Delving into the tumultuous annals of the American Frontier, we uncover a fascinating roster of individuals whose names, often synonymous with lawlessness and daring, begin with the letter ‘B’. From hardened cattle rustlers to infamous gang leaders and cold-blooded killers, these Old West Outlaws starting with ‘B’ carved their legacies into the rugged landscape. This comprehensive guide explores the lives and crimes of some of the most compelling and dangerous figures, shedding light on their impact during a brutal and unforgiving era. Prepare to journey through tales of ambition, betrayal, and relentless pursuit as we introduce you to these pivotal Old West outlaws.
The Baca Family: A New Mexico Legacy of Crime and Retribution
The New Mexico Territory, a hotbed of lawlessness in the late 19th century, was home to several notable figures bearing the surname Baca. Their stories are often intertwined with violence and a stark justice system.
The Baca Brothers: A Violent Partnership
The Baca brothers—Abran, Antonio, and Onofre—gained notoriety for the brutal murder of Anthony Conklin in Socorro, New Mexico, in 1880. This crime set off a chain of events demonstrating the harsh realities of frontier justice.
- Abran Baca: After the murder of Anthony Conklin, Abran Baca was swiftly apprehended. His fate, however, was sealed not by the courts but by a community enraged by the crime and perceived judicial leniency. While awaiting trial, he was tragically lynched by a vigilante committee, a testament to the public’s impatience with formal legal processes.
- Antonio Baca: Also involved in Conklin’s murder, Antonio Baca was captured alongside his brother. His attempt to escape from jail on December 29, 1880, proved fatal, as authorities killed him during the escape bid.
- Onofre Baca: Despite his involvement in the same heinous crime, Onofre Baca’s legal journey took a different turn. He faced trial for Conklin’s murder and was ultimately acquitted in 1881, a verdict that undoubtedly fueled the vigilante action against his brother Abran.
Other Notable Baca Outlaws
The Baca name continued to appear in the records of New Mexico’s criminal underworld:
- Celso Baca: A murderer infamous for beating Jose de la Cruz Sandoval to death in 1884 near Santa Rosa, New Mexico.
- Cruz Baca: Responsible for the murder of W.H. Allen in Hillsboro, New Mexico, in February 1887, adding another grim chapter to the family’s violent association.
- Jose Baca: A persistent offender, Jose Baca was imprisoned for the fifth time on November 19, 1906, highlighting a life marked by repeated encounters with the law.
- Manuel Baca: A member of Vicente Silva’s notorious White Caps Gang in the 1890s, Manuel held a chilling role as the “Judge,” responsible for ordering the execution of members deemed disloyal. This period reflects the intricate web of organized crime and vigilante justice in the territory.
- Patricio Baca (18??-1875): Recognized as one of northern New Mexico Territory’s most notorious horse thieves, Patricio Baca’s criminal career came to an end in December 1875 when he was killed in Chimayo.
Bold and Brazen: Texas and Oklahoma’s Infamous Outlaws
The vast plains of Texas and the rugged territories of Oklahoma fostered a breed of outlaws who became legends in their own right, from lone rustlers to members of formidable gangs.
Cattle Rustlers and Lone Wolves
- John Bailey: A notorious cattle rustler in Texas, John Bailey’s illicit career was cut short on July 29, 1884, when Texas Ranger P.E. Baird shot and killed him in Edward County.
- “Cherokee” Bangs: Operating in Utah in the 1890s, Bangs led a gang of cattle rustlers that, at times, included the infamous Matt Warner. His activities highlight the pervasive problem of cattle theft across the Western states.
Gunslingers and Gang Affiliates
- Alex Baker: An Oklahoma outlaw, Baker was a target of one of the most respected lawmen of his time. He was eventually captured and brought to justice by the legendary U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves, whose relentless pursuit brought countless criminals to justice.
- Cullen Montgomery Baker (1839-1868): One of the most cold-blooded and ruthless killers on the American Frontier, Baker left a horrifying trail of bodies across Texas and Arkansas. A former Confederate, he refused to accept the outcome of the Civil War, relentlessly ambushing Reconstructionists, murdering former slaves, and terrorizing the post-war South. His savagery made him a particularly feared figure.
- Frank Baker (18??-1878): A complex figure, Frank Baker served as a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County, New Mexico, but also rode as an outlaw member of the Jesse Evans Gang. Deeply embroiled in the infamous Lincoln County War, he was part of the posse responsible for the killing of John Tunstall, a pivotal event that escalated the conflict. Baker met his end on March 10, 1878, killed by none other than Billy the Kid.
- Thurman “Skeeter” Baldwin (1867-19??): An Oklahoma outlaw and member of the notorious Cook Gang, Baldwin participated in a bank robbery that ultimately led to his capture, ending his run of crime.
