westward was emblematic of the era’s migration patterns, driven by the promise of land, work, and adventure in the expanding American West. In 1883, at the age of 11, their youngest brother Walter ran away from home in Kentucky to join them, marking the beginning of a lifelong, albeit tumultuous, familial bond. Walter’s arrival led to his first job as a water boy for a survey party on the California-Nevada border, but the brothers’ shared experiences in Nevada laid the foundation for their future entanglements.
Warner’s early career focused on ranching and related labor, including stints as a teamster hauling goods across the arid landscapes of Nevada and California. These roles honed his skills in survival and horsemanship, qualities that would later prove useful in the harsh environment of Death Valley. Little is documented about Warner’s personal life during this period, such as any marriages or children, suggesting he led a relatively private existence compared to his more flamboyant brother. Historical records portray him as a steady, if opportunistic, figure who occasionally collaborated with Walter on ventures that blurred the lines between legitimate prospecting and outright schemes.
Involvement with Death Valley Scotty and the Mining Schemes
Warner’s life became inextricably linked to his brother’s rising notoriety in the early 20th century. Walter Scott, after years as a performer in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show and various odd jobs, reinvented himself as “Death Valley Scotty,” a charismatic prospector who claimed to have discovered a fabulously rich gold mine in California’s Death Valley. This persona was largely a fabrication, designed to attract investors through tall tales and publicity stunts. Warner, with his Western experience, became involved in these escapades, serving as both a supporter and, at times, a reluctant participant.
By 1905, Walter had secured investments from prominent figures, including Chicago millionaire Albert Mussey Johnson and banker Edward A. Shedd, who contributed $2,500 for a stake in the supposed mine. When suspicions arose due to the lack of returns, the investors demanded an inspection. Walter, fearing exposure, orchestrated an elaborate hoax to deter them: a staged “ambush” in the remote Wingate Pass area of Death Valley. Warner played a key role in this plan, ostensibly working for Walter but secretly spying for the investors’ side, providing intelligence on the expedition’s progress.
The infamous “Battle of Wingate Pass” unfolded on February 25, 1906, near the California-Nevada border. Walter’s party, which included Warner, mining engineer Daniel E. Owen (representing the investors), Albert Johnson, and others, set out from Daggett, California, with wagons, mules, and supplies. Walter had arranged for accomplices— including Bill Keys, Jack Brody, and Bob Belt—to simulate an attack by “claim jumpers” to scare off the inspectors and preserve the myth of the mine’s dangers. As the group approached Wingate Pass, shots rang out from behind stone breastworks on a nearby cliff. Chaos ensued when Bob Belt, reportedly intoxicated, fired errantly and struck Warner in the groin (some accounts also mention a shoulder wound). The injury was severe, causing significant bleeding and pain.
Walter, in a panic, galloped toward the “ambushers” yelling for them to cease fire, inadvertently revealing the stunt’s fraudulent nature to Owen and the others. The party hastily retreated to Lone Willow Spring and then Daggett, where Warner received initial medical attention before being transported by train to Los Angeles on March 1, 1906, for further treatment under Dr. C.W. Lawton. Remarkably, Warner survived the ordeal, though the wound left him with lasting physical consequences.
The incident had immediate repercussions. Investor Daniel Owen reported the “attack” to the San Bernardino County sheriff, leading to arrest warrants for Walter, Bill Keys, and Jack Brody on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Walter evaded serious prosecution by cleverly exploiting a jurisdictional loophole: he had secretly moved the Inyo-San Bernardino county boundary marker six miles south, placing the site in Inyo County, where authorities showed little interest in pursuing the case. Walter spent several months in jail on related charges but ultimately confessed to fraud in a 1912 Los Angeles courtroom.
Warner’s response to the shooting further strained family ties. On April 7, 1906, he filed a $152,000 damage suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Walter, Bill Scott, Bill Keys, A.Y. Pearl, and an unnamed “John Doe.” He later dropped the suit on the condition that Walter cover his medical bills, which exceeded $1,000. Walter agreed but failed to pay, resulting in a court judgment against him that went unenforced due to his lack of assets.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Wingate Pass fiasco, Warner largely faded from public view, returning to a quieter existence. Historical records suggest he remained in the Western United States, possibly continuing ranching or other labor in Nevada or California, but details are sparse. Unlike his brother, who continued to captivate the public with stunts—like his record-breaking 1905 train ride from Los Angeles to Chicago funded by ill-gotten gains—Warner avoided the spotlight. He outlived much of the drama surrounding Death Valley Scotty’s legends, passing away in 1950 at the age of 85. His burial details are not well-documented, though family memorials link him to the Scott lineage.
Warner’s legacy is primarily preserved through his association with Death Valley Scotty. The Wingate Pass incident became a cornerstone of Scotty’s mythology, illustrating the lengths to which the brothers went in their cons. It also highlighted the era’s Wild West ethos, where fraud, gunplay, and frontier justice intertwined. Interestingly, some historical newspaper accounts from the time refer to him as “Warren Scott,” likely a typographical error or variant spelling, as seen in a 1906 Carson Daily Appeal report. This discrepancy underscores the challenges in documenting lesser-known figures from the period.
Despite his limited fame, Warner Elmore Scott embodies the supporting cast in the grand tale of American prospecting lore. His life reflects the hardships and opportunism of the late 19th and early 20th-century West, forever tied to the enigmatic figure of Death Valley Scotty and the enduring allure of hidden gold in the desert.