- “Kid” Bannister: A minor outlaw figure, Bannister was killed by saloon proprietor Tom Cook in Oklahoma City, a common fate for those living by the gun in the untamed West.
- Claude Barbee: A wanted Texas outlaw, Barbee was tracked to a West Texas ranch by Deputy Hamilton, leading to a fatal gunfight where the lawman was killed. Barbee initially escaped, even eluding the legendary Pat Garrett, eventually settling in California under an assumed name, where he lived until the 1940s. His ability to vanish stands as a testament to the vastness of the frontier.
- John Barber: After robbing a bank in Cisco, Texas, in 1887, Barber fled to Oklahoma. His freedom was short-lived, however, as U.S. Deputy Marshals Captain Gideon White and Barney Connelly tracked him down and killed him, another testament to the unwavering resolve of federal law enforcement.
- John Barbour: An outlaw member of the Whitley-Cornett Gang of Texas in the 1880s, Barbour’s criminal career also ended violently in Indian Territory.
- Santos Barela: A New Mexico outlaw, Barela faced the ultimate penalty for his crimes, hanged on May 20, 1881, in Mesilla.
- Clinton Barkley, aka Bill Bowen (18??-??): A Texas gunman wanted for murder, Barkley found himself entangled in the brutal Horrell-Higgins Feud, a bloody conflict that consumed parts of Texas.
- Wesley Barnett: An outlaw operating in Indian Territory in the 1880s, Barnett was killed by lawmen in 1889, joining a long list of criminals who succumbed to the relentless pursuit of justice.
- Johnny Barnes (18??-1882): A member of the infamous Clanton Gang in Arizona, Johnny Barnes was shot and killed in 1882. Some accounts attribute his death to the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, further solidifying his place in Old West lore.
- Seaborn Barnes, aka “Nubbin’s Colt” (1849-1878): A key member of the notorious Sam Bass Gang, Barnes joined the outfit in 1878. His criminal career, and life, ended tragically when he was killed alongside Sam Bass during the infamous shootout at Round Rock, Texas, in 1878.
- Calisto Barrera: A New Mexico outlaw, Barrera was responsible for the murder of John D. Bohn on August 16, 1882, near Sapello, New Mexico.
- Richard “Rattlesnake Dick” Barter, aka Dick Woods (1834-1859): A prominent California outlaw, Barter made his living by stealing horses and robbing mining camps. His reign of terror ended in a violent gunfight with a posse near Auburn, California, where he was killed at the young age of 26.
- “Kid” Barton: This New Mexico outlaw led a stage-robbing gang that terrorized Raton Pass. Responsible for several murders, he was eventually captured and hanged in the late 1860s.
- Jerry Barton: A gunfighter and saloon owner in Charleston, Arizona, Jerry Barton’s violent temper led to him killing his partner and, later, a Mexican man in 1881, resulting in his imprisonment.
- Tucker Basham: An outlaw member of the notorious James Gang, Basham rode alongside some of the most famous bandits of the era, participating in their daring robberies.
From Train Robbers to Gang Matriarchs: More Outlaws with a ‘B’
The scope of outlaw activity extended far and wide, encompassing everything from daring train heists to individuals caught in the crosshairs of larger conflicts.
Leaders and Legends
- Samuel “Sam” Bass (1851-1878): One of Texas’s most legendary train robbers and the leader of the infamous Sam Bass Gang. Bass’s exploits included audacious stagecoach robberies in South Dakota and a string of daring train heists in Texas. His reign came to a dramatic end alongside Seaborn Barnes at Round Rock, Texas, in 1878, solidifying his place as a romanticized, yet ruthless, figure in Old West outlaw history.
- Anne Bassett (1878-1956): The daughter of prosperous ranch owners at Brown’s Hole, near the Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah border, Anne Bassett was more than just a rancher’s daughter. She became an associate, and some say a member, of Butch Cassidy’s infamous Wild Bunch, a testament to her adventurous spirit and defiant nature. Her story offers a glimpse into the complex social dynamics of the era.
Minor but Significant Figures
- Captain Andrew T. Baugh: A Texas outlaw and cattle rustler, Captain Baugh met a grim end in 1885 when he was lynched after being caught with a herd of stolen cattle, a stark example of immediate frontier justice.
- Melvin Baughan: A 32-year-old Pony Express employee, Baughan committed murder and was subsequently hanged on September 18, 1868, in Nemaha County, Kansas, a rare instance of a postal worker turning to violence.
- Edward H.O. “Ole” Beck, aka Edward Welch (18??-1912): After meeting Ben Kilpatrick in jail, Beck joined the notorious Wild Bunch. His life of crime ended violently when he and Kilpatrick were killed during a train robbery on March 13, 1912.
- Frank Beck: An outlaw who participated in the murder of Joe Hickson on October 28, 1884, at Good Hope, New Mexico.
- William “Cyclone Bill” Ellison Beck: An outlaw suspected in the robbery of an Army paymaster on May 11, 1889, showcasing the targeting of federal assets.
- Courtney Belmont: A gunman and outlaw who rode with Matt Zimmerman in Nebraska during the 1880s.
- Dick Belmont: Also riding with Matt Zimmerman, Dick Belmont fled to Kansas after Zimmerman’s death and was later shot and killed, reflecting the dangerous life of a gunman.
- “Choctaw” Bell: An outlaw member of the Langford Gang of Texas in the early 1880s, Bell was killed by a posse in 1881, another casualty of the law’s pursuit.
- Santos Benavides: A horsethief and murderer, Benavides was lynched in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on December 29, 1880, during a period of intense vigilante activity.
- Jules Beni (18??-1861): A corrupt manager of the Central Overland, California & Pike’s Peak Express Company in Old Julesburg, Colorado, Beni was an outlaw in a position of authority. His story is famously tied to his killing by Jack Slade, a key event demonstrating the volatile nature of frontier control.
- George Bennett: An outlaw member of the Bill Dalton gang, Bennett was killed in 1893 at Longview, Texas, during a failed bank robbery, a fate many gang members met.
- Charley Bentley: A New Mexico outlaw, Bentley’s brief moment of notoriety came from his escape from jail at White Oaks, New Mexico, in March 1881.
- James “Jim” F. Berry (1838-1877): An outlaw member of the Black Hills Bandits, Berry was caught by lawmen after the train robbery at Big Springs, Nebraska, highlighting the risks of large-scale criminal enterprises.
- Benjamin F. Bickerstaff (18??-1869): A veteran Confederate guerilla soldier, Bickerstaff continued his wartime habits by looting Federal supplies throughout Texas post-Civil War. He was shot and killed by the citizens of Alvarado in April 1869, an act of self-defense by the community.
- Charles Bill: Run out of the New Mexico Territory on February 6, 1906, Charles Bill’s story represents a less violent, but still definitive, end to an outlaw’s presence.
- John Billee (18??-1890): An outlaw in Indian Territory, Billee murdered W.P. Williams with the help of Thomas Willis. Wanted for robbery and murder, he was captured by U.S. Deputy Marshals Will Ayers, James Wilkerson, and Perry DuVall and taken to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he was hanged on January 16, 1890.
- Bil Bivins: Jailed for train robbery near Atlantic City, Wyoming, in 1877, Bil Bivins’s capture was a victory for law enforcement in the rugged mountain territories.
- Lige Bivins: A member of a gang of raiders in Bell, Texas, during the Civil War, Lige Bivins’s activities blurred the lines between wartime action and outright banditry.
- H. J. Bassett: A member of Selman’s Scouts, a group formed in the aftermath of the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, Bassett disappeared sometime after late November 1878, his fate unknown.
- Isaac “Ike” Black (18??-1895): An outlaw operating in Kansas and Oklahoma, Black met his end during a shootout with a posse in Oklahoma on August 1, 1895, a common demise for many frontier criminals.
- Jim Black: A train robber in the New Mexico Territory, Jim Black’s exploits added to the region’s reputation for lawlessness.
- Pope Black: A New Mexico outlaw, Pope Black was shot and killed in the Florida Mountains in December 1882 while resisting arrest, showing the deadly consequences of defiance.
- Robert “Arkansaw” Black: A resourceful outlaw, Black eluded lynching by challenging vigilantes to a fight, a testament to his audacity and survival instincts.
- Duncan “Tom” Blackburn (18??-??): Known for robbing stagecoaches in Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1877. His disappearance after Boone May killed some of his associates suggests a quick retreat or a hidden end, leaving his ultimate fate shrouded in mystery.
The Enduring Legacy of Outlaws with ‘B’
The captivating, often brutal, stories of these Old West outlaws beginning with ‘B’ paint a vivid picture of a formative era in American history. From the Baca brothers’ violent saga in New Mexico to Sam Bass’s audacious train robberies and the ruthless reign of Cullen Montgomery Baker, these figures, alongside lesser-known bandits like “Rattlesnake Dick” Barter and the members of various gangs, collectively shaped the narrative of the wild frontier. Their lives, frequently short and violent, highlight the constant struggle between burgeoning law enforcement and the forces of anarchy. The enduring fascination with these men and women speaks to a deep-seated interest in the raw, untamed spirit of the Old West, where fortunes were made and lost, and justice was often delivered at the barrel of a gun. Their legends, though sometimes romanticized, serve as powerful reminders of the challenges and dangers that defined this unique period.
